(Full Disclosure: There has been no compensation from Exhale Spa or Tropicana or any incentive to be persuaded to write a positive review. This is my honest opinion.)

I got to try a core fusion workout and let me tell you, it was tough! Using my limited familiarity with workout terminology, I’d say core fusion combines yoga with calisthenics for a full body strength building workout. The experts say core fusion is a combination of yoga, core conditioning, Pilates, and the “Lotte Berk Method” to be exact.

In Chicago, Tropicana provided a group of writers the opportunity to work out with instructor Nicole Romano Uribarri of Exhale Spa. She gave us the basic core fusion workout, leaving out the weight lifting aspect that advanced users implement to get even more results. The exercises consisted of using many yoga poses and then amping up the difficulty level by adding squats, lifts, push-ups, etc. all while maintaining the stance of the pose. As you can imagine that builds up intensity and your muscles sure let you know. I found myself shaking, but as everyone reminded me, that’s a good thing. That means you’re doing it right and gaining strength.

Over the course of an hour we did a full body workout. Each area of the body was focused on, targeting the group of muscles and working them to their limit (legs, arms, abs, etc.). The good thing about this workout is that just like yoga, even as you advance in your strength and ability within the positions you can still go further since each exercise is individualized. As you gain strength you work further into the pose, and with core fusion it’s the same idea, not only do you work further into the pose but you work more aggressively in the movements. For those advanced in this workout, the addition of weights and more challenging exercises are then added in. So if you do choose to start a core fusion workout, it’s not one where you are going to plateau in your progress, get bored, and give up. Core fusion will continually challenge you.

Core fusion is definitely a full body workout and I recommend it, but I think I’m sticking with my yoga until I get strong enough to really handle it. I was so unbelievably sore afterwards! Clearly that was more than I could take on all at once. If you’ve been doing yoga or pilates for awhile and looking to get a tougher workout, then core fusion is undoubtedly the next step to take. Or perhaps you like aerobic workouts and feel like yoga is boring, then core fusion is a fantastic alternative by combining the two.

And even for those looking to add exercise to your lifestyle, I do recommend core fusion as it’s fantastic exercise that will work you all over and get you in great shape, but start off small. Find a core fusion video and do 20 minutes of it at first and work your way up from there. If you overdo it at first (like I did) you may feel discouraged and find it hard to do again. Ease into it and you’ll quickly gain strength and start to really enjoy it in no time. Then you’ll want to do it everyday.

So whether you want to take a core fusion class or start working out to a core fusion video at home, it’s great full body exercise. Best of all, you only need a yoga mat (and maybe a chair and weights depending on the particular workout) to do this form of exercise.