Arthritis RX

THE WORKOUT: Arthritis RX: exercises to keep you active and pain-free.

REVIEWED BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: This is designed for people suffering from arthritis, so it is necessarily gentle.

THE BREAKDOWN: Vijay Vad, M.D., who based this program on yoga and Pilates, conducted clinical trials on it and says in the intro that participants had reduced pain in knees and hips and were able to cut down on pain meds. So that's cool.

You can start by watching the tutorial presented by Dr. Vad, but this is the most disappointing segment. While he explains what various movements are good for and generally how to do them, he does not address safety — for example, how to protect your neck during crunches, or the risk in putting sideways pressure on the knee joint in tree pose.

The exercises themselves are a three-part program. The 18-minute beginner segment focuses on flexibility. Done mostly on the floor and very slowly, it includes some twists, lots of arm raises for shoulder mobility and core strength, inner thigh stretches, and very easy standing poses including a tree pose keeping the raised foot lightly on the floor for balance.

The intermediate segment, 20 minutes, is for strength. It also starts on the floor and includes leg raises, gentle abdomen crunches, and back strengtheners interspersed with stretches. Standing poses also include some gentle side leg lifts, and another tree pose, this time with the foot lifted.

The 16-minutes advanced segment aims for endurance. It starts with the Pilates move the hundred, with rests between each 10 arm pumps. Crunches, bicycles, leg circles, one-legged bridge poses, a very gentle chair pose and more, done slowly and deliberately, provide challenge without taxing joints. And yes, I did all three segments and yes, I got a moderate workout on this last one.

A bonus segment includes tutorials for movements to help ease arthritis pain in specific body parts: neck, thumb, toe, shoulder, low back, ankle.

All the exercises are valid, they're gentle, they address all the necessary body parts, and I have no reason to doubt their efficacy. 

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Unless you've been seriously sedentary for a long time, you're unlikely to sweat during the beginner and intermediate segments. You might however get a glow in the advanced segment

BUT IS IT FUN? If you've been severely limited by arthritis pain, the fun should be in regaining mobility, movement, and hopefully, less need for pain pills.

WHEN IT'S OVER: Maybe a little looser, a little stronger? Every day in ever way...

GEAR AND APPAREL: A mat or carpeted floor.

FINAL WORD: Movement is good for arthritis, we know that. But if your arthritis has been limiting or made you fearful, this DVD is a great way to ease slowly into getting your body moving again.

(Oh, and it seems a little unkind for Acadia, the company that distributes this DVD, to load the intro up with clips from all kinds of workouts that people with arthritis can't do. Just skip those.)

Elements of Yoga With Tara Lee

THE WORKOUT:  Elements of Yoga: Earth Foundation; Elements of Yoga: Air & Water Flow; Elements of Yoga: Fire Dynamic, all with Tara Lee. Sold separately. 

REVIEWED BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS:  These three DVDs (sold separately) can build a yoga practice, as long as you already know the basics, since form is not discussed. Earth is aimed at beginners, Air & Water take it up a notch; Fire is for intermediate and advanced yogis.

THE BREAKDOWN: Each of these three DVDs has three practices to be done one at a time or all together. Earth is basic, with lots of slow, deep stretches; Air & Water requires a little more strength and includes a lot of twists and some balance; Fire requires strength and stamina, with lots of planks and binds.

Tara Lee is calming in voiceover. She doesn’t provide instruction on form as much as yoga talk what opening the body can do for the mind and how fire in the belly can provide strength and motivation.

Earth and Air & Water are in a pretty lakeside setting (a flock of white birds that flies by is a nice touch); Fire in done at night, lit by flaming pots.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: The first practices of Earth and Air & Water are gentle and you probably won’t work up a sweat, but the other practices on each add a little more challenge. Fire starts energetically and just gets harder. I had to throw in several unauthorized child’s poses to catch my breath and give my muscles a break, and at some points all I could do was laugh. You want me to do what?

BUT IS IT FUN? I love Earth and Air & Water and they have gone into heavy rotation. Fire is too challenging to qualify as fun for me, though I might do the first two practices when I feel like working hard.

WHEN IT'S OVER: Doing all three practices of Earth or Air & Water leaves me feeling calm and loose and I sleep well those nights. All three parts of Fire leave me panting and drenched in sweat.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Mat and optional block.

FINAL WORD: Air and Earth are two of my new favorite DVDs. I respect the Fire DVD and it’s every bit as good, but it is a workout to which I can only aspire at the moment.

Pilates Towel Workout for Strength & Mobility

THE WORKOUT: Pilates Towel Workout for Strength & Mobility

REVIEWED BY: Sophie

WHO CAN DO THIS: You.

THE BREAKDOWN: This is a lot more mobility than strength, unless it’s been a very, very long time since you’ve done anything harder than sitting, in which case you might get a bit of a core workout.

The towel adds extra stability and resistance to side stretches, sit-ups, hip openers, and leg lifts in this very gentle 30-minute workout. Moira Merrithew, who with her husband developed a system called Stott Pilates, talks mostly about working out morning kinks, but I sometimes do it at the end of a long day in front a computer.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: No sweat.

BUT IS IT FUN? Stretching is always fun.

WHEN IT'S OVER: I felt a little looser around the neck and shoulders. How much you feel it will depend on how tight you are and how long it’s been since you’ve moved around like this.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Mat and a towel that’s maybe four feet long.

FINAL WORD: A perfect slow start if you’re fixin’ to start thinking about maybe embarking on a fitness program.

Element Power Yoga

THE WORKOUT: Element: Power Yoga

REVIEW BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: Intermediate level yogis.

THE BREAKDOWN: One of a fine collection of yoga DVDs (here’s another I like and you'll find others on this site) , this hour long workout is a workout indeed. Poses that other DVDs work up to—crescent pose, for example—are just the beginning here.

Ashley Turner, working out with a view of  the Pacific Ocean (lucky dog), is pleasant and reassuring, telling us in the voiceover that “Inner power is knowing what we need and giving it to ourselves.” In this case, she’s referring to taking a break in child’s pose whenever necessary.

The pace is not frantic but it is brisk, though one-leg down dogs, lots of planks, breath of fire, warrior three, pushups, an interesting balance challenge done crouching on your toes. There’s a long core segment, including situps into boat pose, and just when you think you’re nearing the end (if you’re not a clock watcher), you’re back in down dog, then chair pose, sidearm planks, more pushups. Turner's instructions are clear and helpful and every now and then she reminds you to smile, which is a nice thought. This is a no-kidding workout. No kidding.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: It’s sweaty all right.

BUT IS IT FUN? It’s not not fun. It’s hard work fun.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You’ll feel it all over your body.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Mat and perseverance.

FINAL WORD: This one requires discipline that I hope to find in myself.

Ageless With Kathy Smith: Staying Strong

THE WORKOUT: Ageless With Kathy Smith: Staying Strong

REVIEW BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS:  Note that it’s staying strong, not getting strong. Not for beginners.

THE BREAKDOWN: Holy cow, Kathy Smith is 60 years old?! She’s looking so good, I’ll forgive the Botox. Certainly her body looks better than mine does—or even did when I was half that age. And oh boy, she did stay strong…this is not a workout for weaklings.

I like Kathy Smith so I feel kinda bad that I don’t like this DVD.

Four 15 minute segments work arms, legs, glutes and core--hard. Weights, squats, lunges, leg lifts, some balance, some jumps. It’s mostly pretty standard stuff with lots of reps; even 15 little minutes get a little tedious. The 12-minute "Bonus Stretch"  is so lackluster I turned it off and freestyled.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Sweat and lots of it.

BUT IS IT FUN? Do you find broccoli fun? Then you’ll have fun.

WHEN IT'S OVER: Your muscles will tell you that it did the job, no doubt about it.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Light weights.

FINAL WORD: Not bad, just dull. Doubt I’ll do it again.

Note: Check out Kritter's counterpoint review--she likes this workout.

Core Fusion Energy Flow Yoga

THE WORKOUT: Exhale Core Fusion: Energy Flow Yoga

WHO CAN DO THIS: You need plenty of yoga experience.

THE BREAKDOWN: Though not specifically aimed at people in their 40s and up, Core Fusion workouts are a great example of techniques that are challenging—for those of us who have been working out for a long time—but harder on muscles than joints, which is a good thing. Joints get temperamental as we age.

This is pumped-up yoga for energy and strength, not tranquility. (Except the tranquility that follows a good workout.) Five 10-minute workouts include two athletic sun salutation series, a core and glutes segment, some qui dong and hip openers. You'll do push ups, standing splits, warriors, balances, twists, and more. Even the bonus closing stretch and Savasana segment is energetic. Everything moves along at a steady but not frantic pace, and if you manage to fit in just one 10-minute segment you can still feel like you’ve accomplished something because these people don't mess around. I like doing three plus the Savasana, but I don't know that I've managed to do all of any single 10-minute segment yet without taking a rest now and then. That's OK, gives me something to work towards.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Yes indeedy.

BUT IS IT FUN? Not party hat fun, but very satisfying.

WHEN IT'S OVER: My legs are a little wobbly, no kidding.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Mat, blocks, strap.

FINAL WORD: I’m a fan.

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Keeping Fit 3 Pack

THE WORKOUT: Keeping Fit 3 Pack

WHO CAN DO THIS: Intermediate and advanced exercisers who don't need to enjoy their workout.

THE BREAKDOWN: Three DVDs—Strength, Cardio, Pilates—with 10 five-minute workouts each. The series is designed, according to the package, to help you stay fit through your 40s, 50s, and 60s. Being one of those types of people, I’m interested in workouts targeting our Very Special Needs. And fitness pro Andrea Metcalf is cut and not 20 years old, which is cool. I was rooting for these workouts.

But I hated them so much, I assumed I’d missed the point. Although I don't always watch intro segments, which often are just blah-blah, I watched one of these specifically hoping Metcalf would express a philosophy that would explain why these workouts were better than I thought. But it was just blah-blah, and she lost me entirely when she said each five-minute workouts provides “simple motions that incorporate both upper and lower body and target the midsection” while demonstrating a move combining rows, lateral lifts, and deep curtsies. All at once. Nothing simple about that. Every limb is going in a different direction. With hand weights.

Each five-minute segment tries to pack a full workout into a frenetic pace. I flailed around, missing my nose with my three-pound weights, twisting knees, tripping on my own feet. I’m usually pretty good at picking up workouts quickly but I'm getting to the age where I worry about hurting myself. This program seems like an injury waiting to happen.

And when you think about it (I grumbled to myself as I bumbled and shvitzed), why would anyone want to do a five-minute workout, anyway? If you’ve bothered to suit up and show up, you’re gonna wanna put in more than five minutes. But the workouts are so frenetic, doing more than one five-minute segment isn’t much fun. I suppose you could mix and match from the three DVDs, but that’s a lot of changing DVDs.

FWIW, the Pilates DVD is OK, but you can't buy just that one. and will be sold separately, though there are better ones out there.

With all due respect to good intentions…fail.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Yeah.

BUT IS IT FUN? No.

WHEN IT'S OVER: My knees hurt.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Light weights, mat, floor. Whatever.

FINAL WORD: Feh.

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

Aligned and Well: From the Shoulders Up

THE WORKOUT: Aligned and Well: From the Shoulders Up

WHO CAN DO THIS: Anyone can, and it's good for everyone.

THE BREAKDOWN: This isn’t exactly a workout; it’s an educational product. Watch it, learn how to do the stretches and alignments, and then make them part of your life.

This is one of a series of Aligned and Well DVDs by Katy Bowman, M.S., a kinesiologist and biomedical scientist—she studies the engineering of our bodies and how we move. These prescriptive programs target various problems, including diabetes, foot pain, pelvic exercises for men and women, painful hands, balance, and more. (You can see samples of all the DVDs at the Aligned and Well website.)

“From the Shoulders Up” is help for headaches, eye strain, “foggy brain,” and a lot of other things suffered by those of us who hunch over a computer all day. (Or a steering wheel. Or a school desk. Or...?)

Bowman is straightforward and informative, explaining what good alignment looks like, why it helps, and how to get there. She demonstrates the exercises in an exercise studio in heaven: a square of wood floor enclosed by filmy white curtains. Pretty.

The moves are simple, feel good, and seem smart. I like making floor angels, and think everyone needs to learn “head ramping,” to set your head properly atop your neck and shoulders.

Once you view and learn the information and simple exercises you may not need the DVD anymore, but then you can do someone a gooder and pass it on.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: N/A.

BUT IS IT FUN? It’s pleasant and informative.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You’ll be more aware of how your body works.

GEAR AND APPAREL: A bolster or pillow(s).

FINAL WORD: I may check out others in the series, perhaps for feet or hands.

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