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Pilates
Shop
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What is Pilates?
The primary focus of Pilates is on awareness of
the spine, proper breathing, core strength and flexibility.
The outcome of Pilates training is a balanced body which
is strong and supple, flat stomach, balanced legs, and
a strong back.
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Pilates Shop
Videos about Pilates
| Instructional pilates excercise, stretching, toning and strengthening videos. |
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Pilates Beginning Mat Workout
"Remember what Joseph Pilates said," instructor Ana Caban says. "'You will feel better in 10 sessions, look better in 20 sessions, and have a completely new body in 30 sessions.'" Pilates has become very popular and for good reason. By working the core muscles (the abdominal and back muscles in the center of your body) you improve strength and posture and develop a lean, long line. Certified Pilates instructor Ana Caban is a splendid teacher. First she demonstrates alignment and technique for 10 minutes, explaining the cue words you will hear and how to do the basics, emphasizing how to use the core muscles to strengthen the abdominals and back throughout the workout. Then she introduces a challenging 20-minute series of Pilates moves, instructing clearly, demonstrating beautifully, and continuing to advise you about technique, breathing, and form. Even though this is a beginning Pilates workout, Pilates is never easy, so these moves will feel extremely difficult if you're new to this kind of exercise. For example, you learn to hold your abs tight whatever move you're doing, and you move only the muscles you're working at the moment, using your stabilizing muscles to hold the rest of the body still (much harder than it sounds!). Another participant demonstrates modifications throughout in case Caban's moves are too difficult or your muscles fatigue. If you've been wanting to explore Pilates and you're willing to put in the effort and concentration, this video gets our top rating. --Joan Price
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Pilates for Dummies
Pilates Workout for Dummies is a 60-minute DVD, ideal for both the first-time and intermediate Pilates exerciser. In the Basic Workout, well-toned instructor Michelle Dozois clearly and patiently presents 18 classic Pilates mat exercises, first demonstrating and explaining, then doing 6 to 10 repetitions. She explains what the Powerhouse is and how to use it, and covers the basics you'll need if you've never done this before (or need to be reminded), offering alignment tips, breathing, and extremely clear instructions for executing each movement. Dozois suggests modifications for making the exercises easier (or, occasionally, more challenging), and includes cautions against common mistakes and reminder tips for doing each exercise effectively. This is a fine first workout for Pilates novices. The Intermediate Workout consists of some of the Basic exercises and several new ones, all done at a faster pace and with more challenging instructions. This is a workout you can progress with! --Joan Price
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The Method - Pilates - Precision Toning
If you think you know abdominal workouts, challenge yourself with this unusual video, based on yoga, classical dance, and the work of Joseph Pilates. "Strength and endurance, suppleness and flexibility," promises instructor Jennifer Kries. Every exercise starts from and focuses on the abdominals. Done lying on a mat, a 15-minute workout teaches you the basics of the exercises to come, demonstrating how to work your torso muscles in new ways, such as "roll-ups" and long leg circles. Then a 30-minute workout puts these exercises into a sequence and adds some more-advanced variations, such as sitting on your tailbone in a jackknife position--upper body and legs off the floor making a V-shape--and doing various movements from that position without losing your balance. This exercise technique gets the deep, postural abdominal muscles as well as those you're used to working. It also works the legs, hips, and buttocks, but the ab work is the best part. Kries gives clear, detailed instruction. She is so limber she could probably comb her hair with her toes, but don't be dismayed--you don't have to be that flexible to benefit from the workout. --Joan Price
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Stott Pilates - Essential Matwork
Moira Stott-Merrithew has updated Essential Matwork, changing the order of exercises to better balance the body. This is a superb, 63-minute introduction to the Stott Pilates method. First Stott-Merrithew goes through the fundamental principles of breathing, imprinting, and how to stabilize the abdominals, shoulders, and back. Her warm-up practices these principles. Then she works your body thoroughly with 45 exercises, each one taught with precision and tons of technique. She explains which muscles are being worked, how to do the exercise most effectively, how to modify if you can't do the move fully, and what not to do. Stott-Merrithew never stops explaining, so you keep learning both the basics and nuances of each move. If you can't have your personal Pilates trainer, this is the next best thing. Some of the exercises are "preps" for harder exercises--you learn how to use the muscles correctly in a modified fashion. You can always see the move and the alignment clearly. Quiet music plays in the background. --Joan Price
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Stott Pilates - Intermediate Matwork
In this excellent, intermediate Pilates workout, you add muscular power and endurance to the core stability you've developed. Skillful instructor Moira Stott-Merrithew starts with a review of basic principles, demonstrated in the warm-up, before taking us through a nonstop workout. Many of the moves are the essential exercises taught in Essential Matwork but performed without rests in between (45 exercises in 49 minutes), building flow as well as adding endurance and intensity. Stott-Merrithew slows down when she introduces difficult new exercises, such as the rollover, which involves lying on the back, legs lifted off the floor (held up by the abdominals), then slowly bringing the legs up and over the head with control, touching the feet to the floor behind the head, opening the legs from that position, then flexing the feet and slowly bringing them back to the starting position, closing the legs, and doing it all over again. Whew. As always, Stott-Merrithew, calm and competent, instructs throughout, so we're learning as much technique as we can handle. Her form is impeccable and inspiring. --Joan Price
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Crunch - Fat Burning Pilates
"Calorie burning cardio plus Pilates-based toning," promises this 40-minute Crunch program, which combines Pilates-influenced standing and mat exercises. In the cardio section, instructor Ellen Barrett uses Pilates terminology (e.g. "standing imprint") as she adapts Pilates moves to rather repetitious standing exercises--mostly squats and leg lift variations--which work the core muscles of the abdominals and back as well as legs, thighs, and buttocks. The moves are sometimes slow and rarely "travel," so your heart rate might not stay elevated, although your lower body and core muscles will get a good workout. The toning section consists of Pilates mat exercises which work abs, back, thighs, and buttocks. One exerciser demonstrates easier modifications. The background music is dominated by a lively drummer who keeps the workout upbeat and enthusiastic. --Joan Price
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Pilates - Intermediate Mat Workout
If you enjoyed Ana Caban's exceptional beginning-level video, Pilates: Mat-Based Workout for Beginners, and you've progressed enough to continue on to the next level, Caban is back with an intermediate workout. Assuming you have already mastered the first workout, she makes the exercises more intense, with fewer breaks between exercises, and adds some new ones that will really challenge your "powerhouse" muscles. Fortunately, another exerciser demonstrates modifications for the hardest exercises. Caban is a superb role model and instructor, piling on technique tips so that you don't mistakenly think these exercises are easy by cheating. It's unfortunate, though, that the sound quality isn't up to the instruction quality. Caban sometimes sounds just fine, and a moment later she sounds like she's in an echo chamber. This problem persists through the whole 40-minute video. Still, this is an excellent Pilates program and will become one of your regular workouts. --Joan Price
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Quick Fix Total Pilates Workout
Short on time? Do just one of these three 10-minute Pilates routines, emphasizing abdominals, lower body, and total body, respectively. With the intensity of Pilates, you won't feel that you're cheating by doing just 10 minutes. Skilled instructor Tracy York first introduces you to the principles of Pilates in case you're new to this discipline. Then she leads you in a variety of well-chosen Pilates exercises, instructing clearly, with plenty of technique tips. One demonstrator shows easier modifications. You can do these routines on different days or combine them when you have the time. The QuickFix series features a countdown timer, so you don't have to wonder how much time you have left to go. This workout is a recommended way to fit in the power of Pilates on days you have to watch the clock. --Joan Price
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The Method - Pilates Target Specifics: Abs, Arms, Hips, Thighs
Another fun video from The Method series, Target Specifics employs yoga, dance, isometrics, and familiar aerobics moves to create a fun and engaging workout. Each area of the body gets a 15-minute target routine. Jennifer Kries guides the viewer, against a studio backdrop, with other female dancers and live drummers providing the beat. Exercises are varied, quick, and sometimes complicated, so a few viewings and tries at following Kries are recommended. Isometric exercises allow you to vary the intensity and difficulty of the workout. Still, a more experienced dancer or exerciser might want to up the ante on this one--it's pretty introductory and light. The variety and fun of the routines would keep just about anyone occupied, however. A good supplementary addition to an aerobics video library. --Gilia Angell
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The Method - Pilates: Precision Sculpting
This video presents two 15-minute workouts with an unusual approach that combines strength training, yoga, ballet, and the work of Joseph Pilates, concentrating on posture, abdominal strengthening, and balance. The best part is the postural and abdominal strengthening you'll get throughout the workout if you concentrate on the instructions. The first segment uses light weights for upper-body sculpting, with most of the work focusing on the shoulders. (The instructor claims you're working chest and arms, too, but because of the way you're holding the weights and the effect of gravity, the shoulder muscles are supporting the weights most of the time.) This might be an interesting cross-training activity if you're doing traditional strength training in addition, but it isn't as effective for upper-body strengthening as the standard weightlifting exercises you'll see in many videos. The second workout targets the legs, buttocks, and hips without weights, and here the workout shines. Kries has you stand upright, abdominals high and buttocks tight, doing slow leg lifts to different directions. This balance work is exceptionally effective to strengthen the torso and lower body. If you like the concept of deep abdominal training plus work on posture and balance, start with Precision Toning. --Joan Price
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The New Method 20/20: Perfect Pilates
Instructor Lisa Wheeler takes viewers through a blend of yoga's sun salutations, ballet's plié and relevé, and Pilates's seal and scissors--with a dash of kickboxing--in the first of these two 20-minute sets. Pilates purists will no doubt object, but for those looking to strengthen their balance and work on their abs, Wheeler's routine get the job done. In the second routine Jennifer Kries employs more true Pilates moves: roll-ups, leg circles, criss-cross, spinal stretches, and the 100 (though her brief version could be better characterized as the 10!). Both series feature brief warm-ups and cool-downs. The live drumbeat accompaniment is less intrusive than in other New Method offerings, making this a good way for exercisers of any age to start or end the day. --Kimberly Heinrichs
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Pilates vs Yoga
The biggest difference is that
Pilates uses a line of equipment that does not exist
in yoga. But the theory of mind-body connection exists
in both Yoga and Pilates. They also share a fluidity
of movement.
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The Pilates Method of body conditioning
promotes physical harmony and balance for people
of all ages and physical conditions while providing
a refreshing and energizing workout.
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© Copyright 2005-2010 DR Management
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