Wimbledon in-form favorite Andy Murray, 29, made a comeback from back problems that could have threatened his career, and he did it in a very unique way.
Murray said that pilates and gyrotonic, a form of “yoga for dancers” that incorporates machines, are responsible for his recovery, according to The Telegraph.
Last year, Murray flew renowned instructor Teresina Goheen over from the U.S. to train him daily with gyrotonic. The workout involves elements of both yoga and tai chi and helps to improve bad posture resulting from a tense back or a shoulder injury.
Gyrotonic enables users to lengthen and strengthen muscles, stimulate circulation, enhance joint mobility and improve coordination, according to the product’s website.
The machine allows joints to “move through a natural range of motion” without being compressed or jarred, according to the site. Users complete a sequence of exercises along with corresponding breathing patterns to create balance and develop strength and flexibility.
In September 2013, just two months after winning Wimbledon for the first time, Murray had back surgery. His decision to change the way he works out last fall stemmed from a desire to prolong his career.
“I used to train extremely hard. I don’t think I looked after my body as well as I should have done. That was something that changed a few years ago. My back, now that I have been looking after it, doing way more different types of stretching, sort of injury prevention work, my back is no issue whatsoever,” Murray told The Telegraph.
