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.

I like to call flexibility training -- or stretching -- the ugly stepsister of the exercise world because everyone seems to overlook it until it's too late. Eventually you strain or sprain something or you're so stiff from step class that you want to cry. I teach yoga and Pilates, and my favorite party trick is stretching my left heel over my head and feeding myself a little snack between my toes. I know, I know, it grosses out my husband, too. For many people, however, stretching does not come easily. But being limber is not just about impressing (or horrifying) people at cocktail parties, is an essential part of being truly fit.

Three general things make up your flexibility potential:

• Age (younger folks are more flexible)
• Gender (women are typically more supple)
• Climate (Muscles are far more pliant in warmer temperatures)

Below are the five stretches everybody can practice a few times a week. Stretching after any other workout will soothe all of your major muscle groups in less than 10 minutes. I'd also like to give a shout-out to the practice of yoga. Since 15 million or so people began practicing yoga in the last decade, flexibility training has finally become as important to fitness as cardiovascular training and strength training. Yoga is the ultimate, full-body stretch, for sure, and some studies show that stretching makes your body much stronger, too.

Getty Images: Tiger Woods

There's only one Tiger Woods, and the odds are you're not him. But even if you haven't won oodles of tourneys and bazillions of dollars, you still have hope! The U.S. Open begins on Thursday, June 18 in Bethpage, N.Y. With a well-rounded training routine, you might just be able to improve your golf game enough to score some endorsement deals, or at least a few more birdies, in no time at all.

Having a great swing is clearly a top goal when you hit the green, but you'll also want to spend some time working on your body to make it capable of improvement. Strength is vital, but more important is flexibility. A mobile back, flexible hips and limbs are goals you should strive for to create a more fluid swing and prevent injuries. Taking preventative measures to avoid sprains and strains will allow you to spend your time on improvement instead of in recovery.

Click here to view a superb golf stretching guide published by the Mayo Clinic. Every athlete has a certain amount of sports-specific training he must endure to excel at his game, and adding these moves to your routine has the potential to take yours to the next level. So as our elite golfers show off their best, let them inspire you to be your best as well.

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I'm a post-workout stretcher. If I'm going on a long run, I'll warm up, then do a bit of stretching, but most of the time, I don't stretch at all until I'm finished, and the reason is simple -- I'm always in a hurry, and I haven't found that stretching beforehand helps me feel less sore afterward.

I have a friend who is a health professional, and he refuses to stretch. Ever. He'll do yoga, and he'll relax in the sauna, but don't ask him to stretch before or after running -- he just doesn't see the point.

Diet Blog took a closer look at the research behind stretching, and you know what? It seems to just be a personal choice every fitness buff needs to make for him or herself. Some research claims pre-workout stretching actually makes you weaker, but plenty of others say it greatly improves your performance. So, it made me wonder, what do That's Fit readers do?

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A few weeks ago, I wrote about the problems I've been having with plantar fasciitis. I hadn't been to see a doctor yet, but based my the symptoms, I was quite certain plantar fasciitis is what I'm dealing with. My pain was typically worse in the mornings after I worked out -- to the point that walking was difficult until things loosened up for me.

Since I wrote my original post, I've tried out some tips. All in all, I think they're helping. I've been able to wake up the morning after working out and (aaah, aaah the angels sing), I can actually walk. There's still some pain, but it's not nearly as bad. Check out the gallery for details.

Do you have plantar fasciitis? If so, what's worked best for you?

Fitness is important at any age -- it keeps your body looking and feeling good, it helps prevent a host of chronic conditions, and it boosts your energy. But as you approach the big 4-0, there are some additional reasons why exercise is important.

Exercise helps alleviate some of the symptoms of perimenopause, which can begin anytime during your 40s. Exercise is also a proactive measure against the estrogen loss that will occur later during menopause; it can help prevent related problems such as bone loss. Menopause may seem far away -- but being active now will make it easier when menopause comes knocking on your door.

Revolution Health has fitness tips for women in their 40s:

• Increase your core strength, balance, and flexibility. Improving these areas and maintaining them will help prevent falls and stiff, achy joints as you get older. Activities such as Pilates and yoga will help. AOL Health has tips on strength and flexibility exercises.
• Do weight-bearing exercise. Bolster your bone density by participating in weight-bearing activities such as jumping rope, aerobics, tennis, and jogging.
• Keep up the cardio. Cardio workouts will help keep your heart strong and help you maintain a healthy weight.

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The snow is flying outside my window right now. It's beautiful, but I know I'm going to have quite a bit of shoveling to do soon. Though shoveling snow shouldn't replace your regular workout, it certainly does offer fitness benefits. Like any other physical activity, you need to be smart and careful when shoveling snow.

• Warm up for a few minutes before heading outside to shovel snow. Walk in place for five to 10 minutes in your living room or climb up and down the stairs a few times.
• Stretch after your warm-up. Be sure to do some flexibility exercises that safely stretch your back, such as lying on your back and bringing your knees up to your chest. Also do some arm and leg stretches.
  
• Dress in layers so you can peel off your outer layers if you start to get overheated.
• Use proper equipment. Some snow shovels are designed for pushing light snow and others are designed for scooping and lifting heavier snow. Make sure you've got the right tool for the job.
  
• Use your legs. If the snow is too heavy to just push to the side, use your legs. Throw the snow in a forward motion -- don't twist and throw it over your shoulder or to the side.

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Yoga? A good calorie burner? Yoga is well-known for the many health benefits it provides, the strength and flexibility it develops, and the mind/body balance it creates, but it's not usually touted for calorie burning.

Fitness Magazine shares a 60-minute yoga routine that can burn 500 or more calories (depending on your weight). The routine revolves around the sun salutation -- each circuit begins and ends with that series. Other series include half-push up, lunge jump, warrior, and chair with twist.

I tried one rotation of each move this morning -- far short of the recommended hour. It certainly does provide a good variety of moves and stretches almost all muscle groups. I can see where an hour of this workout would be great. Try it out and see for yourself!

For more yoga information, check out AOL Health.

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Running short on time? Try your best not to let a full schedule interfere with your workout. You should schedule your exercise time and give it high priority on your to-do list. Don't look at your workout as something you can take or leave at your convenience. The fact is that staying fit and healthy will help you manage the rest of your chores more effectively -- you'll have more energy to be on the go, go, go.

But we all have those days where we just can't squeeze in a long workout routine. When there's just no way a real workout will work, try a quick 15-minute routine. AOL Health has a great 15-minute strength training routine. Or, if you'd rather, you can design your own workout.

• 10 minutes of cardio. Pick a convenient cardio activity that you can do almost anywhere and with minimal equipment. Walking, running, and jumping rope are all good options.
  

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Earlier this month, Jacki gave us some great reasons to stretch (even though she admitted that she doesn't do it often). While I'm not a non-stretcher, I'm not as good about it as I should be for one reason -- I have my favorites, and those are the ones I like to spend my time on. The rest often pass to the wayside.

And this is a bad habit for me to have because I'm really not very flexible. However, I love crossing my heel over my opposite knee and feeling that stretch through my glute and hip. I like bending forward and rolling my back up slowly, feeling the stretch all through the back of my legs and my lower back. But I hate sitting on the floor and reaching for my toes, or reaching behind my head to between my shoulder blades. It's not fun and it's not comfortable. However, I've been trying to do more, I promise.

How about you? Are you an all or nothing, or do you, too, have favorite stretches you tend to do? And if so, please share -- maybe I'll find a new fave!

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I adopted my son from the US foster care system when he was 10-years-old. He has ADHD and often struggles with focus. He also has high anxiety and can get quite nervous in certain situations. One tool that helps him regain focus and composure is taking a few deep breaths. We face each other, look directly in each others' eyes and take a deep breath in... and out. He usually says "one more, Mom" and we continue until he's feeling in control again. The simple act helps to ground him, reduce his anxiety, and help him focus again. Breathing exercises can help everyone reduce stress and relax.

When you're faced with an abrupt, unexpected stressful situation (such as a car cutting you off in traffic or someone saying something offensive to you) take a moment to pause and breathe deeply before reacting. Those few seconds will calm you so you can respond appropriately and thoughtfully -- avoiding a hasty reaction you might regret later.

When you're faced with longer-lasting stress (such as a difficult deadline at work or ongoing problems with your significant other) make a regular practice of this breathing and stretching technique. It will imbibe your body with oxygen and help relieve stress.

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If you've got a crabgrass problem like I do this year, weeding can be exercise. In fact, it can be a high-impact aerobic activity, if you do it at my house.

Weeding can be done for flexibilty and endurance, and we are now told by some researchers that low-key fitness, like weeding and strolling, is the answer to a long, healthy life.

So, in the spirit of weeding like a fiend, I write this Fitku:

Stretching, pulling weeds
Beautiful garden, exercise
Squatting, bending, done!

Do you buy it? Can weeding be exercise? I know my sore thighs and ankles tell that story the next day....

A gym is a great place to put in a solid workout, but it can sometimes be one of the worst places to get health and fitness advice. It's easy to assume that someone with a great physique must be an expert on health and fitness, but that may not necessarily be the case. Their advice, though well-intentioned, may not exactly be sound. Remember, not all great players make great coaches (ask Isiah Thomas). The approach to fitness these individuals take may work well for them, but for you they could potentially lead to disaster.

Men's Health magazine tackled this very topic in their article 7 Muscle Myths - Fact vs. Fiction. In it, researchers take a look at some common gym misconceptions and, in efforts to clear up any confusion and prevent potential injury, present their own expert advice. We'll be highlighting one of these myths each day here at That's Fit.

Here's a look at Myth #5:

Myth #5
Stretching prevents injuries.
Maybe if you're a figure skater. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed more than 350 studies and articles examining the relationship between stretching and injuries and concluded that stretching during a warm-up has little effect on injury prevention.

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