DALLAS -- People seeking a leaner, trimmer body shape turn to various forms of exercise to achieve their goals.

Yoga, traditionally thought of as a path to greater flexibility and a more relaxed frame of mind, now is attracting those who want to shed excess flab as well.

Randi Schwartz turned to yoga when she decided to pursue a leaner look. She signed up for a yoga class in Dallas taught by Glenda Twining, but Schwartz was not completely convinced of yoga's body-trimming attributes.

"I said to her the first day, 'How am I going to look lean?' and she said, 'Come three to four times a week, and we'll get you there,'" Schwartz said.

Twining puts her clients though a 75-minute body-sculpting, flab-fighting routine, but she does not worry about overworking her classes. Most experts agree that people who consider enrolling in a yoga class first should consult their physicians.

"It's low impact," Twining said. "It's not hard on any part of the body. You can lose that flab.

"Strengthening, sculpting, toning, cardiovascular, endurance, stamina ...," Twining said. "When you put that with stretching and flexibility, it's actually one of the most fat-burning benefits you can get in any exercise program."

A year ago, Schwartz was 40 pounds heavier, with a fuller face.

"I wouldn't let anyone photograph me from the waist down," Schwartz said.

But yoga has paid dividends for her.

"Within the first month of taking Glenda's class, I saw immediate results," Schwartz said. "I started to streamline, which was my dream. I had always had to buy (dress sizes) 16s and 18s, and now I'm in 8s and 10s."