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.
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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.
'TANGO MÁS PILATES: Tangolates,
el Método de STING'
March, 2010
UN METODO MENTE-CUERPO CON AGREGADO AEROBICO
Nos disponemos a elaborar un poco más aspectos centrales de mi método y a abordar el objetivo de compararlo y cotejar diferencias con el Pilates clásico. Te voy a contar cómo levanta el nivel de las endorfinas y señalaré los motivos por los cuales es ideal y recomendable para todos.
EL ESPIRITU DE TANGOLATES
Si los ejercicios de Joseph Pilates -Contrology- conforman un sistema de mente-cuerpo, mi método -Tangolates- es un método mente-cuerpo pero con un agregado aeróbico. Entonces: ¿es una rutina de entrenamiento o una coreografía? Yo digo que ambas. Es una rutina de entrenamiento coreografiado con la música del tango. Mucha gente me pregunta: "¿Pero sirve para aprender a bailar el tango?". Y les contesto: "En realidad, no fue diseñado para aprender tango, pero seguramente saldrás dando los primeros pasos básicos y perderás el miedo a bailarlo, sin lugar a dudas". El Método Tamara Di Tella Tangolates es una filosofía de vida, una actitud. ¿Qué tiene Tangolates que Pilates no tiene? Una respuesta rápida "a lo Bill Clinton": es lo aeróbico, tonto. Un sistema de actividad física no está completo hasta que no cumple con tres requisitos: a) fuerza; b) elongación; c) elemento aeróbico o cardiovascular. Pilates es un método verdaderamente excelente, pero su parte aeróbica no es demasiado fuerte, por decirlo de alguna manera. Cuando yo creé mi método Tangolates tomé en consideración este hecho. Para mí era muy importante compensar la parte más débil de Pilates. ¿Cómo lo hice? ¡Con música! Como Sting, el notable rockero, me dijo una vez: "Y no es cualquier música, Tamara. Es una música de un atractivo irresistible". Elegir el tango no fue coincidencia. Lo hice porque tiene un ritmo fuerte y marcado, concentrado, basado en el centro corporal, controlado y altamente coordinado. Cualquier semejanza con el Pilates clásico no es una coincidencia. De hecho, si encuentras una música más congruente y complementaria a los principios básicos de Pilates, por favor, házmelo saber.
PRIMERO LO PRIMERO
Ahora que supongo que estamos bastante de acuerdo en que el Pilates y el tango tienen mucho en común y que se complementan de una manera orgánica, podemos proceder a contestar algunas preguntas puntuales que le interesan a la gente como, por ejemplo, para qué sirve Tangolates. O bien: ¿sirve para quemar calorías y adelgazar? ¿Qué más logra? Coincidimos en que mi método te guiará para descubrir cómo fortalecer tu centro y afirmar todo el potencial de tu cuerpo, agregándole la parte cardiovascular a tu Pilates clásico. Si estamos de acuerda vayamos a los básicos.
MI METODO
Con Tangolates vas a poder librarte de un talle más rápido y de manera más eficiente que con cualquier otro método mente-cuerpo, precisamente por su característica cardiovascular. El Método Tamara Di Tella apunta directo a tus abdominales, tu cola, tus piernas, brazos y todo tu cuerpo de manera integral. Vas a perder algunos kilos e inclusive vas a despedirte de la celulitis. Si tiendes a ser inconstante, no temas: ¡no te vas a aburrir nunca! No hay precedente de que alguien haya abandonado la sala mientras la música estuviera sonando.
CAMBIAR
Ambos, mi Tangolates y mi estilo de Pilates, son sistemas mente-cuerpo, ejercicios basados en el control del centro, pero las diferencias son muy obvias. El primero se realiza con música, mientras que Pilates en general -y el mío en particular- es silencioso. Pueden tener música de fondo, pero eso es otra cosa, muy diferente a tener ejercicios perfectamente coreografiados con una música específica.
¿Otra diferencia? Sí: mi método puede ser practicado por dos personas, mientras que el otro se ejecuta sólo de manera individual. Tangolates es concentrado y aeróbico al mismo tiempo; Pilates es concentrado, pero su componente aeróbico es más débil. Y hay más diferencias: mi método se realiza sobre el aparato Di Tella, mientras que el Pilates clásico lo hace sobre una máquina totalmente diferente llamada Reformer. De entrada, nomás, ya presentan cuatro diferencias de relevancia. Ambos -Tamara Di Tella Pilates y Tangolates- poseen, cada uno, su personalidad propia y particular. Ambos, cada uno a su manera, son métodos diferentes, distintivos y únicos. Sin embargo, ambos se concentran en desarrollar el centro y toda la zona abdominal.
Ambos mantienen la estructura ósea contenida y la columna vertebral protegida. Ambos permiten la fluidez del movimiento, enfatizan la coordinación, la concentración y el equilibrio, y finalmente se concentran como ningún otro método en la energía que el cuerpo emana desde el centro para luego fluir hacia el exterior. Y hablando de actitud, todo el mundo sabe lo que son las endorfinas, ¿verdad? Esas hormonas preciosas y preciadas que el cerebro libera cuando estamos apacibles y contentos. Una vez libres, provocan que uno se sienta muy feliz; pierde, en parte, el sentido del tiempo, la fatiga o el cansancio. y puede efectivamente, bailar toda la noche hasta que salga el sol, como dice la canción. Como resultado, bailando el vals vamos quemando muchas más calorías que pintando el techo de casa. Los motivos de esta liberación de endorfinas evocan lindos momentos y sentimientos: bailar, escuchar buena música, jugar con un cachorrito, hacer el amor, beber una copa de buen vino cerca del fuego... Sólo por nombrar algunos. ¿Me creerías si te dijera que con mi Método Tamara Di Tella Tangolates vas a lograr que tus endorfinas fluyan? Te voy a dar una muy buena razón para que pruebes que estoy en lo correcto: la música es sublime. Realmente irresistible.
Dejando de lado la parte cardiovascular o aeróbica, las endorfinas producen una sensación de satisfacción inigualable y cualquier tipo de ejercicio mente-cuerpo, que además esté coreografiado al son de una música, es extraordinario. Pocos métodos mente-cuerpo pueden competir con eso. Todos los demás -yoga, tai chi, qi gong- son silenciosos. Este es el único que se basa en coreografías precisas. Muchas investigaciones muestran que los seres humanos no somos indiferentes al estímulo de la música. Y no serás ninguna excepción, te lo garantizo. Justamente debido a la música, Tangolates te posibilitará trabajar todos los músculos al mismo tiempo. Va a relajar las tensiones, de tal manera que dolores, molestias, tironeos e incomodidades desaparecerán como por arte de magia. El motivo: cuando la estás pasando bien no te puedes tensionar, ni estresar, ni ofuscar. ¿No me crees? Veamos: enciende la música y comienza a moverte a su ritmo. ¿Ya está? Es agradable, ¿no? Bueno, ahora trata de fruncir el ceño, intenta mantener tus puños cerrados. No puedes, ¿verdad? ¿Lo ves?La mejor terapia física para las molestias del cuerpo es la alegría, la felicidad, el placer y muchas, pero muchas, endorfinas fluyendo libremente.
Llámalo como quieras. ¡El hecho es que funciona! El Di Tella se compone de una base pequeña y funcional a la cual se le pueden agregar diferentes suplementos para realizar cincuenta ejercicios y más de mil movimientos. El aparato es pequeño, portátil y apilable, y se puede guardar fácilmente al terminar la rutina. Veamos algunos de sus accesorios: plataformas, que se convierten en un piso sólido cuando se unen y en steps al separarse; barras cortas y largas —para ejercicios en forma vertical—; un arco grande parecido a los de fútbol, un arco pequeño; una especie de cinturón de seguridad que puede engancharse al aparato, con una goma elástica para ejercicios específicos localizados de fuerza y de elongación. Finalmente, una pequeña "valla" con una anilla que permite realizar ejercicios de un alto nivel de precisión. El aparato Di Tella te ayudará a enseñar a tus alumnos los principios básicos, a practicar la postura, y hasta comenzar con los primeros pasos antes de meterte de lleno en la ejercitación. Para quienes son tímidos -la mayoría lo somos al principio-, el Di Tella es ideal: permite sortear las inhibiciones típicas del principiante. Además, los estudiantes pueden, en un comienzo, practicar con la ayuda del aparato. En este sentido, es ideal para ambos, estudiantes e instructores, porque los profesores también necesitan (y se benefician de) una herramienta como ésta, que les ayuda a enseñar. El aparato y el método se hacen uno.
Y esto es maravilloso porque aporta el elemento cardiovascular y las rutinas de control del centro, conformando por lo tanto un método cuerpo-mente más completo.
Fíjate si no:
• Te ayudará a perder peso y centímetros.
• Te dará porte y elegancia.
• Hará que te veas más estilizado.
• Endurecerá tus abdominales.
• Tonificará tus músculos profundos.
• Fortalecerá tu centro.
• Aplanará tu pancita.
• Endurecerá tus piernas y tus muslos.
• Levantará tu cola.
• Abrirá tu pecho.
• Te ayudará a respirar mejor
• Te hará más flexible.
• Ganarás autoestima.
• Incrementará tu sex
¿Qué pasa con los beneficios psicológicos? ¿No son tan importantes como los beneficios técnicos y aun más? En caso de que la larga lista que te acabo de dar no sea suficiente para convencerte, mira la próxima. Es menos técnica, pero igualmente válida:
• Logras ritmo.
• Obtienes música.
• Serás el centro de la atención.
• Harás muchos nuevos amigos.
En conclusión, el Método Tamara Di Tella:
• Te dará un nuevo cuerpo.
• Iluminará tu vida.
• Te divertirá.
ALGO DEBEMOS ESTAR HACIENDO BIEN
Déjame preguntarte algo: ¿por qué deberías hacer ejercicio al compás de una música que existe desde hace más de cien años? ¿Por qué volver a técnicas y a temas de nuestros ancestros? Puedo esbozar una respuesta que ya te he mencionado alguna vez: ¡porque funciona! Porque lo conocemos hace mucho tiempo, y a esta altura nos hubiéramos dado cuenta si no fuera bueno.
Como ya dije en otro libro: si lo recomiendan tu mamá y tu abuela, es porque funciona. Si tienes problemas a la hora de tonificar tus abdominales, reducir tu cintura, corregir tu postura; si sientes que no eres la persona atractiva que te gustaría ser; si necesitas un poco de actitud y de autoestima en tu vida cotidiana, entonces mi Método Tangolates es la solución. Terminarás los ejercicios con la autoestima afirmada.
Aun si no eres alto, vas a caminar como si lo fueras. Incluso si no eres delgado, lucirás delgado. Nada te dará más elegancia en la postura que Tangolates. Pero eso no es todo. Los ejercicios descartarán inmediatamente al "flancito" que descubres en el espejo. Te dará piernas tonificadas, glúteos fuertes, una figura delgada, esculpida y elegante, junto con una nueva actitud que la gente enseguida reconocerá y admirará.
EL CUERPO HABLA
Así es como tu cuerpo habla por ti: tu cabeza se inclina ligeramente a la izquierda como tratando de comprender algo, tu hombro izquierdo se levanta como para proteger tu corazón, tus sentimientos. Tu mentón baja. Tus hombros tienden a redondearse hacia adelante y también es posible que titubees desparramado en tu silla. ¿Qué más? Ah, sí, inclusive podrías estar frotándote las manos cada tanto. Tu postura corporal esta diciendo algo: ¿es la inseguridad acerca de tu peso? ¿O acerca de tu pelo? ¿Te sobresale la pancita? Ahora imagínate esta otra situación: entras a una sala, alto y erguido.
Tus hombros inclinados hacia atrás y abajo. Tu mentón acentuado. Tu columna vertebral perfectamente derecha. Te paras esbelto, te mueves con seguridad, miras de frente a los ojos de las personas que te rodean y siempre sonríes con una expresión apacible en la mirada. ¿Sabes una cosa? Ya mismo vas a lucir más delgado, más elegante y más atractivo. Tus movimientos serán más agraciados, y tu look grandioso, desde la cabeza hasta los pies. Lindo, ¿verdad? Pero eso no es todo. Hay algo más: ese insufrible dolor de espalda ha desaparecido. El cuello no tira, tu zona lumbar ni siquiera existe, ni la sientes. Tus rodillas están bien aceitadas, ya no cargan más esa tensión cervical, entre otro cúmulo de sensaciones agradables. ¿Una mala postura? ¿Quién, yo? ¡De ninguna manera! ¡Arriba! Si no lo haces tú mismo, nadie lo hará por ti.
Cuando te levantas se estrecha la cintura, ganas en altura, los hombros se ubican en su posición correcta, tu pecho alcanza presencia, las caderas parecen más apretadas, tus piernas se ven más largas, el centro se contrae y tu cuello adquiere la gracia del cisne. Y como si esto fuera poco, los dolores en la zona lumbar desaparecen y dejas de notar las cervicales. ¿Todo eso? Sí todo eso y más: se libera la presión de tus articulaciones y nervios, enderezas la columna vertebral y por primera vez en muchos años lograrás una panza chata.
LA LISTA DE TAMARA
Les presento ejercicios para hacer en casa y palpitar el cambio: 1. Imagínate que tienes una cuerda que levanta tu cabeza. Trata de tocar el techo con la corona de tu cabeza. Cuenta hasta diez y relájate. Inténtalo una vez más y relájate otra vez. 2. Ahora los pies. Comienza por separar los dedos de tus pies abriéndolos lo más posible. Imagínate que se ha formado un triángulo entre el dedo gordo, el pequeñito y el talón. Distribuye equitativamente el peso de tu cuerpo en estos tres ángulos. Inclínate un poco hacia adelante sintiendo cómo tu peso deambula sobre tus metatarsos.
Ni te atrevas a cambiar la posición neutral ya explicada, o si no vuelve al paso 1. 3. Vamos por el balance, el principio número 1 del tango. Imitemos a los bailarines profesionales. Párate con los pies paralelos y separados al ancho de la cadera. Luego inclina el peso del cuerpo sobre tu pie derecho, apenas flexionando la rodilla derecha. La pierna izquierda debería estar completamente extendida y libre para moverse (sacúdela un poquito para comprobar que puedes hacerlo). Suavemente, desplaza el peso hacia el pie izquierdo, apenas flexionando tu rodilla izquierda y dejando tu pierna derecha completamente libre. 4. Coloca los hombros para atrás y abre el pecho. Luego respira intensamente y camina tres amplios pasos hacia adelante. Relájate. Inhala profundo y comienza otra vez. A eso se lo llama actitud. Y no tengas miedo de exagerar. 5. Deja caer tu mandíbula. Abre la boca como si dieras un desmesurado bostezo... un poco más. Estira esos músculos faciales.
También abre los ojos bien grandes. Ahora descansa y comienza cuidadosamente a mover tu mandíbula de lado a lado. Inhala y exhala. Siente cómo tu cara se relaja. Tres de cada cuatro bailarines de tango contraen sus músculos faciales al bailar. Esto se debe a la concentración. La misma debe ocurrir en el cuerpo pero no en el ceño, así que distiende tu rostro y deja que el resto de tu cuerpo hable por ti.
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.
