There’s something new in the Power Pilates studio on 23rd Street—perhaps you’ve seen people in the elevator looking flush with endorphins. Believe it or not, they’ve been in our 10th floor studio, racing in a very unusual team competition. In the process, they’re burning loads of calories, strengthening their legs, backs, core, arms and shoulders, getting a superb cardiovascular workout and sharpening their mental focus: They’ve been taking Indo-Row®, Power Pilates’ unique take on indoor rowing. Rowing is one of the best routes to total fitness—not only is it an extraordinary cardiovascular workout, but it is a true total-body workout, activating your legs, core, back, shoulders and arms. With so much muscle mass recruited for each stroke, rowing is a huge calorie burner—up to 700 calories an hour. But because you’re seated, there’s no pounding stress on joints. And you can row easily or all-out—you decide how much effort to put into each stroke. Indo-Row is the perfect complement to Pilates. The stroke is easy to learn, but like in Pilates, the more you concentrate on flowing movement, the greater your results. Your core acts as a link between your upper and lower body as you row; the stronger your core, the more powerful your stroke. "Indo-Row allows our clients to complement their Pilates experience with an exhilarating aerobic workout," says Dr. Howard Sichel, founder of Power Pilates. "Our instructors ensure each class is high-energy, fun and challenging."

Three things make Power Pilates’ Indo-Row class unique.