Winsor Pilates Basics Step by Step

This tape was included in Mari Winsor's original 3-tape Winsor Pilates set. In the tape, Mari takes you through the movements of Pilates and shows the proper way to align yourself in the movements to get the most from a pilates practice.

There is also some 3-D training segments where you are shown exactly what should be happening within the movements. Mari touts this as being the "next best thing to having a personal trainer in the room with you". I don't know if I got that much out of the 3-d segments. I think I got more out of hearing Mari describe the form and movements.

The tape is about 30 minutes long and is a great tape to keep around to make sure that you are staying on track with your pilates practice.

This is the tape that finally helped me to "get" pilates (as well as I could ever "get" pilates). I don't enjoy pilates at all, but they were instrumental in my recovery from a car accident a year ago. Through this video I discovered what I had been doing wrong in all of my pilates attempts over the past few years and I have at least gotten to the point where I can stomach them.

What a wonderful introduction to pilates. I wish that these videos would have been out long ago! Mari Winsor begins this routine by explaining the major principles of pilates. She calls it "Pilates 101" and stresses that pilates is a work in process and it's important to start slowly and really understand the basic concepts: the "powerhouse", body alignment and breathing. She suggests after mastering the pilates principles in this video that you then move onto her 20 min. Workout video and then further challenge yourself with "Accelerated Body Sculpting".

Mari instructs while 2 exercisers perform the moves; one showing modifications. Her only equipment suggestion is a mat.

This 24 min. routine consists of 7 basic exercises:
-The Hundred
-Roll-up
-Single Leg Circles
-Rolling Like a Ball
-Single Leg Stretch
-Double Leg Stretch
-Spine Stretch Forward

Before each exercise, a visual is shown on the screen for a few seconds. The background is all black and Mari (in white)performs the move a few times. Arrows and illustrtions show proper from and alignment.

Mari explains each exercise step by step very thoroughly, explaining proper form and why you are doing it a certain way. she says to let "the mind guide the body". Through each movement she stesses focusing on the powerhouse, body alignment and to keep breathing. My only complaint is that she doesn't focus more on when you should be inhaling and exhaling as your are performing the move. I believe that this is key - with certain parts you should be exhaling and others, exhaling. Proper breathing just helps the movement flow better. She tends to just say "make sure that you are breathing".

This video is absolutely perfect for learning the "hows" and "whys" of pilates. Beginners learn to continually focus on the main concepts (powerhouse, breathing, body alignment etc...) so that it becomes natural. I also feel that it is a very reliable video to go back and check your form and technique as you progress. Although it is a wonderful reference, more experienced pilates exercisers would probably only use it once in a great while.