Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Pilates has a near-fanatic following among devotees of the strengthening and stretching routines developed by its eponymous founder. But how do the exercises translate to video for the uninitiated?

Post copy editor Kendra Nichols went a few rounds with two introductory DVDs: "Slim & Sculpt Pilates" (part of the 10 Minute Solution series. $10.99 on Amazon) and "Pilates for Sex" (which I believe was longer than 10 minutes and only $8.58 on Amazon).

The Program: Developed by Joseph Pilates in the first half of the last century, Pilates uses a series of movements to condition the whole body. The focus is on the "powerhouse" muscles in the abdomen, back and thighs, as well as on breathing and precise control.

Duration: Like others in the 10 Minute Solution series, there is a bit of phony advertising in this one. The DVDs give you 10-minute sets, but each set is for just one body part, so a full workout would take nearly an hour. "Pilates for Sex" runs about an hour.

Intensity: Kendra did all five 10-minute sets in "Slim & Sculpt" and found it reasonably rigorous. She was "pretty tired" by about halfway through.

As for "Pilates for Sex," she says, "there sure was a lot of talking," particularly about kegel and other exercises to strengthen women's pelvic muscles. More of a lecture, less of a workout, in other words. "I eventually got so bored, I stopped," she said, not big praise for a video with sex in the title.

Fun Factor:"Slim & Sculpt Pilates" comes with a stretchy band, which Kendra said was helpful in the workout and a fun feature, like adding "a little playtime" though she also avers that "it smells kinda funny and the smell comes off on your hands for the first few workouts." (No similar toys come with the sex video.)