Yoga Emergency--Arms & Shoulders

THE WORKOUT: Yoga Emergency- The 12 Minute Workout with Kristen Eykel- Arms & Shoulders

WHO CAN DO THIS: You can.

THE BREAKDOWN: This is one of a series of 12-minute workout DVDs, each focused on a different area. There’s not too much to this DVD--it really is just one 12-minute stretch for the neck, arms, and shoulders. But if you hunch over a computer for hours like I do, it’s just what the yogi ordered.

Kristen Eykel is lean and pretty, she demonstrates the seated workout in front of a fountain while some kind of tubular bells play in the background. The stretches are basic, basic, basic—some head rolls, some twists, some eagle arms. Nothing you can’t do yourself, to be sure, but it’s nice to have someone coaxing you along. You could even keep this at your desk and use your DVD drive to run through it seated, just modifying the twist.

The bonus tracks here are a two-minute tip about reflexology; one about aromatherapy, with a tip for easing a stress headache; and some tips and stretches for easing the physical stress of flying. The five-minute interview with Eykel also is worth a listen, to get a handle on her philosophy.

The meditation segment is nice because once she stops talking, you get just the sound of birds. However, she doesn’t end the relaxation so you’re on your own. After lying quietly for what seemed like a longish time, I opened my eyes and peeked at the TV screen, which displayed directions for returning to the main menu.

Since the workouts are so short, this would be a good series to collect: Back, Full Leg Stretch, and Hips. There’s also Yoga Emergency- The 12 Minute Workout with Kristen Eykel- Pregnancy; Eykel specializes in yoga for pregnancy.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: No sweat.

BUT IS IT FUN? Sure.

WHEN IT'S OVER: I was a little less tight, but it’s going to take more than one 12-minute session to loosen up these hunched-crunched shoulders.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Nothin’ in particular.

FINAL WORD: Easy and nice and I’ll probably pop it in now and then, during work breaks.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.

Element: Yoga for Weight Loss

THE WORKOUT: Element: Yoga for Weight Loss

WHO CAN DO THIS: You’ll need yoga experience—at least an advanced beginner—and be prepared to work.

THE BREAKDOWN: If you need to lose weight, Los Angeles yogi Ashley Turner’s taut, flexible body will either inspire or discourage you--that’s up to you. Turner has taught “celebrities, famed musicians and hundreds of yoga students,” and she has a master’s in counseling psychology. She demonstrates in a pretty garden setting with a voiceover that includes affirmations about self acceptance, internal beauty and intentions. (Is it just me or does everyone try to inhale and exhale exactly with the voiceover instructions? That doesn’t work—the voiceover usually has a lot to say while I’m holding my breath and I end up getting dizzy. I really must stop trying to be teacher’s pet.)

The 45-minute(ish) workout flows at a steady, calorie-burning pace, starting with sun salutations with some pushups and chairs tossed in. Poses are focused more on strengthening than stretching, with, for example, a long, active series of warriors. (My arms begged for mercy during this—it’s a long time spent holding them up. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) Some table poses, boats, legs scissors, plies, more pushups … you get the idea. There’s nothing fancy or tricky—it’s all pretty basic stuff—but there’s no pampering. You wanna lose weight? You gotta work for it.

The big motivational speech comes during savasana, although I found Turner's chattery voice something less than soothing.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: I was, literally, dripping. But it was a humid day in Texas.

BUT IS IT FUN? More fun than lifting weights but not as much fun as chocolate cake. (Oops, that's not the right attitude, is it?)

WHEN IT'S OVER: I was pleased with myself and particularly felt my quadriceps and arms.

GEAR AND APPAREL: A mat and blocks, if you’re a block-user. Their use is suggested but not demonstrated.

FINAL WORD: Thumbs up. It will enter my rotation.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.

Element: Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga

THE WORKOUT: Element: Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga

WHO CAN DO THIS: Intermediate or advanced yogis who are pregnant or who are at least six to eight weeks past giving birth.

THE BREAKDOWN: I’m not pregnant and never have been, so obviously my expertise here is limited, at best. But I have ignored so many DVDs for pregnant women and mommies, I decided to check this one out. I liked the other Element DVD I've done, and certainly can image the benefits yoga can provide for a hard-working pregnant and postnatal body.

These two 30-minute practices, one for pre- and one for postnatal, are designed by New York yogi Elena Brower, mother of a toddler, who demonstrates a postnatal workout. The prenatal workout is demonstrated by Lucy Bivins in her third trimester. Hm, I should be so strong and flexible even without toting another person around on my midsection.

Neither of these is appropriate for a yoga novice. The flow segments move fairly quickly and with chair poses, sundry warriors, planks, sun salutations, pigeon poses, triangles, down dogs and down dog splits, both workouts pack plenty of stretch and toning into 30 minutes. They appear to me to be less modified for pregnant and postnatal bodies than designed to provide helpful stretching and strengthening for those times. (And certainly the poses are chosen for their appropriateness.) The postnatal workout includes attention to strengthening the pelvic floor.

Affirmations include a moment of gratitude to anyone who has made it possible for mommy to eke out a 30-minute workout. Having witnessed the challenges friends have faced caring for infants, I know that any me-time is valuable indeed for new mommies. The postnatal workout includes a little reminder that (and I paraphrase) a calm and happy mommy makes for a calm and happy family.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Plenty of sweat.

BUT IS IT FUN? It’s pleasant.

WHEN IT'S OVER: I had been off my exercise program for about a week when I took this DVD on, doing one workout each on two consecutive days. On the third day, I was a little sore from butt to shoulders.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Nothin’ special.

FINAL WORD: A good one to keep you toned and bendy during pregnancy and beyond.


Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.

Fat Burning Fusion

THE WORKOUT: Fat Burning Fusion

WHO CAN DO THIS: At least advanced beginner in Pilates or yoga.

THE BREAKDOWN: Ellen Barrett is a Hollywood trainer. She’s trained a few stars (Christina Ricci and Justine Bateman); taught at CRUNCH, a famous studio that has produced one of my favorite lines of videos; has a studio called The Studio; and a DVD series. This DVD has been sitting around the house for a long time because I’ve never heard of Ellen Barrett and the one-off DVDs I get (I do get free review copies, in case you’re wondering) are often not so great. But every now and then, I find a good one, so I try to at least take a look at most of them.

This is one of the good ones. It’s a Pilates flow, very low-impact, done barefoot. It might look easy if you were to just sit on your couch and watch it. But just try it.

This workout form is entirely new to me. The entire 40-minute flow fits on an exercise mat, though most of it is done standing. The plie is a big player and many of the moves are done in a wide, bent-leg stance. Hello, inner thighs. The arms are held out at shoulder height through much of the workout as well, which is gently brutal. I had to rest mine frequently. Moves also involve lots of twists, back extensions and squats, and the goal is grace, good form and muscle extension. It’s almost like ballet, but more Pilates-y. It's strength, stretch and cardio all in one.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Buckets.

BUT IS IT FUN? Yeah, it kind of is. It’s hard work but without battering the body.

WHEN IT'S OVER: My legs were wobbly immediately after I did it the first time and my whole body, especially my core, was a little sore. I was still a little sore when I did the workout a second time three days later.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Nuthin’.

FINAL WORD: I might hunker down with this workout for a while and see what happens. Maybe alternate with the punching one.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.

Yoga to the Rescue for Neck & Shoulders

THE WORKOUT: Yoga to the Rescue for Neck & Shoulders

WHO CAN DO THIS: The box says “For beginners & beyond” but I think you would want to be at least a pretty advanced beginner to feel comfortable with this unusual series.

THE BREAKDOWN: I expected a series of stretches to release my computer-cramped neck and shoulder muscles, but this series of poses are designed to also build strength in the back, shoulders and neck.

The DVD is has a long tutorial that is a good workout on its own, or you can use it to learn the poses to bring into your own practice. A number of these poses are new to me. In one, long, strong and flexible Desiree Rumbaugh has you hold your bent arms up, “like a saguaro cactus,” bend your knees, bring your shoulder blades together and lift your heart to the sky. I tell you what... not that easy. She also has you lie on your back, bend your arms so your elbows are on the floor and, pressing on your elbows and head, lift your heart. It’s like an isometric push-up for your neck. There are familiar poses too, of course—cobra, bow, down dog and a particularly insane side-arm plank/backbend. “Enjoy your freedom,” she says. Oy, I say.

The DVD also has a 30-minute flow sequence that I mostly found annoying because the cueing is so haphazard. Sometimes poses change and she never mentions it, so I had to keep peering under my armpit or whatever to see if she’d moved on to another pose. Also, in the push-ups, there was an awful lot of exhaling going on, but not so much inhaling. That confused me.

I do like the bonus wrist stretch, since my hands and arms get more of a workout during the work week than any other part of me.

I've done a few Desiree Rumbaugh DVDs and my impression is that she's a great teacher who doesn't quite have a grip what makes a great DVD workout.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Yep, I did sweat. It’s kinda weirdly hard.

BUT IS IT FUN? Not so much fun. Kinda broccoli yoga. Good for you.

WHEN IT'S OVER: I definitely felt my neck and shoulders the next day. They were tired and a little sore. In a good way, I think.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Desiree uses blankets and blocks and suggests a strap here and there, although she doesn’t demonstrate its use.

FINAL WORD: I’m more likely to incorporate a couple of these poses into my practice than do the DVD again.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.

10 Minute Solution KnockOut Body!

THE WORKOUT: 10 Minute Solution: Knockout Body Workout Kit w/Weighted Gloves

WHO CAN DO THIS: Intermediate exercisers. If you’ve taken boxing or kickboxing fitness classes, even at the beginner level, you’ll be OK, but this is not for newbies to exercise. No instruction on form is provided and getting the most out of the workout requires knowing how to use your muscles safely and effectively. On the other hand, hardbodies are not likely to find this challenging enough.

THE BREAKDOWN: I promise that my next few reviews will be anything but 10 Minute Solutions. I know I review a lot of these, but this is a new favorite.

First of all, the weighted gloves are a fun new gizmo. They get a little sweaty, but it’s otherwise a pretty comfortable way to add a little extra effort to any activity. I wore them cleaning house the other day.

Also, I’m always looking for good upper-body workouts, since most DVDs tend to focus on the more commonly griped-about (by women) lower body. But I’m never wearing a miniskirt or short-shorts again, so I’d rather feel comfortable showing my arms. Though this DVD is designed to provide a whole-body workout, the arms get a little extra with all that punching in weighted gloves.

I’ve never taken any kind of boxing cardio class and didn’t think I would like it, but these little 10-minute routines—two aerobic segments, an upper-body segment, a kickboxing/cross-training segment and an interesting abs segment—are fun and a refreshing new style for me.

Jessica Smith’s hit-or-miss cuing is a little frustrating—some counts with the jab-cross-uppercut-hook combos would have been very useful, but you can supply your own. Fortunately, moves are easy enough to learn after a couple of times through the workout.

If, like me, you’re new to boxing, start with the first segment, Knockout Body Blast, which kinda sorta breaks things down.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: I work up a sheen doing one, a sweat doing more. I can see that the real muscle workout is in learning to control the punches rather than just flinging those weighted gloves around. It’s a decent cardio workout, too, though some of the bobbing was hard on my knees.

BUT IS IT FUN? Yep, it is. And yes, I did imagine punching people. I’ll never tell who.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You’ll be invigorated and probably feel your arms and back.

GEAR AND APPAREL: You don’t need tons of space, although the kickboxing segment has you kick side and front, so watch the bric-a-brac. The gloves are entirely optional, of course.

FINAL WORD: Today I did the upper body segment before my 40-minute-ish power walk (with hills). It was a perfect medium-exertion workout. I like it. A keeper and a doer.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.

10 Minute Solution Dance Your Body Thin

10 Minute Solution: Dance Your Body Thin Kit w/Weighted Dance Belt

WHO CAN DO THIS: The coordinated and fluid hipped.

THE BREAKDOWN: The gimmick here is that the DVD comes with a two-pound weighted belt that rests around your hips to engage core muscles and give the workout extra oomph.

Dance Your Body Thin! is standard format for the series—five 10-minute segments than can be programmed to do individually or in any combination or sequence. Regular readers here know that 10 Minute Solutions is among my favorite workout series.

I’m spoiled from doing a lot of DVDs. If baby can’t nail the moves pretty quickly, baby gets sulky. With some DVDs, I feel like I’m dancing the first time through, even if I don’t have the steps exactly right. But the first time through this one (one or two segments at a time), I mostly felt awkward.

While tiny dancer Andrea Leigh Rogers’ arms were sinuous, mine just flailed. The footwork is simple, but moves rely heavily on hip action. That didn’t go well, either. Compounding my problem, Rogers’ cueing is a little off—some counts would have been helpful and she tends to announce changes just a speck late. Everything slows down for the ballet sculpt segment, which is interesting and definitely challenging, though tough on my hinky old knees.

The workout is designed to work well with the weighted belt (hence all the hip action) and that is a plus. The belt is not a finely crafted piece of workout equipment, but I like it and plan to use it with some of my other DVDs. And the dance workout is not bad, it’s just not me. Maybe it’s you.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: I definitely worked up a sweat, but it was partly frustration.

BUT IS IT FUN? It could be for anyone who masters it. I probably won't put in the effort.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You may feel it in your abs if you wore the belt. Not a ton, but nice.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Enough space for about four steps forward and side to side. I wore aerobic shoes.

FINAL WORD: I might choose one of the chapters to master and use as a core workout. (That’s the great thing about these 10-minute workouts—you can mix and match.) It might not be able to compete with other dance DVDs I enjoy more, though. The belt’s a keeper.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.