Piloxing: Half Pilates, Half Boxing

The eternal conundrum: You have 30 minutes to exercise. Do you slate a quickie run to blitz calories or do you grab dumbbells to firm those frustrating trouble spots? Try Piloxing, the new fitness sensation sweeping Los Angeles that mixes fat-torching cardio with total-body Pilates toners. "My busy clients want to strengthen muscles, flatten their bellies and burn a couple hundred calories in an hour or less," said Viveca Jenson, ballerina and owner of the new Piloxing Studio in Toluca Lake, Calif. "The twisting motions in both boxing and Pilates emanate from the core and oblique muscles along your lower belly and waistline, so combining the two is a natural."

Piloxing is a non-stop mix of Pilates, dance and boxing moves that progress in three-minute rounds, alternating standing sculpting exercises from ballet and Pilates with power punches and fancy footwork culled from boxing. "It's fast-moving and effective for burning fat and toning muscles," said Jenson, whose Piloxing DVD just hit stores.

"Power sports like kickboxing and karate can provide power, muscular endurance and endless confidence. From practicing Pilates, you receive the benefits of grace, muscle definition, body sculpting and balance. To mix the two is off-the-charts empowering," Jensen said in between kicks and jabs; Hilary Duff is also a big fan. Jensen recommends doing the workout barefoot and holding onto 1-pound dumbbells to chisel the upper-body.

Here are moves to master at home:



Cross Jab with Foot Shuffle (Boxing to tone arms, legs, waistline)
Stand with legs bent, right foot slightly in front of left. Bend both elbows and bring hands under chin to guard the face. Hop from one foot to the other, in a fast foot shuffle, as you begin throwing punches and alternating from right hand to left hand. "Make a fist knuckles down and throw quickly out of your shoulder," she said in her heart-pounding, fun class. Halfway through the round, switch legs.

Serving the Platter (Pilates to sculpt the thighs, hips, buttocks, legs)
Stand on a slightly bent left leg and place your right knee inside the left leg, then contract your belly to balance. Push both arms up to chest height in a giant scooping motion as you balance on one leg, then bring it all back to start position. Repeat 12 times (in and out), then switch sides.

Butt-Knee Crossover (Boxing to firm legs and lower body)
Start on elbow and knees. Place left hand and forearm on the floor and shift weight to right knee, toes to floor. Lift left knee in back of body to touch floor on the outside and bring it up to hip height. Lift and lower that left knee in an all-fours position for 12 crossovers (bringing knee out and in) and switch sides. Alternate for three minutes,

Modified 100 (Pilates to target the belly and waistline)
Sit back with knees bent and hold weights up to shoulder height as you begin leaning back to engage the abs. Inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth, pulse here for 100 breaths moving straight arms up and down in small rhythmic motions.

There are a dozen new ways to train your body by performing new fresh and fun moves!

Fitness expert Nicole Dorsey Straff is a Los Angeles-based exercise physiologist and author, and she frequently writes about diet, health and wellness.