西部落：挨刀还是普拉提？

Anti-Aging Pilates

Turning back the hands of time without going under a knife

You’re fighting the hands of time to get a younger look? If going under the knife is just not your cup of tea, try Pilates. Instructor¹ Linda Farrell says it’s like the fountain of / youth.

“Pilates is all about developing core strength in the trunk, and this helps promote a healthy spine²; it’s about learning how to breathe deeply to reduce stress, and it’s about learning how to strengthen the muscles, but you also look fantastic.”

And that’s exactly how 54-year-old Yvonne Martin feels. She’s been doing Pilates for over five years. And says she’s noticed youthful changes.

“It feels about 20. I’m standing³ straighter, I’m taller. I feel like my muscles, my whole body’s longer, my waist is really tight; my abs(=abdominal⁴ muscles) are incredible. I have to say, they are pretty good. And I think it’s due to the Pilates work.”

So how can you get these anti-ageing results too? Linda has some suggestions.

Thinking of liposuction? Linda says “No need”. “I have a wonderful exercise called Heel Beats . We do it lying on the stomach and it actually helps lift your butt⁵. And my students love it because while they are doing it, they actually feel their butts⁶ lifting and they feel those muscles working.”

Thinking you need a breast lift? Think again. “The first thing I like to do is get people to stand up and to open up in here, and then I offer two wonderful exercises. One is called chest expansion，no pun intended. And the other is swan dive which works on opening the chest and strengthening the muscles in the back, which is so important to prevent that slumping⁷.”

Need a tummy tuck? No way! I worked with a Pilates course exercise which is really wonderful. You simply pull your belly⁸ / button in and lift up like you are wearing a little corset and you have a flatter belly and a narrower waistline.

Linda says age doesn’t matter. You can start your Pilates workout at any point in your life. And with two to three days a week, you are sure to start seeing and feeling a difference. I’m E.D Hill, FOX NEWS.

1. liposuction: 吸脂术 It slims and reshapes specific areas of the body by removing excess fat deposits, improving your body contours and proportion, and ultimately, enhancing your self-image.

2. tummy tuck: 紧腹手术，是腹部整形中常见的一种，即去除腹部多余的折叠脂肪和皮肤，修整难看的褶皱，使腹部重新平坦紧致起来。它通常被看作抽脂的辅助手术。It removes excess fat and skin, and in most cases restores weakened or separated muscles creating an abdominal profile that is smoother and firmer.

3. breast lift raises and firms the breasts by removing excess skin and tightening⁹ the surrounding tissue to reshape and support the new breast contour.

4.Heel Beats : In Pilates, keep the legs straight when performing heel beats with pointed¹⁰ toes. This exercise works your abdominals.

1 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

2 spine   

n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊

参考例句：

• He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
• His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 abdominal   

adj.腹（部）的，下腹的；n.腹肌

参考例句：

• The abdominal aorta is normally smaller than the thoracic aorta.腹主动脉一般比胸主动脉小。
• Abdominal tissues sometimes adhere after an operation.手术之后腹部有时会出现粘连。

5 butt   

n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶

参考例句：

• The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
• He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。

6 butts   

笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。
• The house butts to a cemetery. 这所房子和墓地相连。

7 slumping   

大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的现在分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]

参考例句：

• Hong Kong's slumping economy also caused a rise in bankruptcy applications. 香港经济低迷，破产申请个案随之上升。
• And as with slumping, over-arching can also be a simple postural habit. 就像弯腰驼背，过度挺直也可能只是一种习惯性姿势。

8 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

9 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

10 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。