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Community Corner

Power Yoga at Five Seasons Burr Ridge Propels Figure Skater, Family to Greater Heights

At first blush, the connection between power yoga and figure skating might seem a stretch.
 
But under the tutelage of Balvinder “Ballu” Singh, the link between power yoga and any variety of athletic endeavors seems to be only a matter of time and effort.
 
That was the case for Patty Weeks, a 12-year-old competitive figure skater from Hinsdale who in late August began attending power yoga sessions three times a week at Five Seasons Family Sports Club in Burr Ridge.
 
Singh, Five Seasons’ Group Exercise Director, is a native of India who recently moved to the Chicago area. Since joining the staff earlier this year, he has displayed a knack for teaching individuals across a wide spectrum of physical abilities.
 
In Patty’s case, the sessions have bolstered her core strength, enabling her to move faster with better balance and to rotate easier as she flows into various positions and performs jumps during her competitive routines.
 
Her stamina has also improved, giving her more energy to “finish strong” in her two-minute programs. “I am not as tired at the end of my program which allows me to maintain my technique and be more expressive,” she reported.
 
After about a month of the power yoga, Patty was skating at practice one day when she smoothly accomplished a double flip-double loop combination that she had never quite landed clean previously.
 
“All of a sudden, without even trying any harder, I was skating faster and landed it,” Patty recalled. “It felt easy for me.”
 
“It’s just been amazing,” said her father, Kevin Weeks. “The transformation in her skating and what it has done for strength and flexibility is nothing short of remarkable.”
 
Kevin knows a thing or two about athletic training—he has been the PGA Director of Instruction at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont for the past 17 years and instructs eight golfers on the PGA Tour.
 
Kevin had never done yoga before and figured he would join Patty and his other daughter, 10-year-old Brooke, at Five Seasons. He enjoyed rather swift results in his own performance on the links. “I’ve added eight yards to my tee shots,” he said, marveling at Singh’s ability to tailor his instruction to each individual within a class setting.
 
One take-away that the girls have taken advantage of is doing certain sport-specific poses for about five minutes a day that help them in their respective pursuits. Brooke is on the club’s dive team.


“Ballu is so patient,” Kevin said. “He’s got the gift of connecting with people. He takes the time to find out why you’re there and your background. How he gets his point across is outstanding. It is well, well done and he makes it fun. That’s a hard thing with kids.”
 
Patty and Brooke do power yoga on their own at home, in addition to classes at Five Seasons. Kevin joins in at least once a week at home, either on his own or with his daughters, who often do a session shortly after rising in the morning.
 
“You know you’re doing something right when you get a fifth grader and a seventh grader willing to get up and do it before going to school,” said Kevin. “They see results and they have fun while they’re doing it.”

Five Seasons Family Sports Club is located at 6901 S. Madison in Burr Ridge. For more information about Five Seasons, call 630-570-5200 or visit www.facebook.com/FiveSeasonsBurrRidge.

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