Pilates is gaining in popularity, from studios and instructor-taught group classes, to in-home instruction, including videos and DVDs. Pilates can help with many areas of fitness and wellness, from muscle control, breathing and fluidity, to body lengthening and flexibility. Focusing on strengthening the core, improving posture, increasing strength and aligning the spine, Pilates allows you to exercise without bulking up and gaining muscle mass. Dancers, sports enthusiasts and others have used it for decades to help prevent sports injuries and condition the body. If a sleek, toned and lengthened body is your ideal goal, then Pilates may be the best choice for you.

I have a friend who takes Tai Chi classes at a martial arts school. She has been taking lessons for over a year now and absolutely loves it. Like many people, when I first heard that she was studying Tai Chi, I immediately thought of kung fu and karate and saw visions of martial arts swords and other weapons dancing in my head. Perhaps I had watched one too many kung fu movies! I pretended to get in a fighting stance with her and kicked above her head in a teasing manner. It was then that she decided to tell me about Tai Chi, which she calls ‘Martial Art for the Soul’.