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There’s something new in our White Plains studio—perhaps you’ve seen a cluster of exercise machines, each with a long rail, a sliding seat and a round water tank. They’re our new rowing machines for Indo-Row®, APOGEE’s unique take on indoor rowing.

Rowing is one of the best routes to total fitness—not only is it an extraordinary cardiovascular workout, but it is a true total-body workout, activating your legs, core, back, shoulders and arms. With so much muscle mass recruited for each stroke, rowing is a huge calorie burner—up to 700 calories an hour. But because you’re seated, there’s no pounding stress on joints. And you can row easily or all-out—you decide how much effort to put into each stroke.

Indo-Row is the perfect complement to Pilates. The stroke is easy to learn, but as with Pilates, the more you concentrate on flowing movement, the greater your results. Your core acts as a link between your upper and lower body as you row; the stronger your core, the more powerful your stroke. “Indo-Row allows our clients to complement their Pilates experience with an exhilarating aerobic workout,” says Dr. Howard Sichel, executive vice president of APOGEE Wellness and founder of Power Pilates. “Our instructors ensure each class is high-energy, fun and challenging.”

Three things make APOGEE’s Indo-Row class stand out.

It’s Motivating
First, Indo-Row is a group fitness class, and APOGEE instructors use group dynamics for motivation—that’s where the team competitions come in. Instructors create short relay races to up the intensity. You also get support from the group. Because everyone is rowing at the same pace, it’s easy to keep the rhythm—even the sound of the rowing machines acts as a cue. “The greatest part of Indo-Row is the sense of community in the class,” says Sichel.

There’s Constant Feedback
APOGEE Indo-Row classes utilize the newest innovation in indoor rowing equipment. Indo-Rowers have a sealed water flywheel that provides smooth, constant resistance during each stroke. The exact resistance varies depending on how intensely you row. “What’s great about the Indo-Row machine is that an elite athlete can row next to a beginner at the same pace, and they will both get a great workout,” says Sichel. The water also creates a wave-like sound that is soothing, realistic and almost meditative. Each machine has a simple electronic read-out that gives you instant feedback on your effort.

You’ll Incorporate Pilates Moves
Most importantly, APOGEE instructors break up the 45-minutes of rowing with three Pilates-based interludes of strength, stretch and recovery exercises that keep you connected to your core and ensure your back, legs and shoulders stay supple, strong and healthy.

Let the rowing begin!

When you train with Pilates instructors at APOGEE White Plains and Bedford Hills or Power Pilates in New York (both APOGEE Wellness companies), you’re experiencing the teaching of Susan Moran. In 1995, Susan and Howard Sichel started Power Pilates, which quickly grew to include teacher education as well as individual and group client training. Now, Power Pilates is the leading educator of classical Pilates in the world. All of the Pilates instructors at APOGEE are trained in Power Pilates; in all, 7,000 Pilates instructors around the world are trained graduates. Susan continues to teach weekly classes in Manhattan, as well as lead workshops and instruct at industry events.

Pilates is a trend that never goes away. Why is it so enduring?

Susan: People begin taking classes because Pilates will give them the flat abs, improved posture and increased flexibility that they want. But they keep coming because of the way Pilates makes them feel: I say 30 days of Pilates will change your life because it heals you from the inside out—from a cellular level. People are happier because they feel better—they have more energy and are healthier. Feeling good will never go out of style!

Pilates is known for developing core strength, so why is the motto at Power Pilates “Movement Heals”?

Susan: Pilates exercises build core strength, yes, but primarily Pilates improves the health of the spine. In my early years of teaching I saw people’s health improve because of Pilates. When I was 23 I had a client with a lung disease. After practicing Pilates she went to the doctor and her lung function had increased 20 to 30 percent. Now I know why: The nerves that enervate the muscles and organ systems come from your spine. When you improve the health of your spine, every body system benefits. People breathe better, have improved digestion, endocrine function and more. It’s just like Joseph Pilates said: We have the power to heal ourselves!

Related articles:
Susan Moran teaches The Hundred (video)
Who Was Joseph Pilates?
The Principles of Pilates: Linking Mind and Body

It’s good to be serious about your health and fitness, but, says APOGEE Fusion Funk instructor Theo Philip, you don’t have to be serious while you’re working out. Philips is a model for his students, sporting a huge, infectious smile while he leads his popular Fusion Funk class every Wednesday at APOGEE White Plains. The class is a mix of cardio, strength and “freedom” says Theo. “Dance for me is a big escape—when you dance you can let yourself go!” The fact that Fusion Funk is a total-body workout is icing on the cake.

Theo brings his formal dance training (modern, ballet, jazz, improvisation), his experience as a performer (everywhere from the street corners to concert stages), and the latest selection of dance music (from the Latin groove of Enrique Iglesias to the latest from Flo Rida) to class every week. “I choreograph small sections and repeat it so people can follow easily,” Theo says. He uses the same music and movement sequences several weeks in a row so it’s familiar to everyone in class, then mixes in new steps and tunes to keep it fresh. “If you’re just starting you will catch on after the first few minutes,” he says. “I get everyone pumped up.”

Fusion Funk has a devoted following at APOGEE White Plains, and it’s easy to see why: Theo is a master of using music to bring the class to several cardio peaks, slowing it down for a recovery period, then building it up again. He weaves in bounces with light hand-weights and easy stretches such as plies. The variations in intensity, upper- and lower-body moves, and straight-from-the-clubs dance beats make an hour of movement speed by. Everyone in the studio follows Theo’s lead: dancing, sweating, smiling and feeling free.

More Funk: We’ve just scheduled a very special 8-weeks of dance fun with Theo. In Funk It Out (Mondays, 6:30pm, White Plains) you’ll learn dance moves choreographed by Theo Philip to five current hit songs. Each week you’ll learn a little more and by the last week, you’ll be a master on the dance floor.
Begins 10/4.

Here is a collection of recent health news you can use.  We’re focusing on whole-body health. Click on the links to read more about each topic.

Be active for better brain health: Perhaps you work out to keep trim and toned, but did you know that exercise also builds new brain cells? Recent research shows how physical activity stimulates the stem cells in our brains that make new neurons. Perhaps that’s one reason why people who are active in their younger years are at lower risk for cognitive impairment later in life. In a study of more than 9,000 women, those who had been active a teens had the lowest risk of cognitive impairment, but regular activity at any time in life lowered the risk. In other words, being active now means better brain health later.

Awareness has healing power: The mindfulness you develop in meditation and yoga can help your health in many ways. In one study, people who practiced mindfulness boosted the levels of immune cells in their blood. And in an Australian study, 12 women at risk for binge eating lost weight and had higher self-esteem after practicing yoga for 12 weeks.

Meditation is increasingly being recognized as a natural pain reliever. The U.S. Army  is adding yoga and acupuncture to its arsenal of pain treatments. In Britain, brain scans showed how meditation changes the way the brain anticipates pain. “Meditation trains the brain to be more present-focused and therefore to spend less time anticipating future negative events,” said the study author.

Natural foods guard against disease: Whole, natural foods are like treasure boxes filled with healing substances. For example, extra virgin olive oil may guard against breast cancer; researchers think substances in the oil help send death signals to cancer cells and protect DNA in the cell nucleus. Just pour it on. And replacing white rice with whole grains could reduce your risk of diabetes by 36 percent, say doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Two or more servings a week of brown rice, whole-wheat berries and barley made the difference in the study.

Processed foods, on the other hand, can be damaging. So many processed foods contain added sugars and a recent study found that fructose makes kids’ fat cells bigger and less sensitive to insulin, setting them up for obesity and diabetes. Another reason to choose water and avoid drinks with added sugar!

Finding the time, energy and motivation to keep your body fit can be as challenging as completing the workouts themselves. That’s why APOGEE’s new Power Pilates OneShot class is quickly gaining a devoted following: In 55 minutes, you can raise your heart rate, burn off calories and work your core with Pilates moves. “It’s motivating because there’s so much variation,” says APOGEE OneShot instructor LucyAnn Doino.

The OneShot class alternates between Pilates mat work and ropeless jumping—think of a boxer’s workout, with foot shuffles, side-to-side footwork and hopping. The difference: You’re holding just the handles of a jump rope—there’s no actual rope to get tangled or miss. The Jump Snap handles make the noise of a rope so you know your pace. With feet, legs and arms moving, OneShot gives you an exhilarating total-body workout.

“In the 45-minute Intro class, we do a 25-minute Pilates mat warm-up, followed by 5-minute jump routines alternating with 5-minutes of Pilates mat work,” says LucyAnn. The Pilates moves are similar to those in a Beginning Mat class. The jumping routines are easy and anyone can revert to the basic side-to-side move if they need to lower their intensity. “We do 20-, 30- and 60-second jumping intervals,” says LucyAnn. “The choreography is simpler than a Zumba class.”

In the 55-minute Regular OneShot class, the Pilates mat warm-up is 10 minutes long, followed by 10-minute jumping intervals with mat breaks lasting 5 minutes.

“The music is really motivating,” says LucyAnn. “No one is bored!” With music, the snapping sound of the Jump Snaps and just enough footwork to keep you challenged, OneShot is 55-minutes of sweat you’ll look forward to.

OneShot is open to everyone. It is helpful to have taken Intro to Pilates Mat so you understand the instructions during the mat-work portions of the class. Find a  OneShot class in White Plains or Bedford Hills.