Pilates classes on CD

[Guest Hilarie]

I recently started taking Pilates classes at my university, but there's only one per week with a good instructor. There are two other classes offered, but the instructor for those thinks "Pilates" is Greek for "do as many kinds of situps as possible, really really fast"

 

I want to take more classes, but I can't afford to go to an outside studio. While looking around on amazon.com I found a couple of Pilates classes on audio CD. Does anyone have experience using one of these? If so, what is it called, and what do you think of it?

 

Thanks

[papillon]

I have "Portable Pilates" by Alycea Ungaro. It's a Pilates mat class that runs roughly half an hour, at a slow intermediate level. I really like the CD, her voice is clear and the cueing is really good. There's a book too, and a worksheet to grade your workout. The book doesn't have modifications for beginning levels, but I just do the ones I find in other Pilates books.

[Guest Hilarie]

Oh good, that's the main one I was looking at and I'm glad to hear that you like it. Thanks!

[Garyecht]

If you have one good Pilates class a week from a good instructor, I think you really have enough. I mean you can do just what you did in class on your own (assuming it's a mat class). If your instructor is really good, he or she will be emphasizing the basic Pilates principles, which aren’t that many, and which get repeated constantly. You should be internalizing those principles to really get the benefits of the exercises in my opinion.