Cardio Pilates

Ana Caban
Year Released: 2003

Categories: Pilates/Core Strength


Lest anyone confuse this workout with videos like Crunch Fat Burning Pilates that combine Pilates movements with cardio, you need to know right off the bat that this is instead a traditional Pilates matwork workout followed by a lackluster hi/lo workout. The setting is a pretty Asian-inspired garden, and the music is up-tempo New Age. Gaiam has not apparently figured out how long their videos are because this one says 42 minutes on the package but is in fact 48 minutes. The matwork segment is 29 minutes and the cardio, cooldown, and stretch are 19 minutes total.
The matwork consists of about 23 classic basic and intermediate Pilates exercises, including a few tough ones like closed leg rocker, teaser, and side bend. It is not recommended for Pilates newbies as Ana doesn't demonstrate or discuss any modifications for these moves.
The cardio section consists of four basic hi/lo steps: marching in place, hamstring curls, reaching side to side, then overhead repeated endlessly for about 8 minutes. Suddenly you switch to a couple of quick balancing moves (standing on one foot at a time) and a couple of ball-and-chains (which low impacters will need to modify, probably with more marching in place), before going right back to the first routine several more times through. After repeating these moves for 15 minutes, you do some squats and jumping jacks, then some more balancing moves of lifing one leg at at time to the front and to the side before a quick stretch.
I doubt I will ever do this video. It's fine as a basic, half hour matwork session, but I'd probably have to lose the entire remainder of my video collection in a fire before I'd condsider doing the cardio portion. I appreciate basic choreo, but this had me screaming with boredom.

Instructor Comments:
Ana is a good Pilates instructor with excellent cues and pointers, but in this video she provides absolutely no modifications. She leaves a lot to be desired as a cardio instructor, however.

Kate

11/06/2004