Product Details

• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
• DVD Release Date: December 6, 2005
• Run Time: 131 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000BCE9CM
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,713 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #8 in	Movies & TV > Exercise & Fitness > By Instructor > Other Instructors
  #12 in	Movies & TV > Exercise & Fitness > Series > Fitness For Dummies
  #55 in	Movies & TV > Exercise & Fitness > Pilates

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

A workout that balances both the body and the mind can be found in Basic Yoga Workout for Dummies. Fundamental postures are explained and demonstrated slowly with an emphasis on breathing and motion. Sara Ivanhoe teaches 12 basic poses that are termed the "daily dozen" and offers challenges and modifications to each of these moves. Ivanhoe presents these concepts in an approachable and calming manner that adds to the overall relaxed feeling that this session exudes. Newcomers to the practice of yoga will learn jargon, essential postures, and focusing techniques. Experienced participants may find some information redundant, but Ivanhoe offers such thorough explanations about each posture that you can't help but expand your existing knowledge of yoga. As the mountain pose, standing forward bend, and downward facing dog are explained (not to mention the nine other poses within the "daily dozen"), proper body alignment becomes the focus. Meticulous attention is given to the connection between breathing and body movement with several reminders to keep the spine in "neutral alignment." This session ranks great for safety and content and makes yoga accessible to anyone who "always wanted to, but never did." This is a substantial program that can introduce the basics and build your understanding of yoga. --Olivia Voigts

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

Product Description

Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 12/06/2005 Run time: 131 minutes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yoga and Pilates! A critical review., June 14, 2007

By	Andre Lawrence (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Yoga and Pilates for Dummies is fantastic. I'm a middle-aged man who discovered this by accident. An acquaintance had the single version of Pilates For Dummies lying around. I borrowed it and began to work out with it 5 days immediately after. With no initial change in dieting, I drop from a 34 waist to a 33 in a couple of weeks.

I did some research and began to change my diet. Now, after 3 years, I am only doing it twice a week, one dvd for Pilates and 3 days later the Yoga, dvd. I've gained the confidence since I rediscover my stomach muscles to take up weight training. I can say without hesitation that I am in the best shape of my life.

If one takes the time to do the exercises on a regular basis, you will wake up one morning and discover a distinctive change in your body, like I did.

Highly recommended.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yoga & Pilates Workouts for Dummies, May 20, 2007

By	Lady Di "DT" - See all my reviews

This product is exactly what I was hoping for. This is definitely a beginners level and since I have no previous experience with yoga exercises this is just what I needed. Very pleased.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very good, but..., July 16, 2008

By	a customer "me" (wa) - See all my reviews

for a beginner, more instruction on the breathing would be most beneficial, breathingis such an important part of pilates. Pay close attention and remember the breathing, Michelle won't tell you every time. My first pilates dvd was with one of the masters, Allan Menezes and The Heart of Pilates, with Kj Luker, if you want the best, these two dvds would be great editions to your pilate workouts, on to the reveiw for pilates/yoga for dummies, everything and I mean everything is broken down for you.

One DVD in this set is devoted to Pilates, and the other is devoted to yoga. Each has a basic and an intermediate workout. As part of the "for Dummies" series, they explain ideas in simple terms with exercises that are easy to follow. On each DVD, as the presenter demonstrates the workouts, boxes pop up with hints about how to do them, or with variations for more or less challenging versions of the exercises. Jargon is kept to a minimum and is also explained via the pop-up boxes. Several myths about yoga and Pilates are debunked through these boxes too.
The production qualities are high, with the presenter giving instructions while demonstrating the exercises and also in voice-over. The voice is always clear and distinct. The studio is very neutral, with a wooden floor and a combination of wooden and black and white walls. The lighting is from above with studio lights, keeping the presenter well illuminated. The camera work is professional, highlighting important features of the exercises, and generally on the move, either slowly zooming in or moving around. It looks like two cameras were used, one showing the instructor from the side, and the other showing her from above. In the background, bland new age music plays, and when watching, it is hardly noticeable. It is possible to turn off the music with the audio set up.

Michelle Duzois is the presenter for the Pilates DVD, which was originally made in 2001. She starts off the basic workout with a brief introduction about Pilates, explaining the concept of the "powerhouse" and the "box." Pilates focuses more on fitness than mind/body connections, and is especially aimed at strengthening abdominal muscles. It shares some postures with yoga and many of these also aim to promote flexibility via stretching. The basic workout about half an hour long, and includes 18 exercises. The intermediate workout has 18 exercises and lasts about 24 minutes. For each exercise, Duzois shows how to do it first, and then leads the viewer through a number of repetitions. The basic exercises are fairly straightforward -- obviously different people will find some easier than others, and some may be quite challenging. However, this is an excellent introduction to Pilates. My only reservation concerns the regular use of the DVD, since once you have become accustomed to the exercises, you will not need them explained every time you do them, and you may want to skip those initial demonstrations. Yet the DVD does not provide any way to just have a workout, so you can either rest while Duzois explains the exercises, or you can follow her as she demonstrates them (too much down time). The intermediate workout is a little more challenging, going through a similar list of exercises, but making them more difficult. It is possible to do both workouts in one session taking about an hour. My drawback with the pilates dvd, is the breathing techniques is not taught throughout the exercises, like the yoga dvd.

The yoga DVD workouts, made in 2000, are presented by Sara Ivanhoe (my favorite instructor for yoga), and are structured in a very similar way to the Pilates DVD. She calls her basic workout a "daily dozen," and it proceeds quite slowly, taking about 45 minutes. It goes through some basic yoga postures, including mountain pose, foreward bend, a standing side stretch, the downward facing dog, the cobra, child's pose and a seated spinal twist. Most people who have done yoga previously will be familiar with these and will find them fairly easy. The instruction includes some guide as to when to breathe in or out, which is useful. The intermediate workout is about 20 minutes long, and goes through the movements in a sun salutation, or "sun salute" as Ivanhoe calls it. Again, it is quite simple compared to most yoga DVDs, and is not advanced as other yoga DVDs that label themselves as at the "intermediate" level. Nevertheless, the professional quality of the production makes it a helpful guide, especially for people who want a thoroughly westernized version of yoga.

On the whole, the Pilates part of this DVD package is the more distinctive of the two, because fewer Pilates DVDs are available on the market. It is good to have a choice of yoga and Pilates to suit one's mood and needs on a particular occasion, especially with the choice between basic and intermediate levels for each workout. Neither DVD spends much time on the mental benefits of the exercise, being more practically oriented on how to perform the exercises. Nevertheless, these yoga and Pilates workouts provide a good way to get oneself into an exercise routine that will benefit both mind and body.

I had to give it four stars, because the breathing techniques in the pilates (as I was taught), should have been taught entirely throughout the pilates dvd, as that is an integral part of any beginner pilates instruction.

Good luck!