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The Lotte Berk exercise method was developed by dancer Lotte Berk in the late 1940's. Though she danced with several prominent companies, Berk was left bound to a wheelchair after experiencing severe spinal injuries in a car accident. Berk later developed her own method of exercise that concentrated on the idea of building one's "core stability." Eventually, she was able to leave her wheelchair as a result of the strengthening, balancing, and stabalizing of her pelvis and lower back. Similar to pilates and yoga, the Lotte Berk method concentrates on targeting specific areas for strength and flexibility training. Working from the "core" provides an intensive workout and promotes the growth of muscle tissue, which burns calories at a faster rate than fatty tissue. The Lotte Berk Method For Beginners: Hip Hugger Abs utilizes this method in order to strengthen the stomach by use of target-specific core abdominal exercises.