5 Pilates-Inspired Moves That'll Blast Your Muffin Top (at Home!)

Oh, the muffin top. How can something that sounds so wonderful be so annoying? But there it is, the reason that certain pairs of jeans get banished to the corner of the closet. (Or maybe that's just me.) So, in order to rid ourselves of it forever (and leave the moniker to actual delicious baked goods), Julie Erickson, owner and founder of Endurance Pilates and Yoga, put together these awesome core-strengthening exercises that you can do from the comfort of your own carpet. Criss Cross: targets the obliques (the muscles along the sides of your abdomen) With your hands supporting the weight of your head (and without pulling forward on your neck), rotate your ribcage to the right with both shoulder blades off the floor. The focus is to get the back of your armpit over past your opposite knee. Lift higher as you move through center and to the other side. Your shoulder blades stay lifted the entire time. Your legs move in and out straight from the hips, with slow and controlled movement, lifting higher and twisting more every time. Complete 20 total twists, holding the last two to twist your ribcage as far as possible, pulling in
Oh, the muffin top. How can something that sounds so wonderful be so annoying? But there it is, the reason that certain pairs of jeans get banished to the corner of the closet. (Or maybe that's just me.) So, in order to rid ourselves of it forever (and leave the moniker to actual delicious baked goods), Julie Erickson, owner and founder of Endurance Pilates and Yoga, put together these awesome core-strengthening exercises that you can do from the comfort of your own carpet. Criss Cross: targets the obliques (the muscles along the sides of your abdomen) With your hands supporting the weight of your head (and without pulling forward on your neck), rotate your ribcage to the right with both shoulder blades off the floor. The focus is to get the back of your armpit over past your opposite knee. Lift higher as you move through center and to the other side. Your shoulder blades stay lifted the entire time. Your legs move in and out straight from the hips, with slow and controlled movement, lifting higher and twisting more every time. Complete 20 total twists, holding the last two to twist your ribcage as far as possible, pulling in