Pilates exercises are part of a fitness method started by Joseph Pilates in the early 1900s. This popular workout trend teaches awareness of breathing while focusing on the alignment of the spine. Pilates target back and abdominal -- or "core" muscles -- but is also effective for toning the legs, arms, shoulders and glutes.

The exercises are often performed on a piece of equipment called a reformer, but can also be done on a mat without equipment. During these Pilates classes, you'll perform non-weight bearing moves that use your body weight to tone your muscles. All Pilates exercises have numerous benefits, including increasing both strength and flexibility, while also improving lung capacity.

Pilates classes are available at most gyms. Still, finding the right instructor can be the key to success. Certified instructors will give clear and precises directions that focus on correct body positioning and breathing. It's the instructor's job to accurately demonstrate the exercises for you and to give you cues that make the movements easy to understand.

Pilates exercises are great for both beginners and advanced exercisers. Instructors should provide modifications for the exercises and offer some individual instruction to ensure you are performing the moves in a way that is both safe and effective. Injured students should be able to participate with these modifications, too.

Think Pilates might be right for you? Learn more about how Pilates gives the gain without the pain.

Spring has arrived! Well, maybe it doesn't feel like it where you live right now, but warm weather is right around the corner. And that means that the bulky sweaters will be stored under the bed before you know it, and you'll be busting out the tank tops. And that might make you feel a little nervous if you're not quite ready to show some skin!

Most people's concerns immediately go to the arms, but there's another part that you'll soon be showing that could use a little love -- your back! Celebrities like Halle Berry know that, when you're wearing a strappy tank or a strapless dress, a sculpted back is one of the best ways to show how fit you are, and Halle knows exactly how to get her back ready.

Her trainer, Harley Pasternak shared Halle's back-sculpting secret with "Health" magazine -- dumbbell back rows. According to Pasternak, "This exercise strengthens the rhomboids, the muscles in your upper back that connect your shoulder blades to your spine, giving you a toned back and much better posture."

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Join fitness pro, Fitz, for this simple yet challenging move that will engage every muscle in your core. Try it with your legs bent, as shown in the video, or tone it down and do it with your knees bent. The Windmill allows your obliques to engage at their full range of motion and will help your low back grow strong as well. Once you master The Windmill as shown, try it with a medicine ball in between your feet.

For more innovative training videos and incredible belly busting recipes visit Fitzness.com!

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Try these three exercises using Gliding Disks and you'll achieve a full contraction of your abdominal muscles at a variety of angles. Want some sexy grooves between your hips? You know, the kind Usher has made so famous. Then pay close attention to the last of the three moves. If you don't own Gliding Disks, Fitz will tell you what household object you can use instead.

For more innovative training videos starring Fitz and a variety of celebrities, visit Fitzness.com.

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If you understand the function of the muscles in your back, you should be able to train them in the fanciest gyms in the world -- or even in the desert or lost at sea. Here, Fitz teaches you about what your back does and offers some neat exercises you can do with a variety of equipment.

The cliff hanger in this lesson: How do you use another person as a prop and how do you use this technique to get a kiss?

For more fun training videos with fresh ideas on how to use all sorts of training equipment, click here.

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Using a small fitness ball, Fitz demonstrates three simple ab training exercises that will leave your entire midsection trembling. The workouts are simple, but intense!

For more innovative training videos, healthy recipes and Celebrity Fitzness interviews visit Fitzness.com.

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There's no doubt that push-ups can make a dramatic impact on your physique. They're challenging, work a ton of muscle groups and can be done absolutely anywhere. There's also a bunch of ways you can get creative with them. In this video, Fitz and her team demo a few fun ideas for push-up training with a partner.

For more fun training videos, recipes and celebrity fitness interviews visit Fitzness.com

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The Ballast Ball is like a regular Swiss Ball on steroids. It's full of an exciting substance that makes it perfect for a killer upper body and core training workout, as shown here in this video.

Discover innovative fitness equipment, training techniques and delicious low fat recipes at Fitzness.com.

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Hunched over at a desk all day? Here's a quick and easy way to undo hours of bad posture.

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There are many ways to train each muscle. I'm a girl who likes challenging and efficient exercises. This three-part routine, shown here and featuring me and Anthony Field of The Wiggles, not only made my arms shake ... it exhausted my chest and abs and left me breathless in a very short period of time. Looking for something new, challenging and fun? This is your answer.

If you're interested in getting the rings like the one's shown here in this video, visit RingTraining.com and look for Elite Rings. And for more star-studded training videos, fitness tips and recipes, visit Fitzness.com.

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As your fancy online fitness trainer, the ability to teach through video is an invaluable tool. The written word is wonderful for so many things but actually showing you and communicating eye-to-eye via the amazing graces of THE PODCAST has allowed me to truly show you how and why you should try some of my favorite training techniques. Let's take a look back at a reminder of all the cool ways you can take your fitness training to a higher level.

#1 Innovative Push-ups with Emphasis on Your Abs

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It's a bird! It's a plane! It's ... a celebrity flying through the air! Check out this video to see who Fitz is training with and take your training to new heights.

To find out more about this celeb, read on!

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, I love to exercise, but may only have about 15 minutes to do anything on Christmas Day. Can you give me a quick circuit to do at home before we take off for the family party? Thanks and Merry Christmas, Johnny

A. Sure, Johhny! I'd love to. Before I do that, though, I want to tell you how impressive it is that fitness is such a priority for you. Lots of folks are going to use the holiday as an excuse to do nothing. You and I both know that a brief workout will probably make us feel more energetic and happy on the big day and give us a little more wiggle room to enjoy an extra indulgence without paying the price. High five to you!

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If even one small iota of your body has been feeling a bit stiff, you need to check out this video. Fitness expert Fitz (that's me!) and Anthony Field, the newly-ripped Blue Wiggle, demo some of the most fun and effective stretching and strengthening exercises you've ever seen. This stuff is so much fun, you'll actually look forward to doing it!

For more fun, innovative and effective training videos ...

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