Yogalates Moves

Get fit from home!

The benefits of yoga and pilates have been well documented, particularly over the last few years. Yoga is aimed to increase a union between body and mind with the intention of overall wellbeing and calmness. Its strong spiritual influences mean it?s perfect for achieving mental as well as physical calm. Pilates on the other hand is focused more on muscular training and achieving the perfect body development. It concentrates on specific muscle groups to ensure greater bodily awareness.

Louise Solomon was a yoga devotee. She had spent many years enjoying the spiritual and physical wellbeing of yoga, but it took an injury sustained during a particularly difficult adjustment to introduce her to pilates. Pilates helped her body regenerate, but more importantly it gave Louise an idea. Imagine combining the importance of spirituality and power of the mind as found in yoga, with the intensive muscular training and physical awareness of pilates. It was then that Yogalates was born.

Ten years later, the Solomon Yogalates method is growing in leaps and bounds. Louise already has a popular school in her home town of Byron Bay and has released one book and three DVDs. Her latest DVD, Ultimate Yogalates, holds a strong Number 1 position on the UK health and fitness charts 2004 and is the first of her DVDs to be released to the Australia market. This program aims to be gentle but effective and there are beginner and expert sections to target all parts of the body. The class is broken down into three 20 minute sessions, and includes a relaxation section, vital to the spirit of Yogalates.

Try out some of these exercises. For more information, check out yogalates.com.au

Double Butt Lifter – Tones Buttocks, Inner Thighs, Strengthening Lower Back, Back Of Thighs
Lay On The Floor, Face Down. Place Forhead Onto Hands, Neck Long. Inhale Prepare, Exhale. Scoop Abdominals Up Off Floor. Pull Up On Pelvic Floor And Lift Legs, Squeezing Buttocks Together And Extending Into Toes. Inhale, Release. Repeat 5-10 Times.

Nb: Any Pain In Lower Back, Do One Leg At A Time.

The Clam – Tones Inner Thigh, Deep Buttock Muscles And Abdominals
Lie On Side, Place Head On Folded Handtowel, Neck Long. Stack Hips On Top Of Each Other. Inhale Prepare. Exhale. Scoop Waist Off Floor, Hold Waist.

The Clam (part 2)
Inhale Prepare. As You Exhale, Raise Knee. Do Not Move Pelvis. Squeeze Buttocks. Inhale Release. Do Ten On Each Side.

Cat Pose With Abdominal Lift To Get That Hourglass Figure
Kneel On All Fours, Palms Pressed Firmly On Floor. Inhale Prepare. As You Exhale, Contract Abdominal Muscles For Count Of 5 Up Towards Spine, Pull Up On The Pelvic Floor Muscles Inhale Release, Exhale Repeat 10 Times.

Cat Pose With Extension – Tones Buttocks And Strengthens Muscles Up And Down Spine
Position As Above. As You Exhale, Extend Opposite Arm And Leg. Keep Neck Long. Hold X 3 Breaths. Inhale Release. Exhale. Do The Same On The Other Side And Repeat 5 Times.

Relaxing Stretch For Buttocks And Lower Back – Rejuvenates Nervous System
Kneel, Tucking Knees Under Pelvis And Lean Forward Resting Head Gently On Folded Towel, Arms At Side. Gently Breathe In An Out, Relaxing All The Time. Do This For As Long As You Like.