Yogalates. Yogilates. Yoga lattes? Don't let the name confuse you. There's a new trendout there, and it's not on the Starbucks menu.

However you spell it, yoga and Pilates are now joined at the hip. The trend is edging its way into health clubs and studios across America.

Yogilates was created in 1997 by certified Pilates instructor and personal trainer Jonathan Urla. This year, Louise Solomon published her own version, called Yogalates.

Everyone has an opinion about this new trend, pro or con. Besides the books, there are videotapes, DVDs, and classes cropping up. To figure out what's up, WebMD caught up with several fitness experts.

Ahead of the Curve
Yoga is an eastern Indian tradition that focuses on strength, flexibility, and spirituality. Pilates was created by German born Joseph Pilates nearly a century ago. Pilates focuses on building strength in the deep muscles of the abdominal region, the body's core.

Both practices involve attaining specific postures. Both emphasize correct breathing. Both emphasize meditative mindfulness.

Despite the hybrid name, Yogalates "is not gimmicky it's built on very tried and true, historically proven forms of exercise," explains Cherryl Leone, a certified yoga instructor at Gentle Strength Yoga in Denver.

Like many who teach it, Leone has developed her own blend of yoga and Pilates. It's become so popular, she says she may transform a couple of yoga classes to Yogalates. "I've had such positive, positive feedback on Yogalates," she tells WebMD.

"There's so much synergy between the two," Leone explains. "The philosophies of both make blending the two very natural. You're not mindlessly on a treadmill or exercise machine. The mind is very focused on the body, on breathing techniques. When I teach Yogalates, I want students to feel their entire body was exercised in an integrated way."

When It's Not Yoga, You Know It
So what exactly happens in a yoga Pilates class?

In Yogilates, Urla outlines no less than 40 poses including back lifts, sternum lifts, leg lifts, leg circles, plus such yoga standards such as Downward Facing Dog, Sun Salutation, The Warrior, and Meditation Pose that can be used in a beginner's class. Of course, no one class will cover them all, he says.

Urla's language emphasizes the spiritual: Make the process of learning Yogilates your goal, he writes. "Learn to be present in your thinking and to appreciate the simple fact that you are breathing, moving, and enjoying the real beauty of your practice."

"I use a very classical approach floor work, stretching for 20 minutes before going into the Sun Salutation series," Urla tells WebMD. "At first, one might notice more yoga because we do pause in the poses, we hold some stretches. I'm very much into fundamentals, into awareness of alignment. But when we begin the very intensive abdominals you may not know it's Pilates, but you'll know it's definitely not yoga."