Ana Caban's P.M. Pilates is designed as an evening Pilates routine to help you wind down and de-stress at the end of the day. It's perfect for this purpose (although a bit too strenuous to be used right before bedtime), but it would also serve well as an energizing routine in the a.m. or almost any time. Ana works out alone against a rocky, oceanside backdrop, and the soundtrack consists of soft, soothing piano music.

Ana begins the workout in a seated position with several simple neck stretches. She then moves to the floor for a traditional Pilates mat series, starting with the hundred. Although Ana mostly follows classic Pilates sequencing, some of the more difficult moves (e.g., rollover) are left out, and other moves are done in a modified form (i.e., a rolling prep and an open-legged rocker prep instead of the full movements). Despite these modifications, the routine is still challenging, and it proceeds along at a moderate but steady clip. The workout concentrates on the stomach series and other abs-focused moves; the side kick series is absent, and there are no Pilates push-ups. The mermaid (performed seated) and a standing stretch complete the routine.

Ana does much less teaching here than in her previous videos, which makes this workout flow more smoothly; although this made the practice perfect for me, a Pilates practitioner in the advanced intermediate range, I don't this would be a good video for Pilates beginners. Finally, at 25 minutes, I think the length is ideal for allowing me to attain a thorough Pilates workout in a relatively short period of time.

Instructor Comments:
Ana is a very good instructor: her form is impeccable, and she is encouraging without being overly chatty. Those who are familiar with her Beginning and Intermediate Matwork videos should note that this video contains voiceover rather than live instruction: although Ana cues well, she is sometimes slightly out of sync with the screen. I think that the voiceover also makes Ana seem a bit less friendly than in her prior vidoes, but I still like her.

Beth C (aka toaster)