Yoga Pilates exercises
benefits of Pilates ball

-A good workout combines the best fitness Yoga, Pilates and strength moves for your legs and butt--is one of our new favorites.

It's super effective, and simple to do. Think of it as the Greatest Hits of firmer, sleeker, sexier moves--all designed by San Francisco trainer Laura Sachs to work wonders on your legs by skirt season.

-What to do

Warm up and do 1 set of 12 alternating lunges (change legs each time instead of doing all reps with one leg first, then switching), followed by 10-15 clockwise and counterclockwise standing hip circles (as if you were using a hula hoop), keeping knees slightly bent and abs pulled in. The workout Do 1 set of each exercise here in order (resting for no more than 30 seconds in between sets, if necessary). Finish by stretching all your lower-body muscles if needed. How often to do them Perform the moves 2-3 times a week either as a standalone workout or as part of your regular routine. For even more sculpting punch, combine these with the core exercises from Part I, "Ab Results You Can See, ASAP!," which appeared in the February issue (or go to FusionForFitness.com).

Pilates Workout and Fitness Yoga

What you're developing

MUSCULAR ENDURANCE, BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY

Who can do it

ANY FITNESS LEVEL

Where you can do it

ANYWHERE

What you need

A YOGA MAT (FOR COMFORT) AND A RESISTANCE BAND

Time it takes

8-10 MINUTES

the moves

CHAIR VINYASA

1 Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms at sides and palms in.

2 Inhale and raise arms in front of you to shoulder height, palms down, as you exhale, bend knees and sit back into an invisible chair, body weight toward heels [A].

3 Inhale and shift weight forward as you raise heels off floor and bring arms overhead on either side of ears, palms facing in [B].

4 Exhale and lower heels to floor, bring arms forward and down to sides and straighten legs to return to start position.

REPEAT 8-10 times

NEED MORE OF A CHALLENGE? Perform holding a 2- to 4-pound medicine ball with both hands.

WORKS quadriceps, hamstrings, buttocks and calves

PRESS AND STRETCH

1 Holding an end of a resistance band or tube in each hand, lie faceup with knees tucked to chest and place center of band around feet.

2 Extend legs up, feet flexed, and rotate thighs, knees and toes out from hips; heels stay together [A].

3 With elbows on floor, wrists straight and abs pulled in, inhale and draw knees toward chest and out to sides, keeping knees wide and heels together [B].

4 Without letting back arch, exhale and return to starting position, extending legs out 45 degrees from floor, heels together.

REPEAT 10-12 times

NEED MORE OF A CHALLENGE? Wrap band around hands to increase the tension.

WORKS upper hips, inner thighs, buttocks, quadriceps and hamstrings

LUNGE COMBO

1 Stand at the back of mat with feet hip-width apart, hands on hips.

2 Lunge forward with right foot and lower until right thigh is parallel to floor, right knee aligned over ankle, left knee bent and approaching floor [A].

3 Shift weight to right leg as you rise up and lift your left foot slightly off floor.

4 Balancing on right leg, draw left knee in front of you to hip height [B].

5 Extend left leg behind you, place foot on floor and lower into lunge again.

REPEAT 10-12 times, then switch legs to complete set.

NEED MORE OF A CHALLENGE? Perform holding a 5- to 8-pound dumbbell in each hand, next to your shoulders, palms facing in.

WORKS quadriceps, hamstrings, buttocks and calves

LOW BRIDGE WITH LEG RAISE

1 Lie faceup, knees bent, feet flat and hip-distance apart, arms at sides, palms down.

2 Exhale, pull navel in and lift hips off mat, bringing shoulders, hips and knees in line.

3 Shift weight to left leg, keeping hips high, and lift right leg straight up, foot flexed [A].

4 Keeping leg raised, lower hips a few inches toward floor [B], then press up again.

REPEAT 8-10 times, then lower hips almost to floor and switch legs to complete set.

NEED MORE OF A CHALLENGE? Place foot on a yoga block or even a pillow instead of the floor.

WORKS buttocks, hamstrings and core muscles

the best fusion DVDs

Love these moves and want more? Check out these favorites, available at collagevideo.com.

* BUDOKON, BEGINNING PRACTICE ($15) Mix it up with these two 30-minute workouts that feature yoga and martial-arts moves.

* BODY BAR MASTER YOUR BODY: Pilates STRENGTH ($20) Take your Pilates workout to the next level with this combo of classic Pilates moves and strength training, courtesy of a mini body bar (sold separately).

* THE METHOD: STANDING Pilates BLEND ($20) Standing up increases the balance challenge in this blend of ballet and Pilates.
For more information on fusion workouts from the editors of Shape, visit FusionForFitness.com, where you can also sign up for a free interactive diet and fitness program, Get Fusion Fit. COPYRIGHT Weider Publications and Gale Group 

-The truth about Pilates

Q My Pilates instructor says traditional weight lifting makes your muscles shorter and tighter, whereas Pilates builds strength while lengthening muscle. I am 31 and take Pilates mat classes twice a week. Do I need to add weight training?

A Your instructor is mistaken. "Pilates doesn't lengthen muscles--it conditions and trains them," says Dawn-Marie Ickes, co-owner of Core Conditioning, two Pilates and physical therapy facilities in the Los Angeles area, and a board member of the Pilates Method Alliance, a Miami-based nonprofit organization dedicated to maintaining standards among Pilates instructors. Pilates does an excellent job of improving core strength and postural awareness, which can make you look longer and leaner. "If you stand taller and extend your arms farther, you will have the appearance of longer muscles," Ickes says. Pilates may have gotten its long-and-lean reputation because so many lithe, leggy dancers gravitate toward it.

It is also a myth that strength training makes muscles shorter and tighter. If you perform your weight-training exercises through the full range of motion, you actually can gain flexibility, although not nearly as much as you can from a Pilates program, which focuses on increasing range of motion.

More significantly, weight training helps maintain bone density--an important benefit that you won't get from Pilates, says Katie Santos, co-owner of Absolute Center, a Pilates and yoga studio in Lafayette, Calif. Bone density naturally begins to decline in your mid-30s, Santos says, "and the best defense against osteoporosis is resistance training." Weight training is also important for maintaining your muscle mass and helping to discourage fat accumulation.

You can complete a total-body weight-training routine in just 15-20 minutes twice a week, which should still leave you time for your Pilates classes.

Q I've been strength training for a year and noticed that I don't get sore anymore after a tough workout. Does this mean I'm not working hard enough to keep improving?

A Not necessarily. "You can continue to make progress even if you're not sore," says Lori Incledon, author of Strength Training for Women (Human Kinetics, 2005) and a certified personal trainer in Chandler, Ariz. "In fact, you shouldn't equate soreness with making gains." However, it is possible that you aren't adding enough variety to your program. Mixing up routines is the key to stimulating new muscle growth and preventing brain and muscle boredom, Incledon says. Often, these new demands result in muscle soreness a day or two later. That's fine, as long as you're not sore too often or for more than one or two days.

To keep progressing, Incledon recommends varying your routine every four to six weeks. Try new exercises, increase your weights or add more sets. For example, if you've been doing squats, switch to lunges. If you're doing eight to 12 reps, use heavier weights and do six to eight reps. If you've been doing cardio before your weights, switch the order. "Just don't go overboard and switch everything at once," Incledon cautions. "A little bit of muscle soreness can be beneficial, but overdoing it can cause excessive pain and immobility, thwarting your training program."

Q I prefer to work out on weekdays. Is it OK to skip weekend workouts?

A It's not only OK, it's a great idea, according to Alex Figueroa, group exercise manager for the Sports Club/L.A. in Miami. "Come Monday morning, you'll feel rejuvenated," he says. "Psychologically it's a message that your weekend belongs to you, and physically, it prevents overtraining."

However, skipping formal exercise over the weekend doesn't give you the green light to forgo all your healthful habits, Figueroa says. Spending the weekend on the couch with your hand in a bowl of M & M's is not the kind of break your body needs. "Enjoy the weekend, but keep eating a well-balanced diet and remain active," he advises. Walk around the mall with a friend, go out dancing or play Frisbee at the park. You can even burn a few

calories while bowling or playing miniature golf. Suzanne Schlosberg is the author of The Ultimate Workout Log (Houghton Mifflin). -What about some portable Pilates ? Pilates exercise consisting of a folding mat with an elastic band, handled tubing and an instructional video, Pilates on the Go lets you enjoy a workout wherever you are, that also works with Yoga Pilates. The tape, led by certified Pilates instructor Maria Leone, features an intermediate workout (with modifications for beginners) broken down into upper- and lower-body segments. The clear, concise instructions and seamless transitions make the workout effective and efficient ($55; 866-466-8434, pilatesontheqo.com)

Pilates training - for modern fitness and health

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