10 Minute Solution - Slim And Sculpt Pilates [DVD]

I have the other 10 Minute Solution with the same instructor Suzanne Bowen (Perfect Body Pilates) and enjoyed it so much that I was really looking forward to Slim and Sculpt Pilates. And like the other DVD, this one is fun and challenging and the minutes fly by.

If you're worried that it will all be the same stuff as Suzanne Bowen's previous pilates DVD, you needn't worry - this is VERY different. The main difference is that you need an exercise resistance band to do almost ALL the exercises on this DVD. It is centred around the resistance band, and all sections, including abs and all over body pilates, make use of the resistance band. The American edition of this DVD has a sticker on it saying that a free band is included - word of warning however: the newly released British version does NOT include the resistance band!! So if you're buying the British release, order a resistance band at the same time so that you can start using your DVD straight away, otherwise you won't ba able to do any of it. (There's also a free resistance band included in Yogalates Energizer with L. Solomon, which is actually cheaper than buying a resistance band, plus you get another workout video!)

Working out with the resistance band is great and makes such a change to just moving your limbs about; the band makes you focus on other parts of your body as well. Suzanne shows you how to modify to increase resistance and get even more out of your work out, just by holding it nearer or further from the centre.

The first section is Lower Body Pilates which really flies by, it is so much fun, and because you're using the resistance band I personally find that my legs ache much less than without a band, perhaps because you take some off the pressure off by using your arms?? The next section is Upper Body Pilates, and this one is a killer! I have always focused more on my lower body when doing workout DVDs and this 10 minute section really showed me how weak my arms and shoulders are, so I hope that using the band will strengthen them. Pilates for Abs includes many traditional pilates sets (such as the hundred, scissors, leg pulls) but all done using the band again, and it was a really nice change. Total Body Pilates works a bit of everything and Pilates for Flexibility is a sequence of stretches, which is so nice and relaxing, and a lovely way to finish the workout.

Apart from Upper Body Pilates which I found very difficult, I did not think this DVD is as challenging as the previous DVD with Suzanne Bowen (Perfect Body Pilates), but it is still a very good 50 minute work out; it is so fun and varied, and just exercising with the resistance band makes such a change to many other workout DVDs out there. It is really great fun, but you can feel your muscles working too. Each section goes by really quickly, and often when I start I decide to do only 2 or 3 sections, but end up doing all of them because this DVD really makes pilates a fun activity rather than a boring chore. Highly recommend it!!

After nearly three months of using this workout dvd, I think it's time for a review.
Before I tried it out, I watched it all the way through, to get an idea of what I was getting into. The first thing that I noticed was the lack of a proper introduction to Pilates, which I believe all Pilates DVDs ought to include, and some rather incomplete instructions at times.
When I first tried it out, the incomplete instructions meant I had to look at the screen while trying to do the exercise, something that is hard when you are supposed to be hinging at your hips, holding a band straight ahead, and going "up and over to the right, with your hips, like so". But I learned the move, and now I just smile (because that's what you do after 20 times)
There are also times when she explains something right after telling you to inhale, and doesn't tell you to exhale until she is done. She doesn't repeat the inhale-exhale instruction during the next repetition, so you have to get the breathing rythm on your own.
She will tell you to keep the pelvis in a nice neutral position, but she hasn't explained what that should look or feel like, so, again, a Pilates beginner will have to find additional instruction on positions elsewhere.

With that off my chest, I'll concentrate on what I like about the workout.
It's fast-paced, meaning you get a lot done in a short period of time. Always a bonus!
You can grow with it. Start out slow, with a lightweight band, and work on from there.
You can customise your workout, making it longer or shorter, depending on the time you have or want to spend working out.
The "Upper body" and "Abs" sections are a lot more strenuous than they appear!
I love that stretch section at the end.

I'd recommend this workout to people like me, who want something different, customisable, and fun, that will get them results. Do find a good source of Pilates instruction that will explain the basics so you can apply them when doing this workout. Buy a set of bands along with the DVD.

You think its going to be too easy, but its brill. I like waking up the next day feeling like I've had a workout. Also, if no time for full workout its great just doing a 10 min segment. Makes you feel righteous, because a little bit is better than not doing.