Pilates & Yoga Are Wonderful for Helping Shape Your
Body
Learn to Love Pilates & You'll Love the Body You
Get Back
Pilates is a modern form of exercise that
incorporates both core strengthening with muscle toning, and
superb stretching. In one class you do both strength
training and stretching. Pilates builds long, lean muscles
and corrects any postural misalignments. You'll even stand
up straighter.
Core conditioning or Pilates exercises can be done in a
studio or class with an instructor or at home with videos or
a book. All of the exercises, even for arms and legs, are
done with a focus on using the core abdominal muscles for
stability. Pilates programs work all the muscles: the major
muscles and the smaller muscles. A big plus is that Pilates
develops strength, elongated muscles, and flexibility. For
many, it quickly improves posture. A side benefit:
It’s highly relaxing.
About Pilates
Pilates is based on strength and flexibility techniques
that Joseph Pilates taught to classical dancers beginning in
the 1930s. It has become the hottest exercise approach sweeping the
country. The results you’ll enjoy are most likely in line
with how you want to look: strong, long, lean muscles and
better posture. Many people even say they’ve gotten taller
from doing Pilates!
Find out for yourself. Check out your
local phone book or health clubs near you for a beginner
class or lesson.
All Pilates strength-building exercises require you to
participate actively by focusing on your body and
concentrating on your form. This has a way of making Pilates
very relaxing because it’s impossible to worry about or even
think about much else.
Yoga Is an Ancient Way to Stay Young
Yoga is an ancient system for stretching and well-being.
Hatha yoga, the yoga of body movement, has many branches,
such as Iyengar, Bikram, Astanga, and others. If you're just
starting out, take a class that works with the basics. You
can explore the other forms in depth later if you're so
inclined. The yoga offered at most fitness centers is basic
Hatha yoga.
Benefits of yoga include improved balance,
strength, and flexibility. As with Pilates, it helps
integrate body and mind for relaxation, and movement
awareness.
The Tibetans Are a Simple Daily Exercise Routine
The Tibetan exercises are similar to yoga postures and can
be done daily to reduce double chins and midriff bulge,
balance hormones, and increase energy levels.
From
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Healthy Weight Loss
and
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss, to
order, click here.