Customer Reviews

Karen Voight - Pure & Simple Stretch

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is one of the best stretching videos out there, it is very calming and will stretch you from head to toe.

This is one of Karen's earlier videos from 1991, you will see a much more serious Karen than in her more recent videos. I don't think she smiles once in the video, but for me it doesn't take away from a great stretching routine. The entire routine is 40 minutes, starting out with a 10 minute standing routine, then 30 minutes of floor stretching. All the stretches are held for 20-30 seconds, and Karen offers a lot of details and helpful tips for each stretch and also giving options to for deeper stretches. A towel is used to aid stretching for those less flexible. Karen has 3 exercisers with her, one of them is a man who is good to
watch for those with limited flexibility. Those looking for yoga should look elsewhere as this is athletic type stretching. But if you are looking for a relaxing stretch video, this is a good one. The music is new agey/jazz type music which suits the atmosphere well.

The DVD also offers some of Karen's walking tips, you will see a more recent Karen in this segment. There are also clips of some of her other videos featured as well.

This is the transferred-to-DVD version of Karen's classic Pure and Simple Stretch video and it shows in the less-than-smooth transitions between the stretching chapters. The costumes and hairstyles are dated, so if that sort of thing bothers you, stay away. Karen's pinky-lavender and bright blue ensemble is a good reminder of why the 80s haven't come back--yet. The cover design is the same as it always was.

There are two stretching sections, one standing (10 minutes) and one on the floor (30 minutes). You can do them in one continuous 40 minute program or do them separately. The stretches flow smoothly from one to the next and are held a good, long time, much longer than in most stretching videos. Karen's very serious demeanor isn't everyone's cup of tea, but her cueing is excellent; after you've done the routine once or twice, you can do it without watching, just listening, and she gives tips for proper form right at the places where you need them. All you need to do the stretches is a mat (if you want one), and one or two folded towels for the floor stretches.

There are two women and a man doing the stretches with her. Karen gives different levels of some of the stretches, encouraging you to do what is comfortable for you and stop when something pulls or hurts. Unlike in many videos/DVDs, the others are not demonstrating the different levels of stretching, with one doing beginner and one intermediate and so on; all three just stretch along with her, doing what seems comfortable for them. There is NO chit chat at all on this DVD; Karen is all business and the others never open their mouths.

The music is New Age (if you like New Age, you will recongize some of the names)and is relaxing and unobtrusive; the set is plain. There are some extras on the DVD that are not on the video, but they aren't anything to write home about. The walking tips are nice but nothing special and the rest are just ads for Karen's other products.

If you like yoga-style stretching, this will probably not be the DVD for you. This is an athletic-style stretch. But if you want a good, sound stretching video that will leave you feeling relaxed and energized at the same time, then this is a great choice. There's a reason that the video is considered a classic and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in a solid stretching program.

I give this 4 stars because the menu function is faulty - you have the option of doing the full workout (40 mins) the standing stretch (10 mins) and the floor stretch (30 mins) but when I click on 'full workout' it stops after the standing section and goes back to the menu again! A minor glitch, but still annoying as I have to keep the remote handy. None of my other Karen Voight dvds do this, so it is their fault and not my player.
I bought this as I find most workouts have only a few rushed minutes tacked onto the end for stretching and I need more. Karen is the only one that holds the stretch for the recommended 20-30 seconds and this is what you need to get results.
As for the stretching, the standing part is ok, but the good stretches are in the floor section where she works all muscles from neck to calf - great hamstring, quad and inner thigh work.
Yes she is a little deadpan in her delivery and the costumes and make-up are very 1980's but the workout is safe (no ballistic stretches) and effective. I don't look at the screen much when I'm stretching so it doesn't bother me - I like to concentrate on my breathing and close my eyes to help me relax into it. Great for those of us who want an athletic stretch and aren't keen on the mind/body focus of yoga.
This is suitable for beginners to early intermediates, but if you want more of a challenge, try Stott Pilates Simple Stretches (not simple, more intermediate to advanced) as this is a more current dvd and beautifully produced - see my other reviews for details on this one.

This is my first experience with Ms. Voight, and I was pleasantly surprised. This video leaves you feeling very calm and euphoric, and the music is pleasant as well. There is 10 minutes of warm up followed by 30 minutes of full body stretching.
I was most impressed with her descriptions of the stretches, which allowed me to concentrate on the movement instead of trying to watch what she was doing and compromising my form.
I will purchase more of her videos based on this one.
There is no equipment to buy - just a couple of towels. Great Job Karen!

Yep. Pure and simple. Usually a rave like this is from someone that is a friend with a person related to the product. I'm not, but I have been using this routine since it came out ten years ago, so, I owe Karen one.

This workout is full body stretch, stretching only one, or at the most two, muscle groups at a time. So,you are not trying a complex position that may discourage you from continuing. A simple stretch also allows you to focus purely on the stretch. Karen works the routine with you, giving you sufficient time to stretch the muscles, not just demonstrating the pose. Pure and simple.

However, if you are suffering serious issues in certain areas, you would likely have to hold the stretches longer or do more reps for that area. The stretches are probably not intended to be held long enough for serious condition. But the techniques themselvers are effective, they just need to be done longer. So, put the DVD on hold or go back after the routine for problem areas.

What puts this workout into the excellent ranking is the neck/shoulder routine at the end of the workout. It's about 5 to 10 minutes of neck stretches,making it ideal for anyone suffering neck issues.

If you do have neck issues, you can skip to the end, do the neck routine once or twice a day, and it will definitely help alleviate your issue. I'm a massage therapist and have shown the neck sretches I learned here to some of my clients suffering neck issues.

This DVD may not be for fitness folks that feel that have to burn and sweat at every workout. The tone is relaxing, focusing on improving flexibility, which too many people ignore in their fitness program, which can lead to injury.

The cover of this DVD looks very sophisticated and new, yet the material inside is very old. I looked inside and the copyright date is 1991, which is exactly how it looks. Very deceiving.

However, the stretches covered by Karen are very good, even though for more active people it may be boring (but stretching is not for entertainment or fun, it's to help your body out). After going through the session (I have not stretched before), my body had a welcome warm feeling and it was the best feeling I've felt in a while. It's what my body has been waiting for. So if you are a semi- or regular exerciser, you need a DVD such as this to show you the proper techniques for lengthening and stretching your muscles so you can perform better.

This is the 1991 VHS version transferred to DVD. I have to admit that the outfits are a bit outdated, but aside from that, I enjoyed the video and really appreciate the ten minutes dedicated to neck and shoulder stretches as that's what I wanted this DVD for. I tend to carry a lot of stress in this area of my body and my chiropractor recommended that I find a video that concentrated on that area since I found exercise cards a bit annoying.

I have been a lifelong weight trainer. At age 52 it has really struck me how important flexibility is. I have neglected this aspect of physical conditioning, but no more. I am tired of injuries, pains and reduced range of motion of the body and joints. To that end I bought this DVD. I have been using it for some months now and I am very pleased with this program. Karen really knows how to hit every muscle of the body. I have experimented with yoga also, and some Pilates, but overall I prefer this DVD to those others. This stretch DVD would make an excellent to your flexibility/range of motion training program.

I have to admit.... The first time I tried this DVD, I hated. I felt like the stretches were awkward and I must not be doing them right. The second time I tried it, it felt better to me. And the third time I tried it, I actually liked it. I really started to focus on letting go, sinking into the stretch and relaxing, but not straining. It is a little boring, especially where each stretch is held for such a long time - but I guess this is what makes it so effective. And I feel so relaxed by the end of it.I am a huge fan of Karen Voight's workouts, but not her personality. She seems very robotic and unfriendly, which is a little annoying. Not only that, but the set is horrible, and the other people in the video seem like Zombies. One of my pet-peeves about workout DVDs is when the set is cluttered with pointless background people - it is just a distraction. One of the reasons why I quit the gym is that I hated being crowded - so I don't want to look at a DVD where the set is crowded. All that being said - I am really starting to like this DVD and feel the benefits of it.

Everyone wrote great reviews about how this DVD looks & the movements. I just want to add that the pace is very slow & thorough, the music is very soft.
All these stretches can be done by even many people who are inflexible. Those who are flexible should look elsewhere.

You can see a trailer at collagevideo com