Stressed Over Exercise.don't worry just chill! (Chillates (DVD))

Member Name: Brown_eyes1984

Product:	Chillates (DVD)
Date:	17/05/06 (398 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fast results,tones every muscle in the body,good music

Disadvantages: not everybody will like this kind of workout !

Chillates is a workout brought to us by the Ministry Of Sound. Combining Yoga, Pilates and the Alexander Technique, it provides a full mind and body workout which improves balance, aerobic fitness, co-ordination and muscle tone. Programmed by a top choreographer, Litza Bixler gives the voice over and introduces the DVD and she has designed it with beginners, intermediate and advanced users in mind meaning there really is something for everyone.

*** My Opinion on… ***

With so many fitness DVD's out there at the moment it can be hard finding something that is right for you. In this section I will give my opinion on everything from who this will suit to how challenging each section is and how long the workout takes to the all important results. Hopefully this will give you the best idea of whether or not this workout is for you.

1) Why I chose this DVD

I have been a fan of yoga for roughly four years now, though I have to admit I haven't been a frequent user of the practice as like most other people, life has often gotten in the way (or at least that's my excuse!). My love of yoga then moved on to the now ever popular 'Yogalates' workouts which combines both yoga and Pilates to bring a full body workout. However I found the last one in that series that I tired a little too testing for me due to the fact that I spend all my working days lifting heavy things around and the way that the workout left me aching, meant that I couldn't do my job properly. Then I saw an advertisement for Chillates. Instantly I knew that this was the new workout for me.

2) The Workout

The Workout is separated into five different sections, each of which is taught with specially chosen, exclusive chill out music in the background. You can choose to play the full workout or if you are pushed for time or would prefer a gentler workout, you can create your own workout which allows you to pick and choose which sections you would like to do. Here is a full detailed explanation of each different section which will give you an idea of what to expect.

* Wake Up *

Whether you choose to do the full workout or whether you create your own, you always start with this section; you cannot choose not to do it even if you do create your own workout. This is because warming up is an essential part of any exercise, especially one where you are going to be using all of your muscles in your body.

The aim of this section is to warm up the body and spine and to improve your posture. There isn't anything too challenging in this section so beginners shouldn't really struggle too much. Most of the exercise is done standing up and is very slow paced. You do stretch quite a bit throughout so it is advised to only do as much as feels comfortable. The section takes just under ten minutes.

Example exercise: Standing in a neutral position (feet shoulder length apart and your back nice and straight), arms relaxed at either side, breathe in and as you breathe out slowly roll your body half way down to the floor. You do this in a way in which you work every vertebra in your spine on the way down. Hold position while you breathe in and then as you breathe out slowly roll back up.

The above exercise stretches out the upper back and aids flexibility.

Difficulty level - 4/10

As I said beginners should have no problem with this section and everything is slow paced making it easy to follow.

* Salute and Strengthen *

The first proper section takes just fifteen minutes and it focuses on developing strength in the arms and the legs as well as flexibility in the spine. Finishing with a variation of yoga based sun-salutation, this section is a lot more challenging than the wake up (unsurprisingly!).

When I first did this section I felt really achy and tired out and I had to stop the workout and give it a few days rest. It all depends on your fitness level and what you are used to as to how tiring you will find this. It is a lot faster than the first section but don't worry it isn't too fast, it will just keep your mind focused on the exercise meaning you won't get bored. This section also introduces more combination moves where you move both your arms and your legs. I've always found focussing on both my arms and my legs at the same time confusing, I'm not the most co-ordinated person in the world so I found this a little difficult at first as to which arm I was supposed to be moving with which leg. To be fair it isn't that difficult but it can be confusing at first.

Example Exercise: One of my favourite exercises in this section is near the beginning. To the beat of the music you lift your right foot up so you are just standing with your right toes touching the ground, and then you place it back down again. You then lift your left foot up so your toes are touching the ground, then place it back down. You repeat this once slowly and then it speeds up a little and you add a little bend on the opposite leg to the one you are lifting off the floor a little. It sounds complicated but it is one of my favourites due to the slight dance feel to it.

The above exercise really helps your balance and your co-ordination.

Difficulty Level - 7/10

I've given this a 7/10 rating due to the co-ordination and the balancing requirements. I am looking at it from a complete beginner's perspective so if you are used to these types of exercises you will obviously find it less challenging. The salutation part of the section to me is the most difficult as it is a flowing sequence of moves which to a beginner in particular, will be extremely challenging with poses like downward dog and the plank proving the most difficult.

All in all this section really helps improve your strength and muscle tone and it also helps with balance and co-ordination as mentioned earlier.

* Core Strength and Flex *

The third section focuses on improving flexibility and strength within the body and it lasts twenty minutes. I for one have found this section very difficult and still find it hard grasping some of the moves. This isn't due to how the exercises are taught; it is more to do with the difficulty of the exercise. For example there is one exercise which requires you to kneel down on one knee and to try and grab that leg so that it is off the floor while you keep one hand on the floor in front of you to steady yourself. I find that I really have to help my leg up and I cannot hold the pose for long as it really kills the kneecaps! Very challenging even though it doesn't look it!

For me I like this section because it really works the muscles in my thighs and bum which as most women know, is an essential part of the body that needs toning! The exercises on the thighs and bum don't feel particularly challenging but they definitely work!

Something you should bear in mind for this section is you need a towel. It does not explain this beforehand so I did get a little shock when it said 'Now lets get the towels we placed aside earlier'. To my knowledge she has never mentioned the towel earlier so be warned now that you do need one! I would recommend using a small one too as it is to be placed along the spine and the towel I use is far too big so it doesn't work as well as a smaller towel would. I do find this exercise really relaxing and the towel along the spine really does feel so good after the exercising you have been doing! I almost don't want to get back up afterwards!

Example Exercise: The Bridge is an exercise where you are lying on your back with your knees up towards the ceiling, feet on the floor. As you exhale you slowly lift your back off the floor again vertebra by vertebra as high as you can, then as you breathe in you slowly roll back down. Again this strengthens the back and it helps tone the tummy too.

Difficulty rating: 8/10

* Standing Yoga and Dance *

This is the final exercise section and it is by far the hardest. In the introduction it does recommend working up to this section due to its difficulty level. Most of the exercise is done standing up (hence the name) and it involves a lot of balancing and stretching. It is also a lot quicker than the other sections so you may not be able to follow it as well as the others.

Example Exercise: An exercise I do enjoy in this section is the foetal position. You are lying on your back with your legs bent and off the floor and knees up the air spread quite wide apart. You then roll onto your left side, keeping the same position as you roll over until your left arm and leg are touching the floor. Then you roll the other way. It is really relaxing and it feels quite nice too.

When completing this section you will have improved your balance, co-ordination and strength and you should feel energised.

Difficulty rating: 9/10

Definitely work up to this section and only complete it when you are ready. Once you have completed this section you will feel really proud of yourself and you really will feel the benefits!

* Guided Meditation *

The final section of the workout is the meditation section. This can be done in three different positions so simply choose the dancer you wish to follow (either beginner, intermediate or advanced). The idea of this section is to calm the body and mind preparing you for the day or evening ahead of you.

Personally I am extremely sceptical about meditation and have always seen it as mumbo jumbo even though a lot of high profile celebs swear by it. Relaxing while listening to nice, soft music I can handle but meditation is another thing altogether! So perhaps that is the reason why I cannot fully relax and be taken over by this section.

Litza Bixler once again provides the voice over for this section. In whichever position you choose to do your meditation in, she guides you through the meditation process step by step. You are coaxed through her voice to relax and let your body sink into the floor. Eventually you are told to close your eyes and to think of yourself lying on the sand. You are supposed to relax to a point of semi consciousness where only her voice is getting to you; nothing else matters. There is relaxing music in the background and a picture of an Ibiza sunset (a moving picture), which is supposed to relax you if you choose not to close your eyes.

The aim of the meditation is to relax the body and mind (as mentioned above) and to wake up feeling reenergised and flexible. Depending on how open minded you are will depend on how much you get out of this section.

3) How easy is it to follow?

I personally found the workout pretty easy to follow throughout. However saying that there were times when I found some of the exercises confusing because I didn't understand what Litza was talking about. I have done the DVD around fifteen times now and I still cannot do one of the moves in I think it's the second section. This is because you cannot always see the television while you are doing the exercises and therefore you are completely reliant upon Litza's vocal instructions. My advice to you would be, if you do not understand something, take a break and sit back and watch. Go back a step in the DVD if you need to and watch it over and over until you get it. That is something that I will eventually be doing to see exactly how they do the move that I am stuck on.

Overall her voice is soft, relaxing and soothing and she explains everything in as much detail as possible. The only problem a complete beginner may find is the yoga positions for example she will simply say 'Push up into upward dog and then back into downward dog'. She will not tell you what those positions are you will be expected to know otherwise you will have to watch the DVD before doing any of the exercises. Luckily enough however there is a 'Tips and Techniques' section in the DVD menu which explains some basic yoga moves and what some of the terms she uses means and exactly how to do them so give that a watch beforehand if you are unsure of anything.

4) How many times a week do I have to do it?

I know experts say you should try to aim to do exercise like this for at least ten minutes every day. Personally I couldn't do this everyday as I know I definitely wouldn't be happy doing just ten minutes as I don't feel like I've had a proper workout unless I do the whole thing but then that's just the way I think, it's not that the exercise isn't working for me it's all in my head.

So I aim to work up to doing the whole thing 3 times a week. At the moment I do it twice a week as I have only just started doing it again after around two months break, and I've somehow lost a lot of my flexibility in that time so it's taking a while to get used to it again. It took me around a month to work up to doing it 3 times a week at one point but it depends whether you want this to be your main type of exercise or whether you just want it to be a top up to any other exercise. Do whatever is right for you but like I said I do it twice a week at the moment.

5) How Much Space Do I Need And What Equipment Do I Need?

You do need enough space to be able to lie flat with your arms straight over your head and your feet stretched out so bear this in mind as to where you are going to be doing the exercise. I move the sofa out of the way if I need to and I haven't got a big living room so I'm pretty sure anybody could do it in there living room too. Also make sure you have a solid floor, not one that is a bit dodgy to jump on as some of the exercises require a bit of jumping on the spot or kicking your legs back.

Equipment wise you need a towel (as mentioned earlier), I'd advise using a yoga mat as otherwise it can really hurt your back to lie on a solid floor. You will also need to be wearing some loose fitting clothing where you can stretch to your absolute limit without your clothing holding you back. Apart from that you just need yourself!

6) I'm a Busy Person I'm Not Sure That This Is for Me?

I know all about being a busy person. I may not have children but I have a job which needs me to be flexible with my hours. They aren't the same every week and some days I have to work lates so I find it hard balancing Chillates with work. However I do it the best I can and being able to choose your workout helps a lot too so you can choose to do just the warm up and a twenty minute session if you want to. That's not a lot to ask is it? Even if you have children try and see if you can get a babysitter or get your partner to look after them for a while. Take a break just for you. If you really can't get twenty minutes a day then at least do the DVD once a week. It really will make a difference!

7) What Results Can I expect to see?

I absolutely love this kind of exercise because it tones every muscle in the body and it does it in a way which doesn't overtone you and make you look too manly (if you're a woman that is!).

I start seeing results after around a week to a couple of weeks but I start feeling the difference straight away. Instantly my tummy feels tighter and my thighs feel a little firmer. I love the general well being feeling I am left with. I started off at nearly eleven stone and after a month I weighed ten stone one pound. That to me is extremely good especially when I don't always eat overly healthily! To see the best results it is advised not to eat too much junk as not only will it stop you losing as much weight as you possibly could, it is also really bad for the skin! However the main reason I love workouts like this one is that I can eat basically what I want in moderation and it won't put on too much weight (or any if I do the right amount of Chillates!).

This workout really does bring fast results and it helps you feel more energetic and flexible. I'm not an overly spiritual person but I do agree with the fact that it calms you down a lot and it is a great stress reliever.

8) Can men do this workout too?

There is actually a man demonstrating the intermediate exercises in the workout. His name is David and he started dancing at the age of just five years old. He now practices various styles of yoga and he has assisted and danced in quite a few international pop videos and campaigns. He has also worked with the likes of Girls Aloud, Blue, Diana Ross and Robbie Williams. So he is pretty well known within the industry!
It is a workout for both males and females and it produces good muscle tone and gives the same benefits for both sexes.

9) Is there an age limit?

The thing about yoga and workouts based on the same kind of yoga-type exercise is that there really is no limit age wise. There are some seventy year olds, (yes seventy year olds!) that frequently practice yoga and they are still really fit and healthy. A lot of people let their age hold them back but if you just get past the thought of the exercise you may actually find that you enjoy doing it!

10) How Much Do You Ache Afterwards?

At first I definitely ached a little the day after doing the workout. However, it wasn't as much as some other DVD's I've tried in the past. Like I said earlier, I have a demanding job that needs me to lift some pretty heavy things and my main worry was that this workout would interfere with my job. Luckily enough though it was bearable and after a couple of days rest I was ready to do the workout again. The more you do it the more you get used to it and the less you will ache. Remember no pain no gain! Lol but honestly it si definitely not as painful as going to the gym!

11) Chill Out Music Doesn't Sound Like It's For Me!

I have to admit that just the sound of chill out music sounds boring and really not my scene. I'm more of an R and B and pop girl myself and I've never listened to chill out music in my life. However after doing the workout I have to say that the music really isn't that bad. In fact it fits perfectly with the workout and in parts of it I actually really enjoyed doing the exercise to the music.

Although probably aimed more at a younger audience, I don't see why all ages wouldn't like this workout. It really does brighten up the workout and provides an excellent twist to ordinary, silent yoga.

12) Extras

As well as the workout itself there is also a 'tips and techniques' section, an introduction and some extras such as behind the scenes auditions and Ibiza sunset.

The tips section I found really helpful. It showed me quite a few things I was actually doing wrong which is helping me to improve my performance therefore enhancing my overall results. There are good tips here for beginners and intermediate users alike.

Watching the behind the scenes and auditions was quite interesting. There were quite a few people that auditioned all looked really good but only three were picked and it then goes on to show a little backstage footage of where it was shot and how it was shot. It wasn't the best footage I've ever seen but it was still interesting.

The Ibiza sunset is exactly the same as in the meditation section only there is no talking only soothing music and the picture of the sunset. This is what I now use to relax to as I really cannot get into the meditation. So if you're not really into the whole meditation thing you can easily just choose the Ibiza sunset after your workout and relax to that!

Overall the extras aren't great but there are some things that are really helpful there!

*** Price and Availability ***

When this was first released in December 2005, I found it extremely hard to find. I saw one advert for it on TV and after that I couldn't find it anywhere. Borders didn't sell it, Asda didn't sell it, and blockbuster didn't sell it. So a trip to town finally led me to HMV where it was priced at £20.99 which to me was a lot of money for a fitness DVD! Even though I was desperate for it I decided to shop around! Finally I found it for £15.99 in Woolworths.

As with everything it is always better to shop around to see if you can get the best deal though this doesn't seem to be widely available so it would be best to check out the bigger stores such as Woolworths, WH Smiths and HMV.

*** To Sum Up ***

I would definitely recommend this workout to everybody young and old, male and female. It will give great results and you won't look back! You never know whether you will like it unless you give it a try so go on what are you waiting for? Even if I have helped just one person with this review I have done my job!
Thanks for reading!
Aimee xxx

Summary: a good,different relaxing workout