From Argentina to Israel and beyond, MC readers share their top body-tuning secrets By Joanne Chen JANE FONDA WORKOUTS and low-fat foods may be purely American inventions, but the notion of keeping fit has definite international appeal.
We asked women from key global cities for a page out of their food and fitness diaries—and for their cultural and personal perspectives on good health. The bottom line? Looking and feeling fierce goes beyond borders.
From Argentina MERCEDES POLITI, 26 Stock analyst in Buenos Aires
Breakfast: Cereal, fruit, coffee, orange juice.
Lunch: Two cups of soup first—"Always! It prevents overeating"—then sliced chicken or tuna salad.
Dinner: Two cups of soup, grilled steak with green salad.
Snack: None on weekdays, but on weekends, alfajores—thick dulce de leche cookies. They're practically the national obsession. Workout Manual Alternating days of capoeira, tangolates (pilates with tango music), and soccer.
Recent Indulgence: At an asado, aka Argentinean barbecue: a cheese table with olives, bread, and wine, followed by roasted vegetables, sausage sandwiches, salad, and a very thick steak. For dessert? A vigilante—cheese topped with sweet-potato jam.
Health Mantra: Be extra good on weekdays; indulge on weekends. "I really enjoy hearty meals!"
NEW FORMATS, PROGRAMS, AND EQUIPMENT KEEP THINGS EXCITING
By Patricia Glynn
For some Fitness enthusiasts, Pilates is just one of many fitness regimens. For others, though, it's an art, a precise science, a transformational study of movement. But, regardless of the phrases used to describe it, one thing is certain Pilates, in a word, works - for clubs and members alike.
Thanks to its unquestioned effectiveness, demonstrated over a period of more than 90 years, and to constant improvements, upgrades, and imaginative new variations on the original theme, Pilates remains an ideal protocol for attracting, engaging, and retaining members.
Recently, the recession has, to be sure, left its mark. Pilates-Pro.com, an online community for industry professionals, recently conducted a survey on the financial performance of Pilates businesses. Some respondents acknowledged that sales had, indeed, slipped as cheats trimmed their training time; but, surprisingly, a large number reported that their revenues had either remained stable or, better yet, increased significantly.
Those who continue to nourish despite the economy's failure have recognized a few fundamental facts. They understand that wide they must remain focused on the basics -safe, efficient programming; excellent customer service; sound business practices - they must be ever alert to fresh opportunities to improvise, innovate, and otherwise reinvent what they do.
One of the simplest and least expensive ways to reinvigorate a club's Pilates menu is to leverage its current offerings. An increasingly popular and profitable approach capitalizes on group equipment classes. Such sessions, in which an instructor works with two to as many as six clients at a time, deliver a number of advantages. They make Plates more dynamic, are socially rewarding for members, and are kind to their wallets, increasing utilization—all of which translates to greater revenues for the club.
PJ O' Clair, a STOTT PILATES Master Instructor Trainer and the 2008 IDEA Program Director of the Year, can attest to their value. The owner of Club Xcel/Northeast, a small boutique-style club with some 480 members in Hamilton, Massachusetts, she's compensated for a slight dip in private lessons with an uptick in group sessions.
Individual sessions cost $55-$85, depending on the leader's level of training, but group classes are just $30 per person, and a 10-pack can be purchased for $195.
Group equipment options, O' Clair points out, obviously require more equipment, but, she contends, more than pay their own way in the long run. "Our numbers are up this year," she enthuses. "We logged a 5% increase in revenues during the first quarter."
Another way to pump up Pilates proceeds is to make use of equipment that may already be in the club, for which manufacturers have devised routines based on Pilates’ movements. Reformers, chairs, and other traditional Pilates pieces may remain pivotal, but devices originally designed with other exercises in mind can add a unique, fresh twist to workouts, and do double, even triple, duty-serving, as well, in personal training and group-exercise situations. Among the categories of equipment that can be utilized for Pilates are glide boards, cable and pulley systems, whole-body vibration devices, and, even, rebounders (mini-trampolines).
NEW POSIBILITIES
Grafting Pilates’ concepts to nontraditional equipment or combining it with other exercise modalities are two great ways to get creative. Yogalates, which pairs yoga and Pilates, has already become something of a standard at many clubs, and now, new couplings are occurring.
Viveca Jensen, a native of Sweden, former World Gym instructor, and the owner of V Pilates in Toluca Lake, California, a part of Los Angeles, has moved Pilates into the boxing ring. "When I studied Pilates, I discovered that its originator, Joseph Pilates, was a boxer," she explains. "And I was like, 'Oh, there it is!" Jensen's inspired creation, Piloxing, is an hour-long routine that flows seamlessly from uppercuts to mat work. Classes, priced at $15, generally attract 15-35 people, and, Jensen notes, attendance is increasing.
"Clients say that Piloxing makes them feel good not just physically, but mentally, as well," she reports.
The program, which has generated a fair amount of buzz, also serves as a feeder into V Pilates' traditional training services, which has brightened Jensen's bottom line. "It sparks an interest," she says.
TANGOLATES
A hemisphere away, another innovator, Tamara Di Tella, has married Pilates and Argentina's national dance, the tango, to create Tangolates. Pilates first made a name for itself when it was embraced by professional dancers, and Di Tella seems to be resurrecting history. Tangolates is offered at her five Pilates’ studios in Buenos Aires and elsewhere in Argentina, and is licensed for use at some 50 clubs in 12 other countries worldwide.
Tangolates makes use of a special piece of equipment, the DI TELLA apparatus; a platform with four upright bars that accommodates two users at a time, which introduces a formerly missing exercise element. "Pilates is excellent for flexibility and strength, but Tangolates adds cardio to the equation," Di Tella explains. "Many clients are looking for weight loss, but not finding it, in traditional Pilates. Tangolates, on the other hand, burns calories."
Each of Di Tella’s studios caters to approximately 200 clients and her Tangolates classes’ average about 10 people in size.
Another clever individual, Joan Breibart, the president and cofounder of the Physical Mind Institute (PMI), based in New York City, which certifies instructors in the Pilates Method, has also developed some promising permutations: Standing Pilates and Circular Pilates. "We've done what we think Joe (Pilates) would have done if he were still alive," says Brett art.
"MANY CLIENTS ARE LOOKING FOR WEIGHT LOSS, BUT NOT FINDING IT, IN TRADITIONAL PILATES. TANGOLATES, ON THE OTHER HAND, BURNS CALORIES."
As the name implies, Sanding Pilates is performed in a standing position. One of the primary goals of the class is to teach clients how to apply the neutral spine of Pilates to everyday tasks, such as bending and walking. Circular Pilates, a 20-minute routine, was developed in association with Kristin Hapke, an instructor for the Institute, and Marika Molnar, a clinical advisor to me PNC This class includes standing, sitting, kneeling, supine, and prone movements, all of which are designed to build strength during rotation.
Interestingly, injury-prevention and rehabilitation is now one of the fastest-growing segments of the Pilates industry - a natural development, perhaps, given the fact that Pilates was originally devised for wounded, bed-bound soldiers during World War I. "People came to Joe with an injury, and he found a way in help them," explains Ken Endelman, the founder, owner, and CEO of Balanced Body, a Pilates equipment manufacturer based in Sacramento, California. "He was essentially one of the first physical therapists."
Attuned to the trend, STOTT PILATES intends to introduce a continuing-education series focused on post-rehab training, as well as on different medical disorders. "Specialty tracks will give instructors the expertise to specialize a little more and help them hone their skills." explains Moira Merrithew, the cofounder and executive director of education for STOTT PILATES, the Toronto-based subsidiary of the Merrithew Corporation, a leading provider s of Pilates’ products and services.
"Post-rehabilitation is a huge new trend," attests O' Clair, of Club Xcel, who specializes in post-rehab and athletic performance. "I'm getting a lot of referrals from doctors - more than I've ever had." Approximately 50% of her clients are post-rehab, she says, and athletes constitute 20% of her private-training business.
"Many pro athletes are incorporating Pilates into their taming regimens, and the majority of them are men," points out Lindsay Merrithew, the cofounder, president, and CEO of STOTT PILATES. "Perhaps they're introduced to it while on the mend from injury, but most are sticking with it. I think that, in the future, we're going to see a lot more men taking advantage of the benefits of Pilates."
Of special note, and indicative of a new direction that Pilates seems to be taking, is O' Clair's Pilates case offering, developed to provide cancer patients with "a gentler approach" to Pilates exercise; 10 people are currently enrolled in the pilot program.
Bettina Blank, a Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) Gold Certified Pilates teacher at the Circle Studio in Portland, Oregon, has also done some groundbreaking work, helping individuals suffering with Parkinson's disease. The author of Pilates for Parkinson's disease: An Instructional Handbook, Blank is convinced that Pilates can alleviate some of the symptoms of Parkinson's - e.g., tremors and a shuffling gait - and has witnessed such improvements firsthand. The participants in her classes, she reports, "feel better, feel more energized, and their posture improves."
SILHOUETTE
TANGO + PILATES: In Forma A Ritmo Di Tango
March, 2009
Da Buenos Aires una nuova disciplina da praticare in palestra ma anche a casa. Serve per rilassare corpo e mente, migliorare la postura, dimagrire.
Arriva da Buenos Aires la novità fitness di quest'anno, pres sti giorni in Italia dalla sua ideatrice, l'argentina Tamara Danza in Fiera svoltasi a Firenze. Stiamo parlando del Tar disciplina che, come suggerisce il nome, unisce la coordinazia zione del tango ai principi del Pilates. In America, il Tangolates è cor anni ed è amato per i suoi effetti sul rimodellamento del corpo e in ] Fra i più entusiasti estimatori spiccano anche famose star, come Sting.
PILATES PER DUE
Tangolates nasce da un'idea dell'ar¬gentina Tamara Di Telia, insegnante di Pilates, che spiega «usavo il Pilates per curare le persone con disturbi neuro-motori. Mi resi conto che per i pazienti lavorare in coppia era più facile. In un secondo momento ho pensato di introdurre la musica e scelsi il tango. Il ritmo marcato e forte di questo ballo era uno stimo¬lo straordinario e facilitava i movi¬menti». È nato così il Tangolates, un nuovo metodo che si ispira ai principi del Tango e del Pilates (concentrazio¬ne, controllo, baricentro, fluidità, pre¬cisione, respirazione), trasferendoli in esercizi in coppia e combinandoli con l'elemento aerobico del ballo. «Gli esercizi» continua Tamara «sono molti, da fare a corpo libero o su un particolare attrezzo inventato da me. Il vantaggio è di rendere i corsi più dinamici di quelli del Pilates, senza il rischio di annoiarsi».
UN ATTREZZO VERSATILE
Nel Tangolates si lavora in coppia anche con il supporto di un innovativo attrezzo: una piccola piattaforma portatile dotata di diversi accessori (barre lunghe e corte, archi, steps), che si distingue per la sua massima versatilità. Si può, infatti usare in moltissi¬mi modi e permette di ese¬guire più di 1.000 movimenti.
FACILITA I MOVIMENTI
Le due persone si mettono davanti all'attrezzo, una di fronte all'altra, e seguono le istruzioni dell'insegnante, che suggerisce di volta in volta i passi. Si tratta di movi¬menti base del tango, molto semplici, combinati anche in piccole coreografie. «Per praticare il Tangolates non è necessario saper ballare. In ognicaso gli allievi sono sostenuti nei loro movimenti dall'attrezzo, che assicura che la postura e i gesti siano sempre corret¬ti», afferma Tamara Di Tella.
PICCOLO E PRATICO
Un altro vantaggio dell'attrez¬zo sono le sue piccole di¬mensioni. Lo scarso ingom¬bro infatti lo rende adatto a essere usato anche fra le pareti di casa. Tutti i movi¬menti vanno eseguiti control¬lando la respirazione e man¬tenendo l'addome contratto. Si consiglia, almeno le prime volte, di farsi seguire da un istruttore in palestra.
PER L'HOME GYM
Più avanti si potrà continuare da sole. «Il Tangolates», precisa Tamara «comprende anche molti esercizi da fare a corpo libero, senza bisogno dell'attrezzo».
LA MUSICA: IL "FIL ROUGE" DELLA LEZIONE
La musica gioca un ruolo fondamentale nel Tangolates. • È infatti l'elemento trainante che permette di eseguire i movimenti in modo fluido e continuo con il giusto ritmo e la giusta intensità, senza interruzioni o abbassamenti di tono. Inoltre, aiuta a sciogliere le inibizioni e a lanciarsi nei passi con molta disinvoltura.
Le melodie sono quelle concentrate e coordinate del tango, e vanno dai ritmi più tradizionali costituiti da un mix di pianoforte, violini e bandoneón (i caratteristici strumenti musicali del famoso ballo argentino) ai più contemporanei suoni elettronici, come quelli interpretati dai Gotan Project, per citare un gruppo musicale francese oggi molto in voga, che fondono le me^ lodie tango con le invenzioni dell'elettronica.
IN FORMA A RITMO DI TANGO
Sensuale come il tango, efficace come il Pilates. Chi ha provato il Tangolates dice che le prime sensazioni sono: grande divertimento e relax. Ma il giorno dopo, se gli esercizi sono stati eseguiti correttamente, l'impatto dell'allenamento si fa sentire su tutti i muscoli del corpo.
• I risultati, alla fine del corso, spaziano dalla to-nificazione all' allungamento di tutti i muscoli, dall'allenamento cardiovascolare al miglioramento della postura.
• Gli esercizi, che si basano sullo stetching e sulla flessibilità della muscolatura, aumentano il controllo del corpo e rendono i movimenti più scioli ed elastici.
• L'insegnante, inoltre, di volta in volta spiega tec¬niche di concentrazione, coordinazione e controllo della respirazione, che aiutano a rilassare corpo e mente e a liberare energie positive. • Gli esercizi di Tangolates coinvolgono in maniera intensa la fascia addominale, che si irrobustisce, contribuendo a migliorare la postura e l'espressività del corpo. Infine, non dimentichiamo che il Tangolates, in quanto attività di tipo aerobico, richiede anche un notevole impegno cardiovascolare. Risultato: si bruciano molte calorie (fino a 500 in un'ora di lezione) e si recupera così il peso-forma.
GRAZIA Ti va di ballare un Tangolates con me?
November 17, 2008
GRAZIA Ti va di ballare un Tangolates con me? November 17, 2008 PILATES TAMARA DI TELLA TANGOUnite il tango al pilates e avrete a disposizione mille movimenti per stare in forma. Con eleganza. E senza noia. Perché questa nuova disciplina aggiunge ritmo e sensualità alla (solita) ginnastica
Sting non ne può più fare a meno. Ormai le tappe dei suoi tour sono intervallate da esercizi di "tangolates". Niente male per una disciplina che è nata in un ospedale, ha attra¬versato le stanze delle palestre e delle accademie di danza e infine varcato la soglia del jet set, contagiando celeb del calibro di Bryan Adams, Valeria Mazza e il ballerino Julio Bocca. L'ultima frontiera del fitness, il tangolates appunto, è un'invenzione dell'eclettica Tamara Di Tella, pioniera del pilates in America Latina. Una disci¬plina che, come suggerisce il nome, coniuga l'eleganza del tango all'efficacia del pilates. Anni fa, Di Tella propose a un ospedale di Buenos Aires di utilizzare il pilates per la riabilitazione di pazienti con disfunzioni neuro-motorie. «I pazienti con problemi neurolo¬gici hanno difficoltà a recuperare il movimento», spiega Tamara.
Per facilitare le cose ho messo di fronte a ciascuno di loro un istruttore, in modo che potessero copiare gliesercizi. Quindi ho aggiunto la musica, il cui ruolo nella riattivazione dei movimenti è straordinario. I medici mi hanno suggerito un ritmo forte, marca¬to, così ho scelto il tango. Ed è nato il tangolates». n nome èdiven¬tato un marchio registrato e la licenza è stata venduta a una deci¬na di Paesi, tra cui l'Italia,dove si stanno organizzando centri dì tangolates. «I principi fondamentali delle due discipline sono gli stessi», sottolinea Di Tella. «Concentrazione, controllo, coordina¬zione e movimenti fluidi. Ma, ai benefici del pilates, il tangolates aggiunge la parte aerobica. Senza contare che il primo è composto da 500 movimenti, il secondo da oltre 1.000». Sbarre di legno, piattaforme tipo step, archi, piccole palle: nel tangolates la panca è scomparsa per lasciare il posto a strumenti più leggeri, ideali per esercitarsi con ganci, ochos e altri passi di tango.
Perché se è vero che il tangolates allunga i muscoli e migliora la postura, insegna anche a ballare. Certo, mancano la sensualità dell'abbraccio, la morbida penembra della milonga: in altre parole, la poesia dei tan¬go. Ma la danza è anche tecnica. E affinarla in palestra può aiutare a muoversi, poi, con scioltezza anche in pista.
Originally developed to help patients with neurological dysfunctions, Tangolates is a mixbetween tango and Pilates. Invented by Argentine Tamara Di Tella, it includes a proper cardio training workout and is taught in 50 schools around the world.
Standing face to face with a partner on a one metre square wooden platform limited by.bendabie sticks on each corner, you are shown how to perform tango movements, such as 'boleos' and 'eights' to the beat of neo-tango, strengthening your muscles,, stretching your body and keeping up a rapid pace. Even if you practise tango as wed as Pilates separately on a weekly basis, the method gets you to use your body in an entirely different way.
Di Tella, Pilates instructor in Buenos Aires and founder of the method, has developed a way of including the aerobic element in her body-mind exercises, often considered essential to any fitness activity. As a result, her method, called Tangolates, also offers a proper cardio training workout.
The price of the courses and its scientific base help attract clients that don't just want to have a laugh whilst working out. "Despite the trendy name, Tangolates is taken seriously after the first lesson," Di Teila points out.
SCIENTIFIC BASE
Tangolates, also called the Tamara Di Tella method, originated in a hospital for patients with neurological dysfunctions. "It all started when (.wanted to donate some Pilates equipment to the medical school hospital here in Buenos Aires," says Di Tella, daughter of a well-known neuro-surgeon. "But the specialist told me his patients with illnesses like Parkinson could only copy gestures, nothing else." Di Tella then started to conceive face-to-face exercises performed in couples, which get the patient to copy the instructor like in a mirror.
Because patients only respond to music with clear beats, as tango therapy theorists have also shown, Tamara Di Tella first started developing her movements to the sound of La Cumparsita. "It worked so well, I then decided to use tango only, starting what I registered as Tangolates in 2004."
Rapidly gaining recognition in the medical field and after writing books and giving speeches in medical conferences, the instructor realised she could go further. With the help of an engineer, she conceived the wooden device.
Since Tamara Di Tella obtained the licence for it last year, she has been promoting her method outside hospitals gaining more and more interest and fame thanks to celebrities like Sting and ballet dancer Julio Bocca who have adopted it.
Tangolates is now taught in 50 schools around the world, 18 of which are in Argentina. "I realise it attracts people with different interests and from all age groups," she concludes. "Clients corne to improve their tango postures, others realise it helps them with horse-riding and others come just
to keep fit, including many young girls who are looking for an efficient way to obtain a nice figure."
For more information or to try out the method, write to tamara@tamaraditella.com. And to watch online videos of the method, check • www.tangolates.com
Created by Tamara Di Tella, Pilates exercises combined with Tango lessons is a new wave to exercise. It started in Buenos Aires (the birthplace of Tango), and is now growing in the United States and Europe. The system is called Tangolates.
Tangolates and Pilates have common roots in human movement and expression. One, Tango, older and established, the other, Pilates, more recently acquired by the general public. They share certain basic concepts. Yet, they are two very different manifestations of human movement.
Both are systems of excises but the differences are obvious: one is performed with music, the other one is silent. One is performed by two people (it takes two to Tango), while the other is performed singly or individually. One, Tangolates, is concentrated plus aerobic workout; the other, Pilates, isconcentrated but not very aerobic. One saw its origins at the port of Buenos Aires; the other, Pilates, had its origins almost a century later, with wounded soldiers during the first world war. More about Tangolates: It is performed on a special apparatus called the T-DiTella, while the other, Pilates, is performed on an entirely different machine called The Reformer.
Tangolates develops core abdominal strength, keeps the skeleton supported and the spine protected, lets the movement flow and focuses on the energy that comes first from the core (and then flows outward).
Another way to keep the body in a good shape.
Innovation and strategic advantage hinge on the ability to anticipate trends and identify the next big thing, like this trend, Tangolates, which is pilates with Tango spirit.
By tracking the evolution of cool, Trend Hunters generate ideas, stimulate creativity, and ultimately shape our social context.
Do you crave cool? Is your curiosity insatiable? This is the community you have been looking for. Submit a trend or comment on 'Tangolates, pilates with Tango spirit'.
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TAMARA DI TELLA Pilates & Tangolates --the world's largest and chain of Pilates Studios- has arrived to the McAllen/Misison area brought by Laura, Gloria and Jacobo Garza, and through the initiative of Ricardo Martínez, the Director of Tamara Di Tella Pilates & Tangolates, of Buenos Aires.
This international chain of Pilates & Tangolates Studios has been very successful throughout Latin America and Europe, in countries such as Argentina, Paraguay, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, Perú, México, the United States, France, Spain and Greece. "Our method is amazing and our clients just love doing the same core-control movements Richard Gere, Jennifer López and Antonio Banderas do!!" says Martínez.
What are the next steps? The School of Training with International Certification and travel scholarships; the Tamara Di Tella Training Program for Golfers, and "Tango Kids & Teens", the best way to get the younger ones exercising their swing and have fun at the same time!", says Ricardo Martínez.
Lunch: Two cups of soup first—"Always! It prevents overeating"—then sliced chicken or tuna salad.
Grafting Pilates’ concepts to nontraditional equipment or combining it with other exercise modalities are two great ways to get creative. Yogalates, which pairs yoga and Pilates, has already become something of a standard at many clubs, and now, new couplings are occurring.
TANGOLATES
"Post-rehabilitation is a huge new trend," attests O' Clair, of Club Xcel, who specializes in post-rehab and athletic performance. "I'm getting a lot of referrals from doctors - more than I've ever had." Approximately 50% of her clients are post-rehab, she says, and athletes constitute 20% of her private-training business.
la postura e i gesti siano sempre corret¬ti», afferma Tamara Di Tella. 
GRAZIA Ti va di ballare un Tangolates con me? November 17, 2008 PILATES TAMARA DI TELLA TANGOUnite il tango al pilates e avrete a disposizione mille movimenti per stare in forma. Con eleganza. E senza noia. Perché questa nuova disciplina aggiunge ritmo e sensualità alla (solita) ginnastica 
riattivazione dei movimenti è straordinario. I medici mi hanno suggerito un ritmo forte, marca¬to, così ho scelto il tango. Ed è nato il tangolates». n nome èdiven¬tato un marchio registrato e la licenza è stata venduta a una deci¬na di Paesi, tra cui l'Italia,dove si stanno organizzando centri dì tangolates. «I principi fondamentali delle due discipline sono gli stessi», sottolinea Di Tella. «Concentrazione, controllo, coordina¬zione e movimenti fluidi. Ma, ai benefici del pilates, il tangolates aggiunge la parte aerobica. Senza contare che il primo è composto da 500 movimenti, il secondo da oltre 1.000». Sbarre di legno, piattaforme tipo step, archi, piccole palle: nel tangolates la panca è scomparsa per lasciare il posto a strumenti più leggeri, ideali per esercitarsi con ganci, ochos e altri passi di tango. 
Originally developed to help patients with neurological dysfunctions, Tangolates is a mixbetween tango and Pilates. Invented by Argentine Tamara Di Tella, it includes a proper cardio training workout and is taught in 50 schools around the world.
ng else." Di Tella then started to conceive face-to-face exercises performed in couples, which get the patient to copy the instructor like in a mirror. 
had its origins almost a century later, with wounded soldiers during the first world war. More about Tangolates: It is performed on a special apparatus called the T-DiTella, while the other, Pilates, is performed on an entirely different machine called The Reformer.
