Yogalates: The Breakthrough Workout That Combines the Best of Yoga & Pilates by Louise Solomon

By Phil Catalfo

Sterling.

Australian teacher Louise Solomon describes Yogalates as "the modern form of yoga for the Western body." By that she meansthat most Westerners spend most of their waking hours in sedentary pursuits, and therefore "our bodies are not conditioned for extreme Yogic postures." The aim of her approach is "bridging the gap between Eastern and Western forms of exercise," but most of what's here is recognizable to anyone who's been to a dozen yoga classes. There are some exercises drawing on Pilates work with resistance bands and on the mat, including one with the immortal name "Prone Butt Strengthener." In any case, however innovative this system is or isn't, Solomon's book is a useful guide to developing core strength and stability.