Healthy happy you.
Looking for a way to work your abs and stretch your back at the same time!!! I love multitasking exercises like this one with one of the best names in the Pilates repertoire Saw off your baby toe. Try it. I think you will like it. Plus, it is a great exercise to do in a series with the Twist. Remember to really pull yourself back to upright with your abdominals. The more you work your Read more
What's not to love about circuit training? Combining heart-pumping elements of cardio with strength-training moves means you torch calories while toning muscles. It's just so efficient. Here's a fun yet challenging circuit workout I did recently with my Equinox trainer Lauren. The workout has you performing each exercise for a minute, which means you need to keep a stopwatch handy, but you have Read more
The woodchopper is a fave exercise among trainers everywhere — Gunnar Peterson calls it his fave core exercise — and my Equinox trainer is a fan of the move too. Woodchoppers really work the abs but target the obliques, helping you to tone your muffin top. But unlike the static plank, woodchoppers target your middle while your middle is in motion, making this move a serious function fitness Read more
For better posture, lower-back support, and to avoid back pain, it's important to strengthen and tone your obliques (side abdominal muscles). We've compiled six hard-core exercises to train and tone this region. Remember that quality is better than quantity. Start with five solid reps and work your way up to 10 or more. Read more
It's getting hot out there, which means many of you are busting out the bathing suits, crop tops, and waist-skimming bottoms. If you're not quite ready to bare your midriff, we've got just the thing for you! Here are seven ab-focused workouts that'll have your tummy tight and toned by the time Summer rolls around. We are all about total-body workouts, but sometimes it's nice to give a little Read more
As bikini season draws near, let me remind you: it is time to draw your navel to your spine and work your abs. Here are nine great exercises for toning your midsection. Remember, the ol' Pilates trick of pulling the belly button in ensures that you're working the deepest ab muscle (known as the transverse), which helps create a sleek midriff. The exercises are divided into three sections: upper Read more
If you want to work your core, plank position (top of a push-up) is a great move. You'll not only feel it in your abs, but it works your back, arms, shoulders, and legs. Here are seven variations to make it even more challenging. Get low: Instead of balancing on your hands in a straight-arm position, bend your elbows and lower onto your forearms into dolphin plank. This plank variation targets Read more
If crunches are part of your regular fitness regimen, you may feel like this basic move could use fresh inspiration. If your ab routine is feeling a little dated, but you're not ready to give up crunches just yet, have no fear. Here are five easy ways to spice up everyday crunches. Take a twist on the tradition: Crunches are even better when you mix up the movement to target different areas of Read more
Fun issues like nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath, and the need to hit the ladies' room — three different times during a workout! — makes it difficult to keep up with a regular exercise routine when pregnant. If you're expecting, taking up yoga (or continuing to go) is wonderful because not only does it alleviate some of these annoying discomforts, your body will stay strong and flexible. Read more
No matter how you slice it or dice it, the BOSU makes everything harder — and I mean that in a good way. Take your basic plank, add the BOSU into the equation and your core is working overtime. Here's a progression of plank exercises for this devilish piece of equipment that I learned from my Equinox trainer Lauren. Basic Plank: You start in a basic plank with the ball side of the BOSU facing Read more
