GYROTONIC studio brings Shaq to the Heights

Shaq spirals and lunges on the GYROTONIC Jumping Stretching Board. All photos copyright 2009 GYROTONIC Cleveland and Inpsiral Motion. All rights reserved.
What brings Cavaliers superstar Shaquille O’Neal to the Heights?

Lisa Lansing, the owner of GYROTONIC® Cleveland and Inspiral Motion.

Lansing, a former professional dancer and athlete, opened Inspiral Motion studio at Fairmount Circle in January 2007.

Lansing had been exposed to pre- and post-natal Pilates and yoga while living in Europe. She began teaching out of her home when she moved to Cleveland Heights and had built a following while teaching at the Heights Parent Center and Cleveland Heights Recreation Center.

“I always knew I wanted to open a studio. I loved the way the [European] courses were educational and inspirational and wanted to offer the same kind of services to women in the Heights,” she said, “I wanted a studio close to my home, preferably something within biking range. The Fairmount Circle location was really ideal with its free and convenient parking. The building management company worked with me to build a beautiful space with mirrors, class walls and serene décor.”

A Pilates instructor at Lansing’s studio, Lisa Smith, said “Inspiral Motion is a boutique-style studio, specializing in individualized attention for all students. This individualized attention is what sets Inspiral Motion apart from other studios, and far apart from your standard gym setting.”

That individual attention as well as the latest in exercise technology — GYROTONIC® — is what brought Shaq into Lansing’s studio.


“It has been an absolute pleasure working with Shaquille O'Neal,” Lansing said. As a professional, disciplined, elite athlete, his coordination and ability to focus are unparalleled.

He's a beautiful mover who is able to pick up the complexity of advanced GYROTONIC® energetic concepts and embrace them. We are both pleased with his increased agility, flexibility and mobility. Along with his humble brilliance, his sense of humor keeps it all real.”

“I'm coming to GYROTONIC® Cleveland as often as my schedule allows. That should speak for itself,” O’Neal said.

GYROTONIC®, an exercise system developed by professional dancer Juliu Horvath, uses specially designed machines to “simultaneously stretch and strengthen muscles and tendons while also articulating and mobilizing the joints,” according to the GYROTONIC® Health Network Web site.

Gyrokinesis is a set of mat exercises, also developed by Horvath, that draws from yoga and Pilates. The goal is to retain strength and mobility of the joints as one ages through the fluid gyrotonic and gyrokinetic movements.

Lansing is one of only 80 GYROTONIC® Master Trainers in the world, and is the first and only one in the State of Ohio.

Lansing’s studio offers both private and group classes in GYROTONIC®, GYROKINESIS, Pilates mat, Pilates reformer (Pilates machine), yoga and special classes for those suffering from Scoliosis.

“Each teacher has hundreds of hours of training and focuses on the needs of each student," Smith said. “It is a non-competitive and encouraging environment where students can come and feel at peace as they work toward their fitness goals.”

Kaitlin Bushinski is a journalist now residing in Medina. Deanna Bremer Fisher is executive director of FutureHeights and a long-time Inspiral Motion fan.

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Volume 2, Issue 12, Posted 10:29 AM, 11.18.2009