15 Minute Everyday Pilates is a combination book and DVD set. Both the book and the DVD offer four 15-minute Pilates routines that are taught by the author, physical therapist and Pilates instructor Alycea Ungaro. Ungaro designed the book to be very accessible to beginners, emphasizing that little is needed to start other than the desire to do so. She begins the book by reviewing the six fundamental Pilates principles as well as provides several other important tips on positioning and alignment. (A "Checklist" at the end of each chapter provides addition form reminders as well.)

Next come the routines themselves. Each routine is accompanied by simple, full-color photographs featuring either Ungaro herself or another model demonstrating the exercises. Each exercise is shown on its own page, with two photos per page. The photographs are taken directly from the routines on the DVD, and furthermore, when you use the DVD, the page numbers for each exercise appear briefly on screen to allow you to refer back to the book if needed. Finally, each routine in the book has what Ungaro calls a "gatefold," or a 2-page fold-out chart that contains an at-a-glance summary of all of the exercises included in that program.

The main menu of the DVD allows a choice of the four different practices. There are also three different audio options: "Play Full Mix," "Play Music Only," or "Play Voiceover Only." Ungaro and the model (who are in two workouts each) work out alone in a sparse, featureless studio. I have briefly broken down each of the four workouts below.

*Day by Day. This is routine that Ungaro encourarges you to learn first and to practice as often as possible. It includes many classic matwork moves such as the hundred, single leg circles, single leg stretch, and double leg stretch, but Ungaro does not always use classic sequencing, and she spends more time on preparatory moves. She ends with rolling like a ball.

*From the Top Down. This sequence incorporates many of the Pilates standing arms exercises using light hand weights. However, Ungaro encourages you to remember that every exercise in Pilates involves the entire body. The moves include front and side curls, zip ups, boxing, bug, and a breathing exercise, windmill.

*From the Bottom Up. In this routine, Ungaro incorporates the Pilates side kick series, although she also includes the teaser, and the hug (modified from Pilates equipment). I found her instruction for the Mermaid to be excellent, and she ends with another exercise modified from equipment, arm circles.

*Up, Up, and Away. Ungaro states that this last program helps to take you through moves you need for everyday life--ie, twisting, bending, leaning, and reaching. She includes a more challenging variation of the hundred, rowing exercises, classic seated matwork exercises such as the spine twist and the saw, and some additional weighted moves. Ungaro concludes this workout standing with Pilates footwork plus front/side splits.

I've been practicing Pilates for nearly 10 years, although I've sort of gotten away from in over the past year or two. The main thing I was concerned about here was that the routines would be too easy for me, but using Ungaro's tips to make them more challenging, I don't really feel that was the case. So far, I have been enjoying these practices--I especially like the 15 minute length, which always seems to go by very quickly to me. Although I do think this set is more geared towards beginners, I think this book and DVD is also likely to appeal to more intermediate Pilates practitioners like myself.

Instructor Comments:
I liked Alycea; her instruction was straight-forward, and she seemed very down-to-earth.

Beth C (aka toaster)