| Joseph Pilates was a fitness pioneer who came up | | | | Therefore, while you're learning, playing the DVD will |
| with a comprehensive system of exercises for | | | | help you a lot. |
| complete body fitness -- blending both traditional | | | | One aspect of Pilates that I believe is unique, is that |
| Western and Eastern (especially yoga) exercises. He | | | | it emphasizes not only good form while you're |
| also invented many pieces of equipment. | | | | actually performing the exercises, but that you |
| This can be somewhat intimidating for the Pilates | | | | maintain that form while you go from one to the |
| beginner, because it's easy to think that to practice | | | | next. |
| Pilates you need to invest in all this equipment, plus a | | | | It's somewhat equivalent to diving. A diver is judged |
| large gym in your home in which to keep it and | | | | not only by how they perform the dive, but their |
| actually do the exercises. | | | | posture, style and bearing as they approach the |
| EVERYDAY PILATES says you can get started at | | | | board and then while they're on the diving board. |
| home without anything except a mat or carpet to | | | | Pilates would add that they should be judged on their |
| cushion your back and two 1 pound weight. | | | | style and form as they swim to the side of the pool, |
| She describes four separate workouts consisting of | | | | get out of the pool and walk away. |
| twelve separate but related exercises, designed to | | | | Ms. Ungaro makes it clear that Pilates is exercising for |
| take about fifteen minutes. At first you may take | | | | your life. She makes fun of fitness events where |
| longer than that, as you're learning the exercises and | | | | she's people do exercises -- and then resume their |
| the sequences in which to perform them. | | | | poor posture once they're no longer competing. |
| The workouts are: Day by Day -- performed on the | | | | Although Ms. Ungaro says that Pilates is also for men, |
| floor, emphasizing abdominal muscles and spinal | | | | the pictures are of only her and a young woman. |
| stretching. From the Top Down -- performed | | | | The exercises are not as obviously strenuous as |
| standing up, for upper body strength. From the | | | | some men may want. However, the exercises that |
| Bottom Up -- more on legs and abdominals. Up, Up | | | | work on the abdominal muscles are quite challenging. |
| and Away -- overall strengthening. | | | | Besides, as you become stronger, you should |
| This book is short, but printed on glossy paper with | | | | increase repetitions and weight, and perform the |
| many pictures to illustrate the exercises. And if you | | | | exercises more slowly and intensely. |
| don't get them from the pictures, there's a DVD | | | | I've no doubt that many men would benefit from |
| included. In the DVD, a woman goes through all the | | | | these workouts just as much as women. Ms. Ungaro |
| workouts so you can see them performed in real | | | | suggests combining Pilates with weight lifting, |
| time. Plus, the sound explains all the exercises. | | | | swimming and yoga. |