This is pure stretch. It's an advanced workout,
and to do
it the way the instructor does, you need to be a VERY
flexible person! The instructor, Barbara Peterson Davis,
is a gymnast, and the video was developed for gymnasts.
Even so, anyone can benefit from it. She holds the
stretches a long time, and at the end of the 40-minute
tape, you feel *so* relaxed and energized. I usually do
it after an aerobic workout when my muscles are hot,
because you can stretch better and more safely then.
However, I have done it once in awhile in the morning
before a stressful day -- you need to be a lot more
careful if you do it "cold," but you'll feel
GREAT when you're done!
On some stretches, you'll probably just have to do a
close imitation or even substitute something different,
because Barbara gets really advanced. At one point,
you're sitting facing a wall, with your legs up in the
air and straddled (a V-shape). Your mission is to work
your legs down the wall, still straddled, until they're
touching the floor. Yeah, right!
The instructor doesn't talk during the video. She
performs the movements, and a "voice" calls out
the moves. I don't know if it's Barbara doing the talking
or not.
This video is a little pricey, $29.95 from Collage.
But if you're serious about improving your flexibility or
just feeling good, it's worth it. I've had it for about 3
or 4 years now.
Annie S.
