Customer Reviews

Pilates on the Go [VHS]

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I've been practicing Pilates for several years and am currently at an intermediate level. I always like to try new routines, so I checked out Maria Leone's "On the Go" video. At the start of the workout, Maria spends about five minutes giving instruction on the fundamental tenets of Pilates, including lengthening the spine, pulling in your navel, and breathing during the exercises. This is a nice overview of basic Pilates principles, but those already familiar with Pilates can skip this part.

The main part of this video is classic Pilates matwork, and Maria begins with a few minutes of stretches to warm up the body. During both the warmup and some of the mat exercises, Maria uses a stretchy band to assist with the moves. Unfortunately, use of the band was not mentioned anywhere on the video's box, but I was able to substitute a regular strap without too much difficulty. Maria then moves on to the matwork sequence, beginning with The Hundred. Before performing the full exercise, however, Maria starts with a "Hundred Prep"; she does this for several of the exercises throughout the matwork routine. Most of the exercises are recognizable from the classic matwork sequence, although Maria modifies many of the more challenging moves (eg, performing The Teaser one leg at a time) as well as adds her own twists to others. The Side Kick Series work is particularly strenuous; I really felt these moves in my hips and thighs. The matwork section concludes with three sets of pushups and some brief stretches for a total of 40 minutes.

Following the matwork, Maria performs 5 minutes of upper body exercises using rubber tubing. Again, the need for this equipment was not noted on the video's box, and since I didn't have tubing, I skipped this section. The workout ends with a few minutes of additional stretching moves, making the entire routine approximately 48 minutes in length.

Maria was a good instructor who cued well, offering tips on form and noting when upcoming moves would be particularly challenging. She was very easygoing, and so was the setting: a simple brick patio with soft, non-distracting music in the background. Furthermore, the moves form a nice, steady flow, but given that Maria did not spend any time explaining each individual exercise, this video would not be appropriate for those brand-new to Pilates. However, those with some prior familiarity with Pilates who are looking to further their practice would enjoy this video, as it is ideal for advanced beginner as well as early intermediate Pilates practitioners.