Core Combo

Yogilates fuses two practices for a stronger center

“One time I went to a yoga session after Pilates—and everything was so much easier,” says Jonathan Urla, who teaches at The Sports Club/LA in New York City. “That’s when a lightbulb went off in my head. I needed to put the two together.”

Thus Urla invented Yogilates. It’s not a watered down version of each practice’s key ingredients, but rather a fusion of the two. Devotees develop stronger, more toned abdominals as well as better posture and balance. Learn the basics and enjoy the benefits with this three-move routine.
 

1. Hammock
Targets abdominals as well as glutes, arms, chest, and shoulders

Sit with legs bent and feet flat on the floor. (Sorry, no hammock involved.) Then lean back on your arms. Keeping arms straight, push your hips up using your thighs so the front of your body—from knees to shoulders—is flat like in the yogic Table pose. Then do a Pilates-esque seated pull-up—by pushing up with your arms (called dangle). For the second part of the move, return to sitting on the floor with legs straight out in front of you. Place your hands about halfway forward, next to the midline of the thighs. Lean forward, rounding in at the stomach, and then push forward onto your hands to raise your hips off the floor. Hold it. Once you’re strong enough and comfortable with those two moves, connect them so they flow one into the other while focusing on your breath. Go into the table position, lower your hips down towards the floor (but without touching the floor) with your legs straight and heels on the floor. Then immediately push your hips through and past your straight arms as though you were sitting on a swing and someone was pulling you back. Bring your hips back, lower them to the floor, and relax.

2. Double Leg Stretch
Strengthens and tones the abdominals

Sit on the floor, bend and hold onto your knees, and curl up your shoulders so they’re off the floor. Keep hips flat on the floor. Extend legs out at a 45-degree angle and straighten your arms so they’re perpendicular to your body. Your body is almost making a U shape. Hold the position, pressing down onto the floor with your ribs, then use your abdominals to bring your legs and arms back to starting position with your knees bent. Repeat.

3. Side Twists
Works all abdominal muscles, in particular the obliques

Lie on your back with arms extended out at your sides and knees bent so feet are flat on the floor. Lift your bent knees off the floor so torso and knees form a right angle. Keeping knees together and both shoulders pressing into the floor, twist and drop your legs to the left until they’re halfway or nearly touching the floor. Then bring your knees back to center and twist and drop them to the right side without bringing them to the floor. Return to center.