The Pilates Program for Every Body (Reader's Digest)

Rating:
Summary: Good for Beginners but not Great
Review: I purchased this book to supplement what I already know of Pilates but I was disappointed. This is really a very basic beginners book directed more towards the stretching aspects of Pilates. If you are looking for an entry look into the breathing techniques and some basic exercices to increase flexibility then I would suggest this book. It is very simple to understand and the photographs and descriptions are quite helpful.

If you are more advanced you will be disappointed. The more advanced section is not even intermediate. If you are already familiar with Pilates you will also be disappointed because a lot of the core Pilates exercises (like the Hundred) are not included.

Another reason I purchased this book over others was the spiral bound/easel format but I found it a little lacking. The way the reverse pages are oriented caused a lot of flipping the book around and trying to remember if you are upside down or not.

All in all this is a really good book for beginners but the format itself is a little cumbersome.

Rating:
Summary: Not the 'original' pilates program, but good
Review: I took a chance buying a book that had no reviews, but I bought it because it was published by Readers Digest, so I figured it would be practical and well-put-together, which it definitely is. I also bought it because of the stand-up design which makes the book it's own easel - very useful during workouts. Being new to the world of Pilates, I didn't really understand what it was all about, but I got a clue at the beginning of the book when the author called this 'her' program, that this was not the authentic pilates, but her own version of the core muscle exercises of pilates. Her aim was to design a program that would be safe and suitable for even the spine-injured. The book is extremely well written, giving thorough explanations from ground-zero and very detailed photographs of all the exercises. The exercises are grouped according to body position (sitting, kneeling, etc.) and targetted body part (back, abdomen, etc.), culminating in two work-outs at the end of the book that put everything together into more comprehensive full-body workouts. This book is different than the original pilates, so if you are looking for authentic pilates, don't buy this book, but if you are looking for good core muscle exercises that are safe for everyone, this is a very beautiful, well-written, easy-to-follow book.

Rating:
Summary: A Pilates-inspired program for stretching
Review: The back cover of this book describes it as follows: "unique program combines breathing with controlled stretching." This is a very accurate description; although this book does NOT offer a traditional Pilates matwork program, it uses Pilates-inspired (as well as yoga-inspired) breath and alignment work to facilitate greater flexibility through simple stretching exercises. There is a particular emphasis on the spine, including healthy posture both during exercising and throughout everyday life.

The format of the book is spiral-bound and oversized with its own self-standing easel: great for practicing the exercises but a little awkward for simply reading. The photographic illustrations are colorful, clear, and informative, and they utilize a wide variety of models (including an elderly woman), each of whom displays impeccable form. I believe that this book would be best suited to those who are looking to begin a simple stretching program as a means to increase flexibility, decrease physical tension, alleviate chronic conditions, and avoid injury.