Namaste Yoga is a great yoga program on the Fit Channel.  It is extremely challenging, and if you haven't done much yoga before and/or you are not very flexible it is even more so (I most definitely fall into the latter category).  This program also focuses a lot on breath and how it works with the movements you do.  If it is a particularly difficult sequence, the narrator te...

Pilates can be a daunting form of exercise to begin on your own. You have to figure out what equipment to buy, how to do the exercises, and all of the other issues that accompany beginning a new workout routine. Bally’s Total Fitness has supplied us with a nice starter kit that contains absolutely everything you will need to get involved. It isn’t exactly a quality package, but for ...

This is my second yoga mat and I like it much better than my first off brand mat.  The color is my absolute favorite that I have seen available.  Gaiam is a name I see a lot when it comes to yoga or pilates related products so I felt like I was getting at least an adequate product when I was deciding whether or not to  make the purchase.  The stickiness of my previous mat wa...

Gaiam yoga mat is the first yoga mat that I've ever own. This is one of the thinner yoga mats that I bought in a pack. It's a hot pink color and works very well. The particular design that I own seems to be unique since I haven't found it on the internet. You can also get other colors such as green or brown. One of the best features about it is the non-slip surface. I have sweaty pa...

If you’re familiar with pilates, you know that you need a decent pilates ball. The ball takes a beating every time you exercise, getting pushed, pulled, rolled on, and sometimes almost smushed flat. If a ball isn’t made well, you’ll find out fast when it finally gives out. Pilates equipment can get kind of expensive, and you don’t want to find out the hard way that you b...

For your home gym and exercise setup, the cheapest and most effective piece of equipment you can buy is a Physioball Exercise Ball. I personally use the 65 cm size, you may need larger or smaller based on your height and body weight. This ball comes with an instructional DVD to show you a variety of core strengthening exercises that vary from easy to very challenging. I find that the exercise I...

I was a waitress and bartender for many years so I'd been doing aerobics at work for up to 5 hours a day for most of my life.  When I worked in sedentary positions, I would workout with weights , hike, and do aerobics for a total of at least 2 hours daily.  Now I have a number of disabilities ranging from torn cartilege in my knees to having had major surgery on my cervical (neck)...

I was not a stranger to pilates when I picked up my DVD of Pick Your Level Weight Loss Pilates.  I had learned pilates during my college days, and found it really effective at toning and making me feel great.  Now, as a newly-wed, I had found that the pounds were catching up to me again, and decided it was time to find a good pilates video. I am very impressed with this particula...

The strap the I got isn't very long, about 6 feet but I'm not a very tall person (5' 0") so it works well for me. This strap is mainly for stretching the hamstrings on your legs, when you can't reach your toe you use the yoga strap. We don't use this very often in my class, it is usually used during the "reclining big-toe" asana, that's when you are lying ...

After a couple years of practicing pilates and taking classes, I decided that I wanted to get my own pilates mat so I wouldn't have to keep borrowing the ones provided at the gym/classes/etc. I also wanted to be able to do it own my own...outside, when I'm traveling, etc. So I did a bunch of research and I especially wanted a mat that was eco-friendly, cute and easy to store. I fin...

The Bosu ball is a fabulous invention to add a little more challange to your workouts!  Like a yoga ball on top and flat on the bottom, you now have to add balance to your aerobic and strength training workouts thus firming and strengthening your core.I purchased the kit at Target for $99 plus tax.  It contains the ball, pump and instructional DVD.  The DVD has 3 parts for beginn...

I purchased the Winsor Pilates Circle workout from the infomercial.  The commercial showed celebrities along with regular people who use the product and looked fit.  The Winsor circle seemed to be a different product and the program looked interesting.  I received my package which included the winsor circle, A dvd which contained 3 workouts and information about Mari Winsor, and ...

This book was actually written like a book. Unlike most instructional books, you could actually read it cover to cover. I picked this book up from the local library because I heard it was a great read, and it was a good beginner resource for yoga. I was always interested in yoga, but the resources available where always so boring and set for a much older crowd. This book was designed for a fema...

I had done 2 pilates classes a week for a semester while in college and really missed the work out so I sought out a DVD to practice too.  A  year after my last class I was so out of shape that I felt like I definitely needed to start from the beginning.  I really liked this workout video and I am pretty picky about videos (it seems like I am always looking for a reason not to wo...

I have owned this Dvd for a few years now and use it al the time.  I started using it shortly after I had a baby to tone up and noticed a difference within the first month.  The first part of the dvd is the yoga section and shows her explaining the benefits of doing yoga.  This is actually my favorite part of the dvd because the yoga stretches she does feel so good.  She goe...

If you do any kind of exercise while laying on the floor, I suggest the harbinger exercise mat.  It really helps with yoga because the floor can get uncomfortable.  The mat is in 3 sections that are all attached together so you can fold it up and put it under the bed for storage.  It's a very thick, sturdy mat, but it's soft enough so it won't hurt your back.  I ...

As a former rower who is used to extreme workouts and pushing your body to it's maximum limits, I have suffered from many back problems; therefore, my doctor recommended I try out pilates. I was not too excited by this because I am used to intense workouts and feeling the results right away. I wanted to try it on my own first, before taking a class, I went to the store not knowing much about ...

The dynadisc is a simple, small piece of exercise equipment that is used in a yoga, pilates environment and also in a rehabilitation setting, which is more where my experience will come from. The dynadisc balance disc is a small plastic disc about the size of your foot and approximately 6-7 inches in thickness. It is filled with air, and provides an unstable surface to attempt to balance on whi...

When it comes to yoga mats, there is simple and there is nice. A combination of the two is hard to find at a reasonable price that isn't cheap. I think I found that mat.The Black Diamond Yoga Mat provides the user with a working surface that is approximately 2 feet by 6 feet. The mat I tried was grey/charcoal in color, and had a smooth surface to lay/exercise on. The best part of this yoga ...

You know, this bag should work, if you consider its features on paper. But dealing with the actual item is another story. I am on my second, a replacement thankfully provided by the retailer for the original bag. One of its two snaps which hold the mat onto the bag gave out in under a year. Between the first and the second bag, Gravis increased the size of the product. The new size is just too ...