Paragym is founded on a firm belief in the importance of postural alignment and development of body awareness. For us, all forms of acrobatic-movement (a relative term) are valid so long as they fall within the safe anatomical and physiological limits of each individual.

Our vision of ideal physical condition is that of a stable, well-aligned and powerful body, which has the abilities of a wide range of 'acrobatic' disciplines. We believe this goal is relevant and attainable for people of all ages, backgrounds and levels of physical ability. Learn to move better... Not spend more time in front of the mirror!

Posture

We believe that ‘quality of movement is more important than quantity’…Too many trainers place emphasis on being able to ‘dominate’ an exercise (the “Push!!” “Go! Go!” mentality) as opposed to placing importance on ‘efficiency of movement’ through proper body alignment. We believe it essential that you know ‘where you are’ first (to gain a sense for proper posture and the orientation of your body in space), before turning your attention on trying to go higher, move faster, push stronger...

Agility

Paragym firmly believes in the importance of mastering one’s own body weight both in ‘real’ and ‘acrobatic’ situations. We believe in progressively opening up and broadening one’s movement horizons so that the individual is able to manoeuvre their body in all types of contexts. For us, this is the direction of first step one should take… improved physique should be merely a ‘happy side-effect’ not your ‘raison d’etre’.

Reinforcement

In order to master one’s body weight and one’s environment one must be strong and stable, not only in common, limited movements, but at the end ranges of motion. Paragym reinforces (activates) the body at the limits of one’s mobility; a limit which is different for each individual which we respect at all times – and which we continually push back! Furthermore, acrobatics, like everyday unforeseen situations, require not only that the body be stable, but that it be able to react instantaneously with ‘explosive’ power…For this reason Paragym employs short duration, but high intensity conditioning.

Acrobatics

The terms ‘acrobatics’ and ‘gymnastics’ can occasionally scare some people, because they associate them only with elite athletes. At Paragym, however, we believe that individuals of all ages and skill levels can explore acrobatic movements at a level that is safe and stimulating for them (whether you have a wide aerial movement vocabulary or have never tried a cartwheel). It is for this reason that our courses are structured by levels. We believe in systematically deconstructing ‘multi-motion’ movements into individual skills that are learned gradually over the span of a number of weeks.

P.A.R.A. could also be interpreted as…


Prepare to Adapt and React to Adventure!