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Old 08-20-08, 07:24 PM  
cfgcanada
 
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Winnipeg
Workout Ball (Pilates, Toning & Stretch) with Sarah Maxwell

I did this today and liked it. It's another British production, filmed on a sunny day outdoors on the Rockingham Castle grounds in England. I'm getting to the point where I avoid workouts that are done in a dark or dingy environment and find that sunny outdoor settings really do lift my spirits because I feel like I'm there (wherever "there" is).

The workout length in total is a little under an hour. The instructor, Sarah Maxwell, is alone, and the moves are all so easy to follow there's no need for modifications. She uses one medicine ball with a handle, similar to the purple ball in the following link:

http://www.bytomic.com/detail.asp?c_...&urn=7932&pg=1

I don't have a handled ball, so used a 4 lb. soft medicine ball and squeezed it tightly when doing swings. I'm thinking now, though, that I could do with having a handled ball at least for parts of this workout (although I prefer a soft ball for the thigh squeezes in the toning section).

A short clip of the workout is shown here:

http://www.bfsent.com/item_detail.asp?number=30822

The workout consists of (approximately):

Warmup – 6 minutes
Pilates Fat Burning – 31 minutes standing work (broken down into 4 sections; incorporates squats, lunges, swings, lifts, plies, balancing, and a short stretch at the end of the last section)
Pilates Toning – 11 minutes of floor work (crunches, reverse crunches, planks, balances, etc.).
Stretch – 6 minutes

The instruction is done by voice-over. Some of her cues are on the move rather than before and she never refers directly to either right or left, sometimes starting on the right side and sometimes on the left; however, all moves are done evenly on both sides, so it really doesn't matter which side you start on.

There is an aerobic element to the first part of the workout because of the squats, lunges, swings, lifts, etc., which do raise the heart rate, so overall it is a mid-range calorie burner.

The music is basic instrumental of some kind. My feelings about it are neutral. I don't usually notice music much unless it is so loud that it interferes with the instruction, too soft when you need to keep a beat, or the instructor is really off the beat, but I know music is important to some exercisers (I've noticed some people remark on music that I haven't been aware of at all, so that gives you an idea of where I stand musically-speaking).

I'd say the workout level is beginner to low intermediate, but would be good for anyone wanting a pleasant workout on days when you want to do some moderate exercise in an enjoyable setting and burn up some calories without working too hard. The moves are all very easy to do – nothing complex. The intensity could be bumped up a bit by using a heavier ball and/or doing deeper squats and lunges.

(P.S. I have no relationship with anyone whatsoever involved in the production of any exercise videos).

Fiona
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Old 08-20-08, 07:30 PM  
sundari
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Thank you Fiona for another nice review.
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