The scoop on Pilates

Hot tip: To find a class or instructor near you, click on www.pilates.co.uk. Or look for The Perfect Body The Pilates Way video with Lynne Robinson. It’s the next best thing to having an instructor standing beside you.

The following curl-and-lift move gives you a taste of what you might experience in a Pilates-inspired workout.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent, legs pressed together and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Contract your abs and hold your arms out at your sides and slightly off the floor.
3. Moving slowly, curl upwards until your chest touches your knees. First lift your head off the floor, then your shoulder blades one vertebra at a time. If necessary, assist yourself by holding onto the back of your thighs.
4. Sit up straight at the top of the movement then round your back and lower with control.