| 15 Minute Everyday Pilates |
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| Reviewed by Harmonious Living | |
| Wednesday, 12 March 2008 | |
    Author: Alycea Ungaro  In today’s fast paced world finding the time for the exercise that know we need to do is becoming increasingly difficult, but here’s a solution - ‘15 Minute Everyday Pilates’. In this book and DVD Alycea Ungaro, owner of New York’s largest Pilates studio, sets out four routines that can be fitted into, yep you’ve guessed it, 15 minutes a day.The book includes four detailed gatefolds (a four page spread that opens out of the book to reveal pictures of the postures) for easy, step-by-step instructions, and a DVD to walk you through each routine. The book is also fully-illustrated and fully-annotated to help you perfect your technique. Choose one of four complete mini-workouts each day to target a specific part of the body, and to strengthen, stretch, and build your way to a more toned, more healthy you. All you need in addition to this book is a couple of hand weights and a well padded mat (how many of us have those lying around from previous abandoned exercise attempts) and according to Ungaro “the decision to begin”, which in the HL office we’re getting closer to doing. The four 15 minute routines that make up the bulk of the book are; ‘Day by Day’, designed to be the first routine to learn as it contains all the benefits of the Pilates method. In this routine the focus is on control and the activation of the powerhouse. In ‘From the Top Down’ the focus is on centring, activating your Pilates box, and using weights in Pilates. ‘From the Bottom Up’ focuses on precision, the Pilates stance and introduces side kicks. The final routine ‘Up, Up and Away’ focuses on flow, activates opposition and integration and introduces the standing routine. We enjoyed following the DVD’s routines and were quite surprised at how comprehensive the workout felt, even after just 15 minutes. It was at times hard to exactly interpret the postures on the screen with the audio instructions and there was always the worry that maybe we weren’t getting it quite right. The explanations in the book do help but can only really be referred to between workout sessions. We found the ‘Checklist’ at the end of routine in the book particularly useful with questions to ask yourself such as “Did you transition smoothly between exercises using minimal movement while you were performing this programme?” When the routines become too familiar there’s also a list of suggested challenges to help you stretch you further (excuse the pun). So for anyone looking to introduce a quick exercise routine into their busy lives then this book ’15 Minute Everyday Pilates’ could be just the answer. |
This is the powerful story of the author's struggle with Multiple Sclerosis and how a healer's unusual prescription of mindful altruism - to 'give away 29 gifts in 29 days' - ignited her energy, her happiness, and invited more abundance into her life.
