A strong and supple spine not only can help free you from back pain and tightness, it improves your posture, making you look taller and thinner. Here's a yoga sequence to stretch and elongate the muscles in the torso. Repeat it through once on the right side and then repeat on the left.
Source: Laughing River Yoga Studio
What do push-ups, cycling, and sitting hunched over a computer all have in common? Tight and tense shoulders. Aside from scheduling an appointment with a massage therapist, you can hop on a mat and show this area some love with this chest- and shoulder-opening yoga sequence. Move through all 11 postures on the right side, and then repeat on the left.
Excess fat around the glutes, lower back, and abs all contribute to the muffin-top effect. Fight the appearance of bulge by strengthening and lengthening these muscles, helping to tighten the body along its sides. Prepare to twist, sweat, and feel the burn with this powerful sequence.
The popular workout Pure Barre has a fresh philosophy on fitness, and it involves more than just toning the tush. The 55-minute class fuses key elements of ballet, Pilates, and weightlifting. Through use of a special barre and small isometric movements, the intense class sessions work to burn fat, tighten abs, and firm arms, glutes, and thighs. The result is a graceful, challenging workout designed to build a lean dancer's body. If you can't get to a class, we've brought one of the studio's most effective moves to you. The burn starts with your seat and then works deep into the love handles.
The Setup
Leg Lifts
Upper-Body Lift
See the bonus move after the break.
No one is a fan of having a layer of flab hang over their waistline or bra strap. Even though there's no miracle move to diminish it — only calorie-burning cardio decreases body fat — it's still important to strengthen and tone back muscles. As you begin to lose weight in that area, you'll reveal slim, chiseled muscles underneath. Here are eight yoga poses that will target all the areas of your back.
Source: Thinkstock
Is your bum one part of your body that you wish was a little less noticeable? While doing cardio is essential for decreasing body fat, you also need to strengthen your glutes to make them appear slim and sculpted. Here is an eight-pose yoga sequence specifically designed to tone and trim down your tush. Follow it through on the right side and then repeat once more on the left.
