Element: Pilates Weight Loss For Beginners

I haven't done any exercise for over 8 months and was recommended to try Pilates for lower back ache. I am 5'10" and slim but jeez are my muscles tight. I started off by having two 1-2-1 sessions with a lovely Pilates instructor who came to my home. For me, the 1-2-1 sessions were an essential part for continuing Pilates on my own. If you are unable to do this, I would recommend you try one of the back to basics DVDs first. I absolutely fell in love with Pilates on my very first session and I went a bit crazy and bought loads of books and DVDs. For me, the Brooke Siler book and DVD are by far the best. It is basically a proper 50 minutes Pilates class in my living room. There is no stopping between the routines and even though I have not yet built up my powerhouse, I try my best to do all the routines and my goal is to follow Brooke's 50 minute work out from start to finish. As a result this DVD is going to last me for quite some time. Please don't let the "weight loss" in the title put you off - it should simply say a great Pilates work out for when you can't get to a Pilates studio. Highly recommended!

For beginners? Hmmm. It's quite fast going, I use the pause button alot. I feel I really need to warm up before doing some exercises as she goes into some stretches so fast at the beginning that I have pulled something! There are some exercises on here that I don't really like but I'll continue to do the others.

After attending an eight week pilates class I decided I wanted a routine I could continue at home and this is ideal, particularly as the only item of equipment you need is a mat. This DVD is divided into 2 workouts just under 30mins each so you can just do one when in a rush or both when you have more time. I have found the routines easy to understand and to follow, and time seems to fly and it doesn't feel a chore. I can highly recommend this for people who have little experience of pilates although it is easier if you have attended a few classes first so you have had hands-on guidance with some of the techniques (including breathing technique!). Once I have perfected this routine I will look for something more dynamic//challenging..

This is an excellent DVD. I bought it because I wanted a dvd to complement a pilates exercise class I do each week. This is tough! however you see the results so quickly you do become hooked. I was worried this dvd was going to be too American for my liking but Brooke has a very soft accent and really explains each exercise with very realistic examples. Highly recommended!

I bought this DVD as a beginner having recently begun gym Pilates classes. I'm still using it 6 months later. The instructions are clear and there is an introduction to breathing and muscle awareness. It's dynamic for a Pilates workout and it actually makes me sweat, which was exactly what I was looking for. There are still portions of it I find challenging which spurs me on to do it more frequently and keep practicing. Great way to start the day! Highly recommended.

Good video, very short in length though.

So just to be clear: the dvd itself is probably 5 stars for beginners who are new to pilates AND exercise. Anyone with a more remarkable core strength will find this boring and unchallanging. I have been regularly exercising for many many years (boxing, kickboxing, krav maga) and i decided to take a different direction once or twice a week to improve core stability, balance and flexibility. I ordered this beginner dvd because I have never done pilates in my life but many of the reviewers here say it's very challanging. I am sure this is challanging for someone who has done virtually no exercise in their lives (this is where this dvd is 5 stars), but even if it's only the gym you hit twice a week, you will be fit enough to skip this and choose something more advanced. I did also order a power yoga dvd (won't name it here) which I expected to be less hardcore than this one. It turns out that the power yoga dvd demonstrated by this innocent looking lady with a very very soft voice is actually a true challenge. I will stick with that and probably bin this one. On the objective side of things, this dvd really only has two sections: a cardio pilates thingy which i guess is supposed to be a dynamic warmup session and a matwork section for..well, matwork. That's it. I would expect a dvd like this to have at least 5 routines that we can choose from.

I really enjoy the workout. I have done Pilates classes and this dvd is great to do at home to fit in with my schedule when i can’t make a class.