Countless fad exercise programs failed in the past, but perhaps this is finally the one that will last.

It is called Pilates.

"It's a body-conditioning method," said Valerie Anderson, a local Pilates instructor. "It's made up of a series of movements that are prescribed that engage the body and mind to work together to create a balanced body."

This exercise form was developed in the 1920s by Joseph Pilates, who had suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever as a child. He became determined to create a program that allowed him to stay in shape despite these ailments.

"There is almost zero impact," Anderson said. "I teach a mat class, and we rarely even stand. It is very slow, very controlled and very mindful."

Pilates focuses more on stretching and strengthening muscles rather than toning, and it provides virtually no cardiovascular benefits.

It works the center of the body with an emphasis on the deep abdominal muscles.

"It's similar to yoga in that it emphasizes flexibility and because there is a concentration on the mind and body," Anderson said. "It doesn't have any spiritual overtones, though, like yoga does. Pilates is also very quiet; it's not done to music so there is no distracting sound."

Although many people may not have heard of this program, some have been avid Pilates fans for a while. "I do Pilates often," said Meredith Burnside (sophomore-human development and family studies).

"I'd say about three times a week. I do other forms of exercise but this is a breather for me. It reduces my stress, and I feel that I'm more flexible after doing it."

The popularity of Pilates seems to be on the rise.

"It's becoming more popular right now because right now it's very trendy," Anderson said.

"When the public hears that people like Madonna do it, they want to get into it as well."

Even though Pilates began in the 1920s, it only became popular in mainstream society within recent years.

Dancers, however, have done it for years and passed it down to generations of new dancers, keeping Pilates alive.

"I'd definitely recommend it to others," Burnside said.

"I like it because it works the entire body, and it helps your posture. I feel more relaxed and ten times taller after I've done it. I got my roommates doing it with me."

Anderson teaches Pilates classes at the Center For Well-Being, 123 Mount Nittany Road, in Lemont, and the YMCA, 677 W. Whitehill Road, in State College.

For more information about classes, call 814-237-7717.