Summer Lovin Physique

Suns out, lounging about…

Whether you’re soaking up the rays poolside, chilling like a beach bum, or hanging out in your backyard with the sprinkler on, give your body some summer lovin with a movement session that develops muscular strength and length simultaneously.

The winning combination to achieve a strong and lean physique is by incorporating mindful movements that work your muscles from the inside out. This workout integrates Pilates exercises along with yoga poses to develop strength, length, and muscular stabilization while embracing the connection between the mind, body, and spirit.

PILATES + YOGA = A PERFECT COMBINATION

Whether you’re new to Pilates and/ or yoga, or are a seasoned pro, there’s so many wonderful benefits to receive from performing these modalities interchangeably.

WHAT IS PILATES?

Pilates, originally called “Contrology,” is a method of whole-body, low impact exercise that balances strength with mobility, aligns the body, fine-tunes movement patterns, and strengthens the deeper muscles of the core. Pilates allows your training to elevate to a functional level, which will enhance your ability to perform daily activities.

It’s a lot to take in, but think of it in simple terms. The movement goal of Pilates is to utilize the inner core strength to develop functional and sustainable movement patterns throughout the body. The Pilates method utilizes 3 main principals; alignment, breath, and core control. If you pay attention to those key concepts during every exercise, then you will be training the entire body as an integrated system to develop inner strength and flexibility simultaneously.

BENEFITS OF PILATES

Since Pilates is an integrated exercise method, there are numerous benefits that result from connecting your mind and body through each movement. With a dedicated practice, you can expect to achieve:

• Increases core strength & stability

• Improves flexibility, mobility, & stability

• Improves posture, balance, & coordination

• Prevents injury & aids in rehabilitative purposes

• Decreases back pain

• Enhances body awareness (this includes your romance life)

• Enhances sports performance

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF YOGA?

Yoga is so much more than striking a few “picture worthy” poses or trying to bend into a pretzel. It’s essentially an art of spiritual discipline, which focuses on bringing harmony between the mind, body, and spirit to live a balanced life.

The art of practicing yoga helps in controlling an individual’s mind, body and soul. It brings together physical and mental disciplines to achieve a peaceful mind and body. Incorporating a yoga practice will help your body achieve its greatness.

Practicing yoga might seem like you’re just stretching. Don’t be fooled, yoga can do much more for your body from the way you feel, look, and move.

BENEFITS OF YOGA

Yoga offers physical and mental health benefits for individuals of all ages. Whether you’re recovering from an injury, living with a chronic condition, or are striving to enhance flexibility, yoga can become an integral part of healing your body, as well as a part of your everyday routine. Other great benefits include:

• Improves strength, flexibility, & balance

• Aids with pain management (arthritic symptoms; swollen joints, inflammation)

• Helps remove negative blocks from the mind and toxins from the body

• Increases energy and brightens mood

• Improves respiratory function

• Helps manage stress

• Promotes self care

SUMMER LOVIN WORKOUT OVERVIEW

Get ready to give your physique some “summer lovin” with a workout that incorporates Pilates exercises that transition directly into a yoga strengthening pose. I suggest to learn each exercise combination well before performing the full workout. This will allow your mind to connect to your muscles and be able perform the exercises efficiently with a graceful flow.

INSTRUCTIONS

• Perform the following combinations with little to no rest between each exercise combination.

• Aim for 8-10 reps of the Pilates exercise followed by holding the yoga pose for 10-30 seconds.

• Repeat as many rounds as your time permits.

TOTAL GYM SETTINGS

• Low Level suggested (adjust incline to accommodate your strength & flexibility)

• No Accessories

SUMMER LOVIN’ PHYSIQUE MOVES

(Pilates exercises are listed first, followed by a yoga pose)

1. Opposition Elbow-Knee || Down Dog Peddle & Cat-Cow Stretch

2. Crescent Lunge & Repeaters || Twisted Warrior-Triangle

3. Single Leg Stretch || Supine Hamstring & Twist

4. Roll Up || Bridge or Reverse Bridge

5. Roll Over || Seated Twist or Wild Thing

Give these Pilates and yoga combinations a go and see for yourself why they are a perfect match, especially when done on your Total Gym! Who knows, this winning combination just might become your new favorite workout.

Check out the video to see how these Pilates and yoga combinations are performed on your Total Gym.

Train Hard.

Maria