Best Beginner Pilates DVD
Pilates is a wonderful workout that will keep you trim, healthy and injury free for many years. However, the first time that you try this workout you need to make sure you choose a proper DVD workout. There are several modern-day Pilates schools that teach this form of exercise in different ways. Some focus more on mindful movement while others are all about strength and results. Depending on what fitness goals you are trying to achieve you need to pick a perfect beginner Pilates workout DVD for you.
When you are looking for your first beginner Pilates DVD you need to pay attention to the following criteria:
- Length of the workout.
- Does the instructor explain all moves clearly?
- Is the DVD designed for a particular goal (eliminating back pain, helping with weight loss etc)?
- Is the instructor certified through a Pilates school?
- Does the instructor give explanation of Pilates principles?
- Does the workout require any props or fitness accessories?
We took the guesswork out of picking a beginner Pilates DVD and reviewed the best Pilates DVDs on the market today. If you are looking for a perfect beginner Pilates workout then here are our top 5 picks:
1. Best Beginner Pilates DVD Overall
The first workout that you will try is a truly beginner workout. However, if you stick to your Pilates routine then soon you will be able to progress to a more challenging workout. The second routine is an entry level intermediate Pilates workout and the rest of the routines will help you progress even more.
Another great thing about this DVD is that it is 240 minutes long. With most Pilates DVDs being only 45-50 minutes long this one is a real bargain for your money. The disc includes 12 customizable targeted routines ranging from 10 to 35 minutes in length.
There are several beginner Pilates workouts to choose from and when you are ready to move on you can build your own intermediate workout. This DVD workout is easy to follow, pleasant to watch and produces great results.
:Customer reviews
I've not done Pilates before. I've had time now to review the different stages of this video & have been pleasantly surprised. It gives instructions in a very direct & easily understood format & doesn't fly through the steps too quickly. By the time I had worked through all the steps from 10 minute to 30 minute full workouts I had a good grasp of the correct postures & breathing techniques. I'm currently working my way through the 2nd level of workouts & already seeing results! I would recomend this to anyone who is interested in learning Pilates. The range from very new beginner to further progressed is done well. - Helena
I fell out of shape, not too much, but enough that I felt I wanted to try to get back in shape. My wife enjoys her Pilates class so I figured I would try it at home. This DVD has helped alot. There is a selection of routines for beginning and some longer routines for when you get stronger and back into shape. I put it into the player a few times a week and it has helped. - Tim
2. Best Pilates for Weight Loss DVD
In this workout Brooke combined Pilates-conscious cardio and mat Pilates into a comprehensive workout. Although this DVD is marked as “Beginner” it will provide a solid intermediate workout too. Brooke offers several modifications for most exercises that will let you grow from one workout to the next one. This DVD is best suited for those who are in decent physical shape and want to add Weight Loss Pilates to their workout schedule. If you've never exercised before then this video might be too challenging.
You will see the fastest results if you do this workout 2-3 times a week. After 2-3 weeks you will notice that your abs got stronger and tighter and you have lost several inches around your waist. Also you will be able to understand exercises better if you combine this DVD with Brooke Siler's book The Pilates Body: The Ultimate At-Home Guide to Strengthening, Lengthening, and Toning Your Body Without Machines.
If you want to get a little cardio with traditional Pilates matwork then this Beginner Pilates DVD is a perfect fit for you.
Customer reviews :
I'm a mother of 4, and this Pilates Weight Loss DVD is the perfect workout to do at home. It's really helping me tone my saggy "muffin-top" waist area, while giving me the total stretching and strengthening I need. The visual demonstrations are very clear, and the detailed verbal instructions give me all the coaching I need to work on improving my pilates technique. This DVD is excellent as it's so easy to follow and has plenty of variation to keep me working out for months to come! It's amazing how these Pilates techniques, that make me feel so good by stretching my whole body, can really create a great cardio burn too. - Nancy
Very effective and definitely gets your heart pumping. I am very happy with this DVD, I do it every other day or so and it doesn't get old, and I am getting in better shape and have even lost a couple of pounds. Very pleased. I will say though: I am 26 and in pretty good shape and a size 8, and I had trouble getting all the way through it the first couple times. Even though it says "for beginners," I think you have to be pretty healthy and in decent shape to be able to do this workout. Overall, this is the best Pilates DVD I have. - Nadia
3. Best Value Beginner Pilates DVD
Many of those who try Pilates quit because they don’t have enough flexibility to perform all exercises. Our modern lifestyle causes stiffness in all major muscle groups (sitting for long hours, driving, getting tense after stressful projects or just a difficult day with kids.) This stiffness can later cause back pain and muscle imbalances in the body. Pilates for Inflexible People DVD will take you gently from no-flexibility to reaching your toes with ease while strengthening your body and giving you a trim mid section.
Once your flexibility is improved and you can comfortably perform classical Pilates mat exercises you can take your routine to the next level with Pilates for Weight Loss and finally Pilates Sculpt and Tone.
All of the workouts in this box set are broken down into short routines that you can mix and match to create different workouts that will suit your fitness goals and your mood. Each DVD offers something different that will keep you challenged at all times. Please keep in mind that this box set is slow-paced which is perfect for beginners who are just learning Pilates.
:Customer reviews
I'm about as beginner as they come, both to Pilates and to exercise. This set is exactly what I was looking for. The inflexible dvd is for people who are really inflexible. If you can almost touch your toes, you are flexible. It's been great for me. The modifications and the bonus section of yoga (also designed for really inflexible people), are letting me benefit from the exercise. After a few weeks working with the inflexible dvd, I tried a couple routines in the easiest section of the weight loss one. I could do them and like them too. If you don't know pilates, take the time to watch the track that teaches you the poses for each level. The sculpt and tone dvd is really different. I like the legs and glutes routines and as a total newbie I feel it when I'm done. - Eve
this is a great 3 disc set. it is easy to follow the instructions.I really like the ab/glute work out you, can feel it working! i just had a baby a few months ago and this is just right for me to get toned up .i dont have alot of time and there are 11 min workout options..in main menu you pick over 15 mins under 15mins ..alot to choose from ..so far ive only done the one dvd tone and sculped and its kept me busy..the menus great and had a preview workout for ab glute arms and leg in one workout then you can just pick ab glutes...or arms legs so on.. theres workouts you can do that you use weights and ring but theres enough with out them and she even say you dont have to use them.So far i really like this set and would recomend it to anyone who like a fast workout that you dont have to do arobics and be to cordiated to do.. - Ann
4. Best Time-Saving Beginner Pilates DVD
As it clearly says in the title this DVD offers 10-minute solutions for your Pilates practice. You can perform one segment or combine several routines into a longer workout which is a great option when you are tight on time. Watch this video to see what this DVD is all about and if it is right for you.
:Customer reviews
I started doing Prenatal Pilates when I was pregnant. Now that my daughter is 9 months old, I FINALLY started doing this pilates dvd. I love it! It takes the level of intensity up, and I'm definitely burning after 30 minutes. After 8 days I"m starting to feel more toned and can't wait to say good bye to this post-baby muffin top!! - Laura
I'm really glad I bought this. It was a pretty random choice - I wanted the 10 minute option - but it turned out to be a really good intro to Pilates and a great overall toning/back/stretch workout. I'm in reasonably good shape (I like to jog 3-4 miles) but was actually shaky at times for the upper body workout and realized how badly I needed this for a more well rounded workout. I should be sore tomorrow and that's a good thing! (Her foot tattoo is gross to see on screen but whatever "floats her boat" as my mother used to say.) - Beth
5. Best Classical Pilates Matwork DVD
If you are a Pilates professional looking for a classical Pilates workout at its best then this DVD is a great find. If you’ve been doing Pilates in a studio or on your own then you'll appreciate this workout. However, if you are a total beginner then you will be better off choosing a more modified program.
This DVD is a classical Pilates workout which means that it is performed as Joseph Pilates created it. Please don’t forget that Joseph Pilates was a boxer, gymnast and trained Military Police in self-defense and physical training before he created his method of bodu conditioning. His original matwork was not created for people with back pain or sedentary lifestyle. If you are looking for a classical Pilates workout then Classical Pilates Technique: The Complete Mat Workout Series is the best choice but it is not suitable for most beginner.
:Customer reviews
I am typically very impatient with workout videos, yet don't like to leave my home every single day in order to keep in shape; this DVD pretty much solved my problem. After just 20 minutes I feel like I've completed an entire gym workout. The instruction is very clear and easy to follow. The most valuable aspect of this DVD is the attention given to posture, process and breath. This way the workout is truly maximized because you know you're doing it right. Also, there is no obnoxious music interfering with the voice-over instruction, and all the exercises are expertly and clearly demonstrated. I was especially shocked by the way it has helped my posture. I used to work in a coffee shop, standing for 8 hour shifts. My back would ache relentlessly by the end of my day, and one 20 minute Pilates session really helped undo the muscle aches I had developed. - Lynn
As a pilates instructor i am very pleased to finally see an instructional video, which can be used for novices as well as teachers, of a high standard which even the late joseph pilates would approve of. From the basic through the intermediate all the way to the superadvanced matroutines which have not been altered in content from the way they were originally intended, this video is not only beautifully executed, it also thouroughly explains all the components neccessary to understand and perform the pilates method correctly. Anyone interested in authentic pilates, not a watered down version of the pure method, will greatly benefit from the instructions of this tape as well as get inspired by the "superstar" moves which you might be able to execute once the more basic matwork has become part of your movement vocabulary. It is a relief to see that someone actually cares enough to try to preserve this wonderful method of body conditioning rather than changing and, in most cases, spoiling it for retail purposes. - Christina
Pilates is a Mind & Body technique which means that you can't just muscle your way through the exercises. If you want to truly benefit from this method and create a strong and fit body then I would recommend taking a few classes in a Pilates studio as well as purchasing a Pilates book with the description of Pilates principles and fundamentals. The best paper companion for your beginner Pilates practice would be The Pilates Body: The Ultimate At-Home Guide to Strengthening, Lengthening, and Toning Your Body Without Machines by Brooke Siler.
Have fun with your first Pilates workout!
Copyright © 2009 Pilates DVDs .net, Design by: Sunlight webdesign