This is a 45-minute low-impact “walking” style cardio workout. There is also a 12-minute bonus Pilates mat routine.

Leslie is alone in her studio (aka the Bat Cave). This time we are facing the entry doors and office. The music is a mix of new and familiar tunes (no “Everybody” song though!). There is also a “Leslie off” option (music only). A countdown clock stays in the lower corner of the screen, counting down the time for each mile. No resistance tools are used. There is a variation of “boosted walking” (jogging). I found the pace kind of slow for the first mile, but it picked up noticeably in the second and third miles.

The chapter titles are Intro, Play Entire Workout, Mile 1, Mile 2, Mile 3, and Pilates Mat Workout. In the intro, Leslie explains a little about Joseph Pilates and his work. During the cardio portion Leslie talks about incorporating Pilates principles: abs in, shoulders back, etc. Really, nothing that different than her usual reminders about posture.

As always, Leslie concentrates on her basic steps: walking (marching in place), side steps, kicks, knee ups, and walking up two, back two. She does incorporate a few newer moves: a knee-up/back-back (which I remember from her 1998 Walk Aerobics 2 Mile Walk), walk up two steps and shift side-to-side (fun!), tap-out/knee-up/tap-out, and a side-squat/rear leg lift/side-squat. There are also a couple of new arm patterns (actually they are patterns she has done before with bands and the walk belt, just no resistance here).

I found the ending somewhat odd. After finishing the cool-down (which includes ronde de jambe moves), Leslie says goodbye and leaves the set, and the camera slowly pans over to the huge WALK sign. But no – Leslie suddenly turns around and says hey, we have to stretch! So help me, I can’t tell if this was a joke, or if Leslie truly forgot about stretching. Then, after the usual stretch, Leslie starts passing around apples to the camera crew and rhapsodizing about “apple ambrosia,” which puzzled me until I saw the recipe insert in the DVD case (cut-up fruit dressed with vanilla yogurt). On the flip side of the insert is a plug for California Raisins and a recipe for raisin energy bars. Is a Leslie cookbook next?

The 12-minute Pilates mat routine bonus sounded promising. Leslie teaches five basic Pilates moves. However, she spends the first three minutes showing you all five moves, and only then begins the routine. So while this segment might make a nice introduction to someone who has never seen Pilates before, the beginning demo kind of ruins it for being a short add-on (particularly since there are already so many good DVDs with short Pilates routines, such as the 10 Minute Solution series).

Bottom line: I’m a hard-core Lesliephile, but – dare I say it? – I’m really starting to reach my limit here. I appreciate that by streamlining her videos (working alone and in her own studio) Leslie can undoubtedly get more bang for her production buck. But how many different corners of her studio can she use? I’m half afraid we’ll next be in the ladies’ locker room. And at least having other walkers with her distracts from the same old backgrounds. I’d much rather Leslie cut back on the number of videos she’s producing, and instead put extra effort into making each one more special. Many people have suggested she film some outdoor walks, which I think is a great idea -- heck, at this point I’d even settle for the studio parking lot!

Instructor Comments:
Please see above. Leslie is by herself here, so she’s more calm and focused than she generally is with a group.

JustSandra