Dr. Lynn's Anti-Aging Workout for Every Body, Flexibility, Balance & Strength, is a gentle, yoga-inspired workout. It is just under 54 minutes long and is broken into 3 segments, Flexibility, Balance, and Strength; there is also a bonus 6-minute Back Health segment. Instructor Lynn Andersen appears as a very fit woman in her 50s or 60s, and she works out with four background exercisers, all of whom appear to be around her age. Although the DVD case says that both a stability ball and 3-lb. hand weights are recommended, only the ball is actually used during the workout. The DVD main menu allows you to select the full workout or to choose each of the three segments and/or the bonus back segment individually.

The Flexibility segment begins with a 6.5 minute stretch. This starts on the floor for breathing, arm reaches, and twists, moves to kneeling for a cat/cow series, and then ends standing with a side stretch for the hips. Lynn remains standing for side swings and a standing forward bend, then goes back to the floor for bridge, a moving seated forward bend, half pigeon, and modified plank (which she calls "platform"). The Flexibility section finishes with some stretches over the ball, including rolling the ball forward and back from a kneeling position and arching back over the ball, and it comes in at about 17 minutes (including the warm-up).

The next section, Balance, is just under 24 minutes. Lynn again begins standing, this time using the ball for lifting overhead, stretching to the side, and a partial squat. She also uses the ball to modify yoga poses such as triangle (lower hand placed on ball) and tree (calf balanced on ball). Next, you lie face-down on the ball for rear leg lifts, then do some seated stretches on the ball, including a wide-legged forward bend and side angle pose. Lynn completes the Balance segment with two modified yoga sun salutations, which she describes as "balance in motion."

The final segment, Strength, starts seated for a twist with hands in a bear claw position. Moving to lying on the floor, Lynn performs Kegels and core-strengthening exercises such as an opposite arm/leg raise. The ball is used for a pelvic lift and standing plie squats, and additional standing postures including forward bend, warrior 1 and 2, and "bent tree," a forward bend with the legs crossed. The last strengthening exercise is what Lynn calls the "booty buster," a glute lift resting head/shoulders on the ball and then arching back over the ball to finish. The final stretches include down dog, child's pose, and seated relaxation.

In the bonus Back Health segment, Lynn works out alone. She begins very similar to the warm-up described above, but then lies prone for locust pose, rolls over to hug her knees to her chest, performs some reaches (crunches), and finishes with a lying 1-legged twist. When this section is performed at the end of the workout, the entire session comes in right at one hour. This DVD seems to be geared mainly to older exercisers who are looking to enhance their overall fitness in a way that is very gentle and doable. The workout would also be appropriate for beginning exercisers and/or those who have never done yoga before, as the postures are generally presented in a very basic, modified manner. I think that more experienced exercisers might find this video to be somewhat slow and possibly boring, although those who are interested in exploring yoga for the first time may appreciate Lynn's gentle approach.

Instructor Comments:
The DVD case reports that Lynn is a Naturopathic Doctor with a Ph.D. in Health, and I saw on her web site that she was a single mother who is now a grandmother. She looks very young and fit, but I found her to be rather stiff in her presentation, and I think many VFers are likely to find her to be boring. However, if you are looking for a DVD to pass along to your mother/grandmother, this just might be the one!

Beth C (aka toaster)