By the trainer to the stars, an easy-to-follow guide to today's fastest growing exercise regimen-Pilates. An exercise routine embraced by professional dancers for over fifty years, Pilates is now the hottest and most talked about fitness trend since the running shoe. The perfect blend of Yoga and Nautilus, Pilates concentrates on building strength and flexibility, improving coordination, balance, and posture, and increasing stamina. All Pilates movements are initiated by muscles in the abdominal area (known as the powerhouse) and are designed to work the smaller muscles that support larger ones, while stretching and lengthening the entire muscular package. A low-impact yet highly intense workout, Pilates is ideal for everyone, young or old, those who are extremely fit or out of shape, as well as those who have chronic pain, injuries, or asthma. Illustrated with over 100 black-and-white photographs, The Pilates Powerhouse brings this time-efficient and highly effective means to get and stay in shape into the home, without the need for expensive classes and elaborate equipment. Using only a mat, a stick and, for advanced Pilates, a ball, readers will feel personally trained by Mari Winsor's innovative routines and spirited instruction, reaping the dramatic and lasting results of Pilates in less than an hour a day. Praise for Mari Winsor's innovative Pilates workout: "I've been using Pilates for many years....It's the best system I've found for isolating and strengthening individual muscles without stress to the joints. Mari Winsor has a system that creates long, toned, beautiful muscles as opposed to short bulky ones."-Patrick Swayze "Pilates has changed my life."-Melanie Griffith "Pilates is the face lift of the new millennium." -Dixie Carter "With Pilates...you don't build bulk; you streamline your muscles in a way you can't with any other form of exercise. As a dancer, I've found it's the best way to stay in shape." -Vanessa Williams "Pilates is the only exercise program that has changed my body and made me feel great." -Jamie Lee Curtis "Working with Mari Winsor and the Pilates technique has proven to be the absolute best workout for my body, mind, and soul." -Elizabeth Berkeley