A new viral trend has swept the nation, where mature, upstanding citizens take pictures of themselves laying face-down, motionless and expressionless, on…something. Anything, really. This trend is called “planking”, and while it sounds stupid, lazy and like a waste of time, it is.

I know, I know, they aren’t hurting anything, but I can’t help but roll my eyes that the newest craze in America is to take pictures of yourself not moving. We’ve always been fond of not moving here in the great U.S. of A., but documenting it and putting it on the Internet for all to see is a new development. You can now become a YouTube sensation for being sedentary.

I see the lure, though. While I am used to thinking of planks as a core exercise that actually, literally, makes me angry, as I started scrolling through Google images of planking, I saw some planks that made me laugh, cringe, gasp and scratch my head.

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In 1997, certified Pilates instructor Jonathan Urla combined yoga postures and Pilates exercises and named it Yogilates. Louise Solomon created her own blend of both and termed it Yogalates. Whatever you call it, hybrid classes like these are very popular in health clubs and studios across the country.

Yogilates and other hybrid yoga and Pilates workouts are designed for the purpose of gaining the benefits of core work from Pilates while mixing in the breath and flexibility training of yoga. Just as a yoga practice may not target all of the core muscles, a Pilates class may overlook certain stretches that promote a balanced and healthy body. Combining the two introduces a dynamic experience of connecting the breath with a new level of mind and body fitness.

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We all know those gym-goers that bounce into the gym, bright-eyed and energetic, excited to start their workout. And then there is you: the person that wants to slap the grin off their face and the six pack off their abs.

Not everyone loves to workout, but everyone needs to workout, so I’m not going to waste my energy trying to use the benefits of exercise as motivation for you. Your body doesn’t know if you loved your workout, it just knows if you did it or not.

Lazy folks usually hate exercise for 2 reasons: the physical exertion of it all and the time it takes up. These aren’t an excuse anymore. While the definition of exercise is making your body do work, you can make the work less obvious, and that it-just-takes-too-long excuse doesn’t fly when you- get this bomb I’m about to drop on you- speed it up.

Here are 5 exercises that even the most blase about fitness can do in 30 minutes or less.

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Tune in to The Doctors on Tuesday, April 12 to see Dr. Travis’ tips for getting a flat stomach. Although the diet you tried at the beginning of January may seem like a distant memory, this tips can help you turn your “fat belly into a flat belly” in just 28 days.

Dr. Travis will show you the easy workout moves you can do at home, flat-belly friendly cocktails and some tips for eating. Try these moves at home or in your office, you don’t even have to go to the gym!

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It’s just about that time of year again when the birds start chirping, the sun beats stronger and the bikini and tank tops in your closet start to rustle for some fresh air. We all love the dawn of summer, but let’s be honest: Months of sweaters, turtlenecks and gym membership cards that weren’t used as often as they should have been makes us all a little timid about baring our midriff.

Getting a flatter stomach by summer does not have to involve fear, thousands of crunches and lunches after lunches of un-dressed salads topped with a plain chicken breast. Instead, focus on these next three months of spring to start or ramp up your yoga practice for a lean and bikini-ready middle by summer.

Here’s how.
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