30 Minutes to Fitness Your Healthy Back

Although this DVD is part of instructor Kelly Coffey-Meyer's 30 Minutes to Fitness series, it differs a bit from her usual offerings. First, Kelly does not offer the usual two 30-minute workouts. She still does provide two separate routines, but only one is 30 minutes long, whereas the other is a shorter premix taken from the first workout. Second, Kelly is featured alone here. Third, although this is a true workout, the main goal of this routine is to help users maintain a strong, healthy back. Therefore, the majority of the exercises which Kelly includes focus on stabilization of the core.

The Main Menu of this DVD reads as follows: Introduction--Your Healthy Back Workout--Your 15 Minute Fast Track Mix--Premixes--Credits--Music On/Off.

For the main workout, Kelly begins with about a 2-minute warm-up which includes deep breaths, squats, knees up, and step backs. She performs two sets of the exercises listed below unless otherwise noted.
*Airplane, balancing on one leg (last set alternating sides).
*Side leg lift into squat (last set alternating sides).
*Caterpillar, crawling legs to hands and then reverse.
*Supermans with 3 second hold.
*Elbow plank, hold.
*Elevated clam.
*Bridge with leg thread.
*Abs work: upper and lower crunch, then add together.
*On all 4s, Thread-the-Needle stretch.
*Bird dog (last set alternating sides).
Stretches: cat/cow, lunge, standing low back, side stretch, hamstring stretch, inner thigh stretch.

Kelly recommends doing the main workout (which is about 29 minutes long) several days per week. However, she recommends the 15 minute workout as an add-on for when you have less time. Exercises in the shorter workout include Airplane, Caterpillar, Supermans, Clam, Bridge, Thread-the-Needle, and stretches. There are also two Premix options on this DVD. These are All Floor Exercises, 20:42, and All Standing Exercises, 9:07.

Overall, I think that Kelly did a nice job with this DVD. However, I don't really see it as being appropriate for someone who is actually experiencing back pain; in fact, Kelly recommends that you use the workout once you have been "cleared by your doctor." There are other, more gentle stretching routines to aid with recovery; this is a more intense practice to build strength. Although I like this DVD and will continue to use it, I would caution that it is not for everyone.

Instructor Comments:
Kelly is my favorite instructor, although that doesn't mean that I love every DVD she has done. I wasn't planning on getting this one, but a kind VFer offered it for a SASE, so I couldn't refuse. As I said, Kelly did a good job here, offering excellent mirrored cuing as always. But I see this more as a general strengthening core practice rather than a back therapy DVD.

Beth C (aka toaster)