Like the framework of a mighty skyscraper, the core helps humans hold up the weight of the sky. Stay firm against the firmament with today's Groupon: for $29, you get six introductory mat-work sessions at The Pilates Spot in Port Orange (a $90 value).

In a sunny, serene studio, The Pilates Spot's certified instructors corral small class groups to ensure they can closely observe each student and teach them proper technique. Introductory mat-work sessions conjoin stretching and strengthening moves to help sculpt lean, toned muscles without consulting an Italian Renaissance marble artist via Ouija board. Instead, each 45-minute session impresses the importance of rhythmic breathing timed to abdominal movements, a fiery combination that cranks up the dial on each workout's intensity. Instructors also incorporate one of a handful of small apparatuses to better target the core, such as the Pilates reformer, spring wall, stability chair, or a dart board contoured to balance against abdominals. With continued Pilates practice, many students note a keener bodily awareness, straightened posture, and an overall fizzling of pent-up stress.