This workout will take you about 15 minutes. It may take a little longer until you get the hang of the exercises. Do it three to four times a week, and this anti-saddlebags workout will start showing results in no time.

The goal: an all-over slimming effect in just a few weeks. The “saddlebag” fat disappears thanks to various effects:

• This workout helps achieve optimal alignment of the bones and the leg axis, which in itself makes your figure look slimmer.
• Effective training of the deep muscles allows the thigh muscles to relax and stretch.
• The strengthened pelvic floor muscles at the core ensure optimal coordination of movement patterns.
• Thanks to this newfound flexibility, sports are much more fun.
• The more regularly you exercise, the more noticeable the effect.
• The power from within radiates outward, and you gain stature and poise.

These two before-and-after photos illustrate the effects of the CANTIENICA® method. The realignment of the pelvis and the alignment of the bones have an immediate effect. Two minutes separate the two photos. Proper alignment makes all the difference.

Tip: Keep the instructions next to you and go through the exercises step by step. You’ll quickly get used to the instructions; you’ll know if you’re doing it “right” by how your body feels—trust your body. If you can exercise in front of a large mirror, all the better.

Workout to Fight Saddle Bags

1 Knee Stand

A steep start. Kneel on a thick cushion or a mat folded several times. Keep your knees hip-width apart. Your feet should extend beyond the edge of the cushion, forming a slight V—that is, your heels should be slightly closer together than your big toes. You can place a rolled-up pillow or towel underneath; your feet need room.

Lengthen the thighs until the bones and tendons are stretched. Stretch the pelvis away from the thighs. Align the ribcage directly above the pelvis and stretch it away from the pelvis. At the same time, stretch the lower edge of the pubic bone toward the knees. Rotate the thigh muscles outward from the groin. Repeat 10 times.

Cross your arms over your chest, pull your shoulder blades back, and rotate your upper arm muscles outward.

Lean your thighs and upper body back slightly as one unit. Rotate your thigh muscles outward from the groin. 10 times.

Lean back a little further. Rotate your thighs away from your groin 10 times.

Straighten up, lower your arms, move your buttocks toward your heels, and sit on your heels.

Bonus tip. If the front thigh muscles are trying to take over: Restart the exercise. Focus on the levator ani muscle.

2 pliés in a heel-to-toe position

I: In a heel-sitting position, slide your buttocks toward your heels to relieve the weight of your torso from your knee joints. Rest your hands loosely on your back. Draw your shoulder blades close to your back and pull them toward your waist. Stretch the pelvis upward away from the thighs, pull the chest away from the pelvis, and create space for the bones. Rotate the thigh muscles outward from the groin and the upper arm muscles outward from the armpits.

Extend your kneecaps forward while simultaneously stretching your sitting bones backward. Stretch the crown of your head toward the sky and lengthen your spine. Stretch your sitting bones, pubic bone, and tailbone backward, and tilt your upper body straight forward.

II: Bring your sitting bones toward each other and use your pelvic floor muscles to lift your buttocks 2 cm off your heels. From this position, lift and lower your upper body 5 cm. Start with 10 pliés. Work your way up to 15 pliés.

Take a quick break sitting on your heels, and then we’re off again…

Bonus tip. Keep your mouth slightly open at all times and lift your tongue up toward the roof of your mouth.

3 Sun-Worshipper

Knees hip-width apart, parallel or slightly wider. Stretch the kneecaps forward and the ischial tuberosities in the opposite direction. Place your arms on the floor at shoulder height, with your elbows pointing backward and the crooks of your elbows facing forward. Rotate the muscles of your upper arms outward at armpit height; your hands and fingers should face each other, your palms are cupped, and your upper arms remain rotated outward.

Stretch the ischial tuberosities toward the backs of your knees; as you do this, your buttocks lift slightly off your heels and hover. Stretch your pelvis and chest wide apart. Rotate your thigh muscles outward from the groin until you feel an intense stretch in the front of your thighs. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, gently pulsing your sitting bones.

Sit back on your heels, straighten up using your levator ani and abdominal muscles, then relax.

Bonus tip. Keep your back straight during the stretch; the front and back of your body should be the same length. Lift your buttocks only slightly; maintaining tension is key. Move your chest away from your pelvis.

4 Poformers in Hover Flight

Prone position. The pubic bone is slightly elevated, right at the edge of the mat. This makes it easier to lie on your stomach and ensures the exercise is safe for your back. Spread your legs slightly, bend your knees, and press the insides of your heels together. Place your feet in a V-shape, rotate your thigh muscles outward, and extend your knees toward your heels to release the hip joints. Clench your hands into loose fists, stack them on top of each other, and rest your forehead vertically on your fists from above. The head floats in line with the neck. Stretch the tailbone toward the backs of the knees,

Pull your sternum and the crown of your head in opposite directions. Using your levator ani muscles, lift your thighs slightly off the floor. Tap your heels together and pulse in this position. 2 sets of 20 pulses each.

Bonus tip. The back is light and stretched out. The outer gluteal muscles are completely relaxed; the strength comes from the deep muscles of the levator ani.

5 Leg Scissors

Starting position: Lie on your right side with your right forearm resting on the mat. Stretch your fingers forward and your elbow backward. Powerfully rotate the muscles of the supporting upper arm outward at armpit level; this automatically aligns the spine and torso. Extend your left arm toward the ceiling, with your palm facing your head. Pull on your middle finger until your shoulders feel weightless and are stacked vertically one above the other.

Your legs should be at a right angle in front of your body. Make sure you’re lying on the outside of your right leg and can rotate your thigh muscles outward. Position your feet in a gentle V shape—that is, with the balls of your feet slightly apart—and lift your heels slightly. Gently nudge your heels together to trigger a chain reaction in your pelvic muscles, 10 times.

Rotate your thigh muscles away from your groin, 10 times as well.

Change pages.

Bonus tip. Do not lift the knee above hip level. Keep the pelvis completely still while the levator ani contracts. The thigh muscles must remain in external rotation at all times.

6 Jumbolino

Stand at arm’s length from the wall. Place your hands on the wall, with your fingers pointing toward each other.

Keep the palms arched and the fingers relaxed. Rotate the upper arm muscles outward at armpit level and pull the elbows out to the sides until the shoulder blades lie flat against the back, as close to the ribs as possible on either side. The collarbones are elongated. Imagine a golden rod stretching from elbow to elbow; push your upper arms and the heads of your humerus far out to the sides along the golden rod. Bend your elbows even further and tilt your upper body straight forward. Maintain a straight line between your heel and the crown of your head. Align the ischial tuberosities with the heels, extend the crown of the head in a straight line, and keep the pelvis stable. Engage the levator ani. Use the right leg as the stabilizing leg: toes pointing forward, heels pointing backward. Keep the lower leg long, visualizing it extending upward away from the ankle. Keep the thigh long, visualizing it extending away from the knee. On the right side, visualize the groin and the back of the knee extending outward. On the right side, visualize the pelvis moving away from the thigh, and engage the ischial tuberosity on that side to anchor stability. Lift the left leg slightly and pulse: engage and release the ischial tuberosity. Repeat 30 times.

Bend your left leg, aligning your thigh exactly parallel to your right thigh; keep your foot relaxed and flexed, and relax the back of your knee. Pulse: Tighten and release your sit bones. 30 times.

Bonus tip. The pelvis must not shift, which is why the structure of the stabilizing leg is important.

7 Forward Stretch

Directly from the lunge pliés: Extend your left leg and stretch your upper body straight as an arrow in line with your left leg, diagonally forward and upward. Place your hands on your right thigh, as close to your groin as possible and as light as a feather; externally rotate your thigh muscles and stretch your right ischial tuberosity backward until it is at the same height and level as the left. The feet are in a V position; the left heel extends, and the left groin should get a super stretch. Switch sides for lunge pliés followed by the lunge stretch.

Bonus tip. Maintain tension between the ischial tuberosity and the crown of the head.

Relaxation. Relax into the stretch with your breath—active relaxation.

CANTIENICA® Intensive Training