Eventually, no matter how many times you extend into upward dog and stretch back into downward dog, your body will start to adapt and you will hit a plateau in strength and endurance. While we know the goal of practicing yoga is not always about muscular development, when you do want to get stronger, adding Pilates to your yoga sequence is a great way to make that happen.

The following two Pilates-inspired exercises will help you wake up your core and take your yoga practice to an entirely new level. For best results, practice each exercise back-to-back, and in the middle of your yoga sequence, when your body is warm and limber.

Criss Cross Exercise

From a supine position, bring both hands behind your head. Bend both knees and stack them directly over your hips. Lift your head and chest and twist your upper body to the right while extending your left leg at a 45-degree angle.
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After drinking your water and getting plenty of exercise, buddying up is typically one of the top diet tips that experts offer. It provides accountability, someone to use as a sounding board, and someone to offer endless high fives when you need them most. It’s not just something we all use out here in the real world as it seems the Hollywood set believes in “diet buddies,” too.

Jennifer Garner and Reese Witherspoon, both of whom delivered their third child this year, seem to have buddied up to support one another in getting back to their pre-baby bodies. According to reports from FemaleFirst.co.uk, the moms speed dial when their insatiable sweet tooths attack.

And since they’re practically neighbors, the two have been seen attending Pilates classes together.

If anyone is taking diet advice from Hollywood, we’d say this is the place to start. Forget the pills and potions and partner up instead!

“When dieting, there are many people who may unintentionally tempt you to break your commitment to healthier living through peer pressure. A diet buddy can be your support in these situations and other tempting scenarios,” explained Brooke Randolph, LMHC, our resident mental health expert. “Food can be closely tied to our emotions and mental functioning, so a diet buddy can also provide emotional support and commiseration.”
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The sale of yoga swag helps support what is now a six billion dollar industry. From ToeSox to yoga tops, yoga studios are stocking up on merchandise to sell to their peace-seeking supporters.

In today’s world, it is not uncommon to drop over a hundred bucks on either a set of yoga videos, one pair of yoga pants, and even a yoga mat. Companies such as Gaiam, Lululemon, and Manduka do not deny the capitalistic nature of the yoga business. They manufacture innovative and quality products just as fast as you can say “om.”

It is not just the smaller retail companies enjoying the fruits of the growing yoga tree. Big name brands are also getting in on the action. The latest innovation to hit the market is the Nike Studio Wrap. While it may sound like a sarong you might don at the beach, the Nike Studio Wrap is actually a pair of shoes.

Inspired by the need to maintain a firm base of support, beyond what a yoga mat can provide, the Nike Studio Wrap was created for women who spend hours working out in the studio.

Whether it is in yoga, Pilates, or ballet-fitness classes, women can now wrap up their feet in this stylish three-part system that involves a wrap, a ribbon, and a flat bottom surface.
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Let’s face it, sometimes physical activity can be painful. People can throw their back out from lifting weights or tear their ACL while playing basketball. One mishap in the gym, court, or playing field can leave your body damaged. And, getting your body back to its original state will take lots of physical therapy. Yet, after physical therapy your body might not be back at its prime as it was before you got hurt.

Grace Somatomorphic^TM Technique, known simply as GST, is a workout that reshapes and heals your body for a better, stronger, and healthier you. After years of dancing took a toll on Anna Rahe and left her in pain, she was in need of therapeutic fitness but couldn’t find anything. So she created GST with her knowledge of fitness and its scientifically-supported research.

Anna wanted to teach others GST because it helps the body become pain free while toning to be more beautiful. “GST is also more than just a workout- it is a way of life. In addition, the process of GST directly engages the brain’s powerful desire and inclination for neuro-plasticity- to grow and change.”

GST’s philosophy is motivation, exploration, identification, excavation, assimilation, restoration, and transformation.

Motivation: Why do you want to better your health?

Exploration: Search for answers and try new things.

Identification: Understand what is wrong with your body and health.

Excavation: Dig and find new information that will help your restoration and transformation.

Restoration: Restore your body to its original health.

Transformation: Take your body’s health to the next level and transform it to a healthier better you.

There are four types of programs GST offers, each designed to heal and restore the body: Somatiques, Athletic, Body Shaping, and Pregnancy. The classes differ by the types of techniques that are used to heal and restore the body.
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Blond bombshell Kate Hudson has been gracing the set of Glee lately looking quite scandalous as Rachel Berry’s (Lea Michele) dance teacher, Cassandra July. The 33-year-old actress is slated to star in six episodes of the sitcom’s upcoming fourth season, according to People Magazine. And fans of the show and Hudson couldn’t be more thrilled.

Hudson certainly has one of the most enviable bodies in Hollywood, making her an obvious choice for this skin-bearing role. But what some people may not realize is she’s maintained her stunning figure throughout two pregnancies. A mom with that kind of physique deserves some serious praise.

It doesn’t hurt that the Hudson lives in sunny California most of the time, which allows for plenty of walks, jogs, and bike rides outdoors. But to maintain her toned body, Hudson frequently relies on Pilates sessions with celebrity trainer Nicole Stuart.

Hudson didn’t use pregnancy as an excuse to be sidelined from fitness, even though she did admit to eating whatever she wanted when serious cravings hit. To stay in shape with an expanding belly, Hudson turned to celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, famous for her Method workouts and sweat sessions that cater specifically to moms-to-be.
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