Customer Reviews

Louise Solomon's Yoga & Pilates

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Louise Solomon's combination Yoga and Pilates workout has wonderful benefits for all levels. Beginners especially will find this to be a wonderful way to ease into practicing Yoga positions,learn correct breathing techniques, and gain strength and flexibilty while toning and slimming. I consider myself at the intermediate level of both Yoga and Pilates, and still found this to be quite an effective workout.Even advanced practitioners may find this unique method to be a useful change of pace for revitalization, and a new surprise for your muscles. This workout will be excellent for post natal women, but should not be used by pregnant women. It will be excellent for anyone,all ages, men and women, who have not worked out for a while and want to start getting back in shape. Just keep your own physical limitations in mind.

The first thing you should know is that you will need some sort of resistance band. It doesn't say it on the case, but there are some pictures on the back showing the bands being used. Also a towel or pillow will help make some of the exercises more comfortable for you.A Yoga mat is also a good idea, as it will help to hold your poses, and I like that they keep dust and carpet fibers away from my face.

After giving a really good demonstration of the correct breathing methods, the first class, about 25 minutes, concentrates on moves that will tone and strengthen your core. Abs,lower back, pelvic muscles all get a pretty good work out, that you will defintely feel. These stretching and toning moves, using your legs, will allow you to become more flexible for the Yoga poses.

If you are a beginner, you will probably want to stop after the session(and if you made it through the entire session..way to go!)and give your muscles at least a days rest, before trying the second. If you are intermediate or advance, you can do both classes.

The second workout, involves more Yoga moves. Basic poses are practiced. You'll be strengthing the midback muscles and getting in some good spinal twists, along with some great arm, leg and butt toning.Once again, If you have some sort of physical limitation or are new, you can always modify to what is most comfortable for you.

Then there is a bonus mini workout, for those that need a little revitalization at the office. Whether you work from home or away, Louise shows some great exercises that will take away some of those stresses (mental and physical), from sitting at a computer all day.

The DVD is excellent. There is chapter search(use this also for choosing workout), there are subtitles in English, very helpful for hearing impaired viewer, and there is a French language track as well. Louise is soft spoken and will guide you gently and expertly through all the moves. It's always a good idea to view the workout before trying, so you have an idea of what to do. If you do these workouts(you can work your way up to both) several times a week, and eat healthy, you should see some nice toned results.It's a workout to enjoy! It will also prepare you to move on to something more challengeing when you feel ready.

Remember to breathe, eat healthy and..ENJOY!...Laurie

I am quite a bit over weight and very stressed out. I liked the idea of using the Yoga and Pilates together. A more seasoned exercise person may not find this that challenging, but I LOVED IT! I wish I had known before hand that I needed a stretchie cord. But it was wonderful!!! I especially enjoyed the relaxing meditation at the end. I felt really energized and truly relaxed after doing this!!!

I had never done yoga or pilates before in my life, and knew nothing about the moves, etc. In fact, I was skeptical. Louise Solomon goes through a thorough explanation and demonstration. She is a certified Yogalates instructor from Australia, and her voice is calm and soothing while it allows you to focus on working the core muscles. There are 2 workouts on this DVD. I started with just the first one which is about 20 minutes. After a week I tried both workouts, which gives you an hour workout (this includes the relaxation portion, which I consider "dessert"). This workout works best if you also purchase stretch bands like she uses. I've worked out at least 5 days a week for the last 3 months and lost 2 inches in my waist and 4 inches in my abs (I'm eating healthy along with this program). Good workout and I feel rejuvenated upon finishing. Highly recommend for the beginner. I'm now working on her Vol 2 workout.

This inexpensive dvd which is divided in chapters by body part, comes in 5.1 dolby sound though seems a waste since there is no music, only her giving instructions & things to watch out for. Normally I hate when there's no music, but her lovely, clear, British accent is so soothing I didn't miss it. The camerawork is good with closeups of her & other students of the body parts you're working on.

There is an general intro about the benefits, general warnings & guidelines & what equipment you will need such as blanket, stretchy bands, etc. for 6 min, then her stting in a room alone showing you how to breathe deeply normally & toning abs when you breathe out using a stretchy band for 3 min. Next is her talking about your body's structure & aligment for 2 min.
The workout is done on a stark white stage/place w/her in back in a pink top/blank pants w/6 women in the foreground helping to demonstrate w/some modifying.

WORKOUT ONE starts at the 12 min. mark w/everyone laying down & almost a meditative start for 2 min before doing head rolls. Then breathing w/emphasis with ab use & then tilting the hip aligment to slightly stretch the abs/lower back. Next is raising the head slightly for very modified curl up to regular curl ups, then curl ups with elbows to bent knees til the 20 min mark.
Next is straight leg raises, then bent legs to chest for stretching, more straight leg raises w/1 bent leg, then bent knee spinal twist, then repeated to the other side for total of 4 min.
Next is using the stretchy bands sitting up around bent knees for spinal posture, then arm resistance, then leaing back & back up to sitting for abs & back for 5 min.
At the 29 min mark is laying back down for straight leg raised stretching, leg bent resistance, pilats leg circles in air, leg stretching w/stretchy bands & then repeated on the other side & concluded with a 1 min rest at the 37 min mark.

WORKOUT TWO w/her in a blue top, starts with them sitting up & noticing the body, then shoulder rolls for 2 min. Next is shoulder/arm twisting (feels great), then using stretchy bands arm extentions & slight spinal twists for 2 min. Next is laying down on 1 side, straight leg raises, swinging leg fwd, lower leg raises & then repeated on the other side for 5 min. Next is cat/cow yoga hands/knee stretching, then 1 arm/leg raising, bent knee in chest then raised to side, to elbow, etc. for 3 min to the 50 min mark. Next is working slowly up to downard dog & then childs pose & repeated several times, ending w/standing foward bend for 5 min.
Next is yoga standing poses starting w/triangle pose, warrior 1 & side angle & then repeated on the other side, then a wide standing forward bend, low simple leg lung stretching for 5 min.
Now at the 1 hour mark, they are sitting for arm/shoulder exercises w/stretchy bends extending & behind the back & concluding w/stretching the arm across the chest & neck stretching for 7 min for a total of 1 hour & 7 min.

In addition, there is a video of the beach at sunset for 2 min w/her narrating over guiding you to relaxation.

The workout is done in a slow, relaxed pace, so you don't feel rushed (unless you have to watch the clock, which case this DVD will annoy you) & not go to far & hurt yourself.
This is great for those who are new to working out & stretching, those who want a slow paced workout to be more in touch/tune w/how their body moves/reacts, active people looking for something for a very light day, when you're feeling more tired then usual, or those who haven't worked out all day, feel lazy, guilty & stiff, but don't want to sweat before going to bed. I enjoyed it & felt I did more because it was so relaxed & undemanding.
Take off 3 stars if you expecting the usual agressive workouts or to sweat.

Seven months ago, I was exercising religiously with high impact workouts. Then a bookcase fell on my lower leg/ankle. I could still walk, but high impact aerobics were definitely out of the question. For about six months, I didn't do any exercising at all. My muscles got weaker, and I gained weight. I decided I had to do something to get back in shape, so I started looking for lower impact workouts. This one sounded good, and the price was unbeatable, so I decide to give it a try. I am SO glad I did!!
For the past month, I have been doing this workout at least 3 times a week. My muscle tone is almost back to where it was when I quit exercising, and I have lost over 5 pounds without drastically changing my eating habits (in fact, I tend to eat a little more than I used to - my metabolism must be speeding up). The clothes that were once tight on me are now falling off. Even my injured ankle has been strengthened by the workout. I am now able to do some of the high impact workouts I was doing (although not quite as strenuously as I used to).
Louise Solomon promises that you will lose weight and tone muscle through this workout, and she certainly does not disappoint. Plus, this a great way to relax after a stressful day at work. I recommend it to anyone who wants to be healthier.

I agree with everyone else.

I love this DVD. I did some yoga in my twenties, so I am little familiar with it. But I was totally unfamiliar with pilates.

I am also no longer in my twenties, but overweight and out of shape. So I was looking for an exercise program that I could actually do and one without a lot of jerky/straining movements.

The pace on this is good -- I never feel rushed. It may, at first, even appear easy, but some of the poses/exercises are rather challenging. I am still working on doing all of them correctly, especially those in the second workout.

There are two workouts. The first one uses bands and is mainly pilates. The second one incorporates more yoga and less band work -- only a few of those exercises use bands. I have found I really enjoy using a band, it enables me to do some exercises I might not have been able to do otherwise and it also offers resistance. Resistance seems to speed up the toning process.

Note that no bands are included, so I recommend the Gaiam bands.

After using this dvd a month, I have found that I am standing straighter -- it seems my back has more strength -- and my stomach is flatter. I also feel more energized.

You can't ask for much more than that.

I am 84 years old and politically active. One of my greatest joys is to knock on doors for candidates. In the past few years this has been impossible because I couldn't walk on pavement for more than five minutes without my back really hurting.

The physical therapist who was helping me gave me some yoga exercises which I dutifully did, but the biggest help came from Louise Solomon's Yogalates which I discovered in my collection of DVDs. How provident!

Within a short time I was able to get back on the political trail and furthermore walked two miles on a nature boardwalk a week ago.

Note: I have been doing mainly workout 1 (I have bum shoulders) and must do that if I plan to do any walking outside.

Because I found it so helpful I have been buying the DVD for my family and friends, hoping they will just try using it.

Laurel Paster

I used this video about 2 years ago when I graduated from college. I had actually gained about 20-30 while I was in college, and, I have to tell you, I worked out to this video (just workout 1 for 30 minutes) and it seems like the weight just fell off. I had already lost about 15 when i started using it. I used this work out with the Special K diet and in about 2 weeks time I weighed less than I did when I graduated HS. I notice a significant change in the way my body looked. Since then, I have used it off and on for while, but now that I am getting married I will definately use it again!!!!

I started using the dvd at the beginning of the year and am noticing results already. I notice my mid section is leaner, I am more flexible, and I just feel better. While I usually do a lot of walking, I needed something different for the colder months, but can't do a lot of strenuous stuff due to disc/neck problems (cervical fusion, discectomy), so I was a little skeptical. Well, lo and behold, the chronic pain has disappeared and I have no difficulty with any of the moves-I guess it may have something to do with all of the deep ab work. While it is a little slow, it still gives great results and I thoroughly enjoy it. It's very relaxing, too. I highly recommend this product and I may buy another one of her products in the near future.

At first it I had to really concentrate on Louise's accent but there are also subtitles and after the first couple of times through the workout she becomes easier to understand. I like the combination of yoga and pilates and working with the thera band for extra resistance. I am just getting back into exercising and suffer from Myofascial Pain Syndrome but find the majority of the moves not stressful on my back or other joints and I feel much better after the workout. As Louise says, you need to listen to your body and work at your own pace.