body&soul
An exercise regimen to help you do the things you love doing B Y C L A U D I A W E AT H E R M O N
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n Idaho, our spectacular outdoors sets the stage for seemingly effortless fitness with its call to ski, hike, jog or cycle – tackle the terrain, and you’re rewarded with a beautiful view and a good workout. But age and injury eventually creep in, and whether it’s pride or pain, we tend to step back from the activities that used to be second nature. But what if there were an exercise regimen that kept you doing the things you love longer? “That’s what Pilates is!” exclaims Gabrielle Rivelo, co-owner of CoreFocus, a Pilates, yoga and functional fitness studio in Hailey.
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“The workouts are compact and efficient. You balance your core, and everything else stems from there.” Rivelo enthusiastically explains how Pilates calls upon muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and more. She teaches classes and private sessions, essentially picking up where physical therapy might leave off. “Many times, people recovering from a large muscle injury learn they must rebuild all the supporting structures around the muscle. Pilates helps with that. And done proactively, it goes deep to build balance and strength
to prevent injury and improve overall performance.” Pilates is generally done in small groups or one-on-one sessions. Optimally, an instructor helps you stay properly aligned and anatomy-focused. Without that guidance, Rivelo says, you might not get the best effect. The whole body doesn’t engage until the core is aligned and supported. A typical Pilates studio might look like a medieval torture chamber to some. A variety of apparatus with springs, slides and pulleys. The devices have names like The Reformer,
PIL ATES CL ASS PHOTOS: COURTESY COREFOCUS
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