Pilates

Anta's Pilates Best of Citysearch Top 10

Anta's Fitness and Self Defense in Doral FL was voted "Best of City Search Top 10" Pilates in Miami. Anta's Fitness and Self Defense started the first Pilates program in West Miami Dade County in 1999. Julio Anta started these classes at the Doral Park Country Club where he and Elena his wife were teaching Fitness Kickboxing. Elena started doing Pilates due to a hip injury from years of teaching kickboxing. She later stopped teaching kickboxing and took over the Pilates program from her husband.

Pilates instructor Elena Anta is a fully certified All American Pilates mat and equipment instructor. She has trained with Joseph Pilates disciple Lolita San Miguel. In her trips to NY she has trained with Stephanie Beatty who is certified under Romana Kryzanowska (Joseph Pilates disciple) and at Romana's studio Drago's. Anta's Pilates offers Pilates mat, Pilates MVe Chair and private apparatus classes.

Here is what students are saying:

Best Pilates Instructor in Miami

What a great class! I've trained in numerous big gyms in the area that had Pilates classes, yet none gave me the results that i got at Anta's Pilates. Elena is the most knowledgeable Pilates instructor in Miami. She genuinely cares about every client and seeing their results. I am now fit and trim and classes are so much fun.

Awesome Pilates Classes

I was searching for a certified Pilates program in West Miami Dade for a while. I finally found one and I'm so glad I did. I feel great, the pain in my back is gone and my waist line is smaller. Elena is an awesome and experienced certified Pilates mat and Pilates apparatus instructor. She's been teaching Pilates way before it became main stream. I've taken her Pilates mat, Pilates MVe Chair and private equipment classes. I highly recommend all her classes. She truly cares for her students and is knowledgeable, kind and considerate.

MVe Pilates Fitness Chair Class

Anta’s Fitness and Self Defense, an industry leader in fitness, today announced the launch of their newest fitness program the MVe Pilates Fitness Chair Workout. Classes will be held on Tuesday's at 6:15 PM. Call us today for a free introductory class. MVe is the fusion of Pilates and fitness. It combines balance training, sports specific training and core training in a group fitness environment. Unlike anything available at health clubs, gyms or Pilates Studios today, this system boasts the MVe Fitness Chair, developed by Peak Pilates, a re-imagined breed of Pilates equipment set in a high energy, group class format with heart pumping music.

The MVe Fitness Chair is an evolved version of the original Pilates chair. The chair was one of five main pieces of equipment developed by Joseph Pilates. It is said that this portable apparatus was originally inspired by equipment used to train Chinese acrobats and Circus performers. The Fitness Chair captures the features of the original chair while increasing flexibility, strength, balance and coordination.

Over the last 20 years the fitness industry has undergone a radical revolution in training philosophy. It has moved away from body specific workouts such as bodybuilding exercises and gym machines to functional strength and core training.

The MVe Pilates Fitness class is a true mind and body workout that coordinates movement in the most efficient manner. “We are committed to bringing a new level of excitement to our Pilates and fitness classes, with this revolutionary functional fitness workout.” said Elena Anta, fully certified Pilates instructor and co-owner of Anta’s Fitness and Self Defense, 10721 NW 58 St. Miami (Doral). Elena brought the first and still the only Pilates program to the North West Miami Dade area.

This simple device may be used for the rehab, beginners and recondition couch potato, yet it can challenge the most advance athlete. For more information on this program call Anta’s Fitness and Self Defense at 305 599-3649

PILATES: THE ULTIMATE BELLY SHAPER

By now most of you have heard of Pilates, the fitness craze that is sweeping the nation.  You might have seen Daisy Fuentes and Danny Glover in those late night infomercials telling you how they reshaped their bodies. Or you’ve seen Pilates books and videos in you favorite department store.  You might have heard of how doctors are beginning to prescribe Pilates for aches and pains or you might have read about it in your favorite fitness magazine or possibly you’ve read the previous article in this column.  Did you know that Pilates is the ultimate belly shaper and the best part is that you wouldn’t have to do 100’s of sit ups, leg raises, or crunches?

Most men, but particularly women are obsessed with having a flat stomach.  Who hasn’t dreamed of washboard abdominal or a wasp like waistline?  Pilates exercises will tone and tighten the stomach area and as an added bonus, will strengthen your lower back.  They will not make you lose a lot of weight, but they will give you a flatter, leaner stomach, while improving your posture.  In Pilates you workout your stomach while working on your breathing and isometrically do Yoga like exercises.  Nothing works your abs better than pulling your naval to your spine as you exhale every atom of carbon dioxide from your body.

Strong abdominal muscles, in particular the transverse abdomens that run laterally across the front of your abdomen like a girdle, will help support your internal organs and back.  A trained Pilates instructor, through posture analysis, can teach you to stand taller and sit straighter.  This will indeed make your stomach appear flatter.  When your body is aligned and you maintain an erect back you will literally exercise your abs and relieve back pain.  If you slump when you walk or sit your stomach will protrude.  There is an old proverb that says if you bring fish to a man you will feed him for a day, if you teach a man to fish, he will feed himself forever.  Pilates is like teaching you to fish, you will learn how to keep your stomach firm forever.

Pilates Problems

In the beginning of the Tae Bo craze the Miami Herald wrote a full page featured article on my concerns on fitness/aerobics instructors teaching Fitness Kickboxing after a weekend seminar. In less than a year we read and witnessed on the local news the horrors of kickboxing injuries. Today’s hottest workout is Pilates. So in an effort to capitalize on the Pilates craze fitness/aerobics instructors are getting their Pilates certification throughout America in weekend seminars. His is a common practice in the fitness industry. They are also getting certifications in Tai Chi and Yoga on weekends.  

 

Pilates is much more than an exercise method. Joseph Pilates developed his program to create a healthy body, a healthy mind, and a healthy life with balance. He blended many disciplines together to restore harmony and balance on three levels; physically, mentally, and spiritually. Originally, he referred to his work as “Contrology” because he believed that the mind controls the body and the spirit builds the body. He dedicated his life’s work to helping others achieve their full potential in life; he passed his methods on to his students and disciples to be carried into the 21^st century impacting the lives of people all over the world. Uncle Joe as he was known by his disciple’s also developed a few apparatus know today as Pilates equipment. Pilates must be rolling in his grave as these weekend certified instructors are destroying his life long study of the human body.

 

We were the first certified Pilates instructor’s in West Dade and we are still the only Pilates equipment studio in West Dade. My wife Elena who was featured on the Today Show doing Pilates at the PGA is the head of Anta’s Fitness Pilates programs. Elena is a fully certified Pilates equipment and mat instructor through All American Pilates. She is currently conducting private equipment and group mat and small apparatus classes at our studio. In 2002 we introduced Pilates through a workshop’s at the World Martial Arts Conference and we were featured in 2 National Association of Professional Martial Artist videos. In December 2003 Elena had the privilege to train in New York City with Stephanie Beatty. Ms Beatty is a disciple of Ramana Kryzanowska. Ramona was Joseph Pilates eldest disciple. Stephanie was also featured in Romana’s book the Pilates Method of Body Conditioning and teaches at Romana’s studio Drago’s Gymnasium. In the summer of 2004 she trained at Drago's Gym and this year 2005 she attended a seminar with another disciple of Joseph Pilates Lolita San Miguel. Elena believes in continual education and will continue to expand her horizons as a Pilates instructor. 

 

You can not learn Pilates properly by a video or an untrained fitness instructor. I’ve seen some good videos on Pilates and some that the fitness instructor with little knowledge in Pilates is breaking every Pilates rule and principle. Even a good video can not correct your alignment, technique or breathing. A well rounded Pilates program will take the spine through its full range of motion. These movements will keep the discs nourished and healthy. Pilates strengthens the muscles that support the spine and increases its flexibility therefore reducing compression and pain. Pilates will help you reeducate the body and develop healthier postural habits. It will strengthen the muscles that support the spine. A balanced muscle is both flexible and strong. Your muscle groups also need to have a balance in their relationship with one another for optimum health and fitness. Pilates will do all this and more. Before starting Pilates classes check the instructors certification and hours of study.

Pilates for a Healthy Back

Just about every one at one time or another will probably experience the horrors of back pain. Back pain can be very debilitating and depressing. This condition can manifest for numerous reasons. Usually it is just minor muscle tightness, stress, bad posture or strain. On a more serious note back pain can be due to scoliosis, osteoporosis, herniated disk and the list could go on and on. Whatever the cause of your back pain, Pilates could be a safe and effective holistic approach to back rehabilitation without the use of drugs. All that is required is a strong desire to heal your body and a commitment to doing the work. The more serious conditions do require specific work since some exercises are contraindicated and should be avoided altogether. It would be wise to work privately with a certified experienced Pilates instructor.

 

 An experienced Pilates instructor can start you on the path to healing your aching back. Pilates is not a quick fix, but rather a holistic approach that strengthens your muscles, spinal cord and teaches you to align your body. Years of abusing your body can not be fixed by following an aerobics instructor Pilates group class at your local gym or by following your favorite Pilates video. The first step in healing the back is to have a specially designed Pilates program that is suited for your specific condition. If you are under a doctors care get his or her permission before starting any exercise program.

 

One of the reasons why some women are victims of back pain is because they have become slaves to fashions. Wearing high heel shoes can cause lower back and even neck pain. Menstruation and pregnancy can also cause temporary back pain. You don’t have to be a women or a high heel strutting fashion model to be a victim of back pain. Back pain attacks all of us from the fit athlete hunched over in a spinning class, military personnel in their morning jog to the computer nerd slouching over the PC. Back pain occurs when one is stooped over stressing the lower back for long periods of time without counter stretching. Nutrition also plays a big part in the health of the spine. Unhealthily habits such as smoking and excessive drinking rob the bones and muscles of vital nutrients.

 

A well rounded Pilates program will take the spine through its full range of motion. These movements will keep the discs nourished and healthy. Pilates strengthens the muscles that support the spine and increases its flexibility therefore reducing compression and pain. Pilates will help you reeducate the body and develop healthier postural habits. It will strengthen the muscles that support the spine. A balanced muscle is both flexible and strong. Your muscle groups also need to have a balance in their relationship with one another for optimum health and fitness. Pilates will do all this and more. So if you want that long fashion model look without the back pain, Pilates is for you.

Pilates the Ultimate Workout

Pilates was developed over 90 years ago by a great innovator, Joseph H. Pilates (1880-1967). He was a German immigrant of Greek decent. At 87, the age he died, he was in robust health and exercised daily. Who knows how much longer he would have lived if he would not have succumbed to the effects of smoke inhalation, due to the fire that destroyed his studio.

 

My fascination with Pilates began 4 years ago, when I noticed the similarities of Joseph Pilates’ childhood and my own, shortly after I was certified in Pilates mat work. Joseph was a small and sickly child who suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. As an adult he later became a boxer and taught self defense. He studied both Eastern and Western forms or exercise including Yoga, Zen and ancient Greek and Roman regiments. He put it all together to help WWII soldiers recuperating from wounds and injuries. Yet his greatest accomplishment was in developing numerous and unusual exercise equipment. The Pilates equipment being used today is identical to what Pilates originated. He developed his first apparatus from a hospital bed; later in NY he began physical therapy for injured Ballet dancers. 

 

As a child I was also small and sickly. I turned to the martial arts and physical culture to transform my life. After many years of weight training and martial arts I accumulated many injuries. Pilates is a great source of physical therapy for my injuries. I believe that it is the missing link to a fitness program. Mostly everyone that is involved in a fitness program lifts weights for muscle endurance or they do cardio vascular work through aerobics and jogging. Some even do both which is even better. Yet most people, including the fit population, neglect stretching and breathing exercises. Pilates works muscle endurance, stretching and breathing and in its most advanced level it can even give you a cardio vascular workout.

 

Joseph H. Pilates designed more than 500 specific exercises using five major pieces of unique apparatus to develop the body uniformly. Pilates exercises routines can give you a firmer, flatter stomach, improve your posture and provide you with energy. It will give you the stretching benefits of a Yoga class with the control, balance and strength of a gymnast or a competitive athlete without having to sweat like one.

 

Today my wife Elena who is a fully certified Pilates instructor is the head of Anta’s Fitness and Self Defense Pilates programs. She is currently conducting private equipment  and group classes.

Pilates for Life Long Flexibility

Living life to the fullest require flexibility. Some tasks and activities require more flexibility in the hip and leg area and others might need more flexibility in the shoulder and neck area. Yet we all can agree that flexibility is of the utmost importance in staying healthy and fit for life. Whether you are playing tennis, soccer or football or just playing with your children or grandchildren flexibility is an essential factor. Flexibility can be defined as the range of motion (Rom) around a joint. Past injuries and your body structure are a detrimental factor in your current range of motion. Yet anyone from 3 to 93 years of age can increase their Rom if trained properly. Pilates will help you lengthen your muscles, long muscles are flexible muscles. If injuries or tightness has set back your progress in any sport or activity, Pilates will help you reach your own personal potential in that activity.

 

Doctors, athletes and fitness professionals agree that posture and spinal flexibility is of the utmost importance. A healthy spine is bendable and flexible. Chinese martial arts use the analogy of a bamboo plant to describe Kung Fu and Tai Chi. Bamboo is not as thick or as wide as an oak tree or most other trees. Yet when Hurricane Andrew destroyed parts of South Florida, a bamboo farm was untouched. Most recently Hurricane Katrina uprooted most large trees in Doral yet the bamboo plants by the canals were still standing tall. Bamboo is hard, yet soft (Ying and Yang). A bamboo tree stems strong roots. Its characteristics are tall straight strong sprouts. When the wind blows bamboo flows and bends with the wind. Your spine should be flexible enough to bend like bamboo and still stay firm and strong. Pilates is your key to spinal flexibility.

 

It is also said that it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. Pilates will teach you to align your body for a healthier, stronger you. I had very bad posture as a child which led to bad posture and numerous injuries as an adult. Pilates training has improved my posture which in turn has relieved me of pain.

 

Tai Chi master and Chinese medicine doctor Cheng Man-Ching advised Tai Chi practitioners “Make your spine upright as a string of pearls that does not lean”. In Pilates we also use an analogy of a pearl necklace to describe articulating your spine, one vertebrate at a time. I have also heard traditional instructors say that if you practice 1000 times correct body posture will eventually come out naturally.

 

A fully certified Pilates instructor will help you understand body alignment, so you won’t have to do it 1000’s of times incorrectly. Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. Pilates will help you find that mind-body link that will give you spinal awareness to correct your posture by aligning your spine. For more information on Pilates log on to the Pilates pages on our web sites www.doralpilates.com and www.miamikettlebell.com.