Hot Yoga With Joe
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Mission Statement:Sparks Fitness is committed to the health and well-being of everyone who steps through our doors. Our certified and trained staff provide a range and variety of physical activities centering on the interests and needs of each individual. We create and motivate people in an environment where they can grow, learn, relax, and challenge themselves, while reaching for and obtaining their fitness goals. Vision Statement:I want to see a world where people prioritize their time to take care of their health. I love helping people and sharing my energy, wisdom and experience, so they can take charge of their lives. At Sparks Fitness we believe our value and worth depends on how well we take care of ourselves and each other; thus shaping society to fit our rational needs of work, rest and play. The future it is in our hands and by working together we will flourish. |
About Us
I created Hot Yoga because I wanted to-recreate a workout that was effective, fun and great for the body and mind. Hot Yoga fit the bill. As a former triathlete from 1993-2005, I missed the intensity of exercising for 2-3 hours non-stop and the focus, dedication and concentration it took to accomplish this task. However, I didn't miss the repetitive strain and subsequent injury on the body, especially on the joints, by repeating the same movements over and over again. This is especially true with running if you do not use the correct form that I learned through the POSE Running Method and by eventually becoming a POSE Certified Running Coach. Hot Yoga gives me the opportunity to challenge my body without compromising the health of my muscles and joints which leads to increased strength, flexibility and an overall healthy construct in my life.
In 1990, I started taking Yoga classes in Perrysburg. I very quickly understood the value of Yoga and knew I needed to commit to the practice of these stretching and strengthening exercises to help my body with the physical challenges of aging and of being a Massage Therapist. As I excelled in the yoga class, my Yoga teacher encouraged me to become a certified yoga teacher. So, in 1998, I went to a Yoga school in Canada for training to become a certified instructor. Upon successful completion of the certification program, I returned to the area and have taught Yoga classes at various locations throughout the Toledo area during the past 11 years.
In 2005, in addition to teaching yoga and Pose running, I began teaching Russian kettlebells, which focuses on core strengthening as a functional weight training program. As far as I know, I am the only kettlebell instructor in the US that teaches kettlebells in the heat, just like Hot Yoga. Hot Kettlebells allows the student to warm-up faster, without damaging the muscles and makes the workout more dynamic and fun! My philosophy is on embracing all these forms of low impact and functional strength training exercises into a sustainable way of life, rather than simply participating in a series of classes for short term gain. So, it made perfect sense to me to also incorporate Hot Yoga into my offerings when a friend of mine, a Bikram Yoga teacher, and I started taking Hot yoga classes up Ann Arbor, Michigan. Having fallen in love with the heat, but not the long commute, I decided to begin my own practice and began teaching during the summer of 2009. Now, one can experience the many benefits of Hot yoga right here with me in the Toledo area at my studio. So please come and check it out and start/continue your life long practice of health and wellness. It's never too late to take care of YOU!
Joe ( Barocsi) Sparks