An illustrated guide to the anatomy of the abdominal muscles and how to tone them successfully without injury • Presents the 16 most effective and safest abdominal exercises for great abs • Reveals how common ab exercises, such as crunches, can damage the spine, pelvic floor, diaphragm, and internal organs • Offers tips to get rid of belly fat--both superficial fat and deeper visceral fat Presenting a new type of abdominal exercise program designed with the body’s anatomical relationships in mind, Blandine Calais-Germain reveals the 6 underlying principles for working the abs efficiently, 7 exercises to get you ready, and the 16 most effective and safest abdominal exercises for a flat belly. Pointing out that ab exercises are not without risk, she reviews the most common abdominal exercises, such as crunches and leg lifts, and explains how to avoid injury to the neck, lower back, pelvic floor, diaphragm, prostate, and internal organs as well as how to protect these vital structures with appropriate abdominal work. Exploring this often misunderstood region of the body in her trademark anatomical style, Calais-Germain details the muscular structures that make up the abs, revealing that strength alone is not the sole factor in a flat stomach. Including tips to get rid of belly fat--both superficial fat and deeper visceral fat--this book reveals how to get great abs, lose weight, gain strength, and build your core all without hurting yourself.

An illustrated, anatomical guide to improve the benefits of your Pilates workout while also preventing injury • Examines the correct movements, specific risks, and common mistakes associated with 8 fundamental Pilates exercises, including practices using Pilates exercise equipment • Offers guidelines to increase the effectiveness of your Pilates workout, maintain correct alignment, improve stability, and prevent injury to the pelvis, back, wrists, and ankles Developed in the early 20th century by accomplished boxer and gymnast Joseph Pilates, the Pilates Method aligns the body, builds long, lean muscles, and develops core abdominal strength. However, practiced improperly, Pilates exercises can lead to injuries such as pinched discs, hyperextension of the wrists, or low-back pain. No-Risk Pilates reveals how to minimize the risk of injury and maximize physical benefit for a strong, toned, and aligned physique. Using Blandine Calais-Germain’s signature anatomical style, this illustrated guide examines the body’s movements during 8 fundamental Pilates exercises, including practices using the Pilates Reformer, and explores the specific risks and common mistakes associated with each exercise. Detailing how injuries occur to the pelvis, back, wrists, and ankles during Pilates, the authors offer tips and guidelines to maintain correct alignment, improve stability, and prevent injury as well as increase the effectiveness of your Pilates workout.

Intended for anyone who wants rock-hard abs but needs help getting motivated, the editors of fitness authority Muscle & Fitness magazine have created a four-week plan that incorporates invaluable take-away strategies to get a firmer midsection. More than 50 exercises and full-color photos guide readers through the best ways to obtain a tight six-pack. Throughout the exercises informative tips and fast facts are included to ensure that each routine is executed in the safest and most effective manner possible.

Restore strength and balance to your everyday movement with 62 functional exercises, targeted routines, and three four-week fitness programmes from exercise guru Joshua Kozak. Make 50 the new 40! Stay Fit for Life empowers you to continue to move with the ease and efficiency of youth when performing everyday, functional movements such as bending, twisting, pushing, pulling, and reaching, making daily activities such as gardening or playing with grandchildren both smoother and stronger. Unlike traditional resistance training that targets isolated muscle groups, the compound movement exercises and activity-specific programmes featured in Stay Fit for Life engage multiple muscle groups at the same time, helping you lead more a active, dynamic lives for years to come, no matter your fitness level.

A manual for parents, teachers, and kids to restore their natural alignment • Explores the principles of natural alignment in accessible ways to share with children • Details simple and fun exercises--for kids and adults alike--that “remind” the body of its natural patterns and movements • Explains how innate movements and natural alignment play an essential role in the development of a fully functioning body and nervous system Babies and toddlers develop naturally healthy alignment by moving in instinctive ways. Their posture is easy and relaxed, founded on correct pelvic positioning and deep core muscles to hold their bodies upright. Yet, as evidenced by the slouching epidemic seen in school-age children, most kids lose this natural alignment early in life, often due to an overreliance on strollers, baby seats, and bucket-style carriers during infancy and the reluctance to put babies on their bellies because of widespread fear of SIDS. In this richly illustrated manual for parents, teachers, and kids themselves, movement educator and researcher Kathleen Porter explains how to relearn natural alignment with a simple movement routine that “reminds” the body of its natural patterns. Detailing the principles of natural alignment in accessible ways to share with children, she also explores research on the importance of “tummy time” and how the movement patterns present at birth act as an engine that activates neural pathways to key areas of the brain. In this way, movement plays an essential role in the development of a fully functioning nervous system, coordinated muscle tone, and a strong, internal core that stabilizes the spine and prepares the baby for the soon-to-be-acquired upright position. The author explains how many children who struggle with a growing number of neurodevelopmental challenges, including autism, learning disabilities, and ADHD, also exhibit poor muscle tone, lack of core development, and difficulties with balance and coordination. With a multitude of easy-to-follow principles and exercises--far more fun and effective than the futile mantra of “sit up straight”--Kathleen Porter provides a detailed road map for parents, teachers, and health professionals to learn how to guide children back to their natural posture by inhabiting their bodies mindfully for a lifetime of easy movement, strength, and energetic vitality--the hallmarks of enduring good health.

This book is the first to illustrate the essential connection between the functional anatomy of the body’s core and its application during Pilates’ fundamental core exercises. Focusing on the inherent potential of the human body to stabilize and move, Dr. Evan Osar and Marylee Bussard combine the most current research around core stabilization with six fundamental Pilates principles to offer simple, easy-to-use strategies for relieving discomfort and improving pain-free movement. With more than 290 full-color illustrations, Functional Anatomy of the Pilates Core provides both Pilates practitioners and professional teachers with a comprehensive understanding of how the core functions and how stabilization helps promote health and proper movement patterns through the development of balanced muscles, joint alignment, and core control. The authors apply current research on neuroplasticity, the brain's capacity to reorganize itself by developing new neuronal connections, and on the function of fascia, the matrix-like connective tissue of the body, to explain the six fundamental principles of Pilates—Centering, Concentration, Control, Precision, Breath, and Flow. They show how to avoid muscle imbalances, chronic tightness, and pain by incorporating the principles of functional anatomy during exercise. Readers learn how to: • Achieve the alignment, breathing, and control required for developing optimal posture and movement • Alleviate non-optimal habits that relate to common postural dysfunction, muscle imbalances, and chronic tightness • Integrate the fundamental Pilates exercises in order to develop a more stable core and eliminate the risks of common injuries while accomplishing one’s health and fitness goals