Customer Reviews
Not impressed - By: Sitting-Hawk, 24 Nov 2008 
I'm not impressed with this pilates dvd at all & will, after writing this review, be shopping for another. Ms Bussell comes across very well, the music is fine, what I have a problem with is the exercises & the way Ms Bussell hurries through them. She's obviously an extremely supple person so by the time she's demonstrated 10 neck stretches I will have done 3 (slowly, as a non-supple person should). I don't believe she's demonstrated nearly enough correct key postures either, as she only did a few, yet whenever I've attended pilates classes a LOT more time is given over to ensuring the class is doing the excercises correctly. I really think Ms Bussell has jumped on the bandwagon & not given enough thought to who the dvd is aimed at.
Love it - By: Angela, 22 Sep 2008 
I am a beginner to Pilates & because of a lower back/hip problem, I had to ease off yoga & find an alternative & this has certainly worked for me. I've been practising this dvd for 2 months now & have noticed a marked differencein my torso - it is toned & stronger. The pace is slow but effective. I like the way you can work at Darcey's pace & never break outin a sweat! The music is calming & really quietens the mind. Having the exercisesin sections is a good idea as you can focus on areas you want to if you're pushed for time. The style is not gimmicky & I like Darcey's style & instruction.
Bliss! - By: Ms. L. R. Hall, 25 Aug 2008 As someone who has dabbled with various exercise DVDs & videos over the years & never stuck with them, I can't express enough how refreshingly different this one is. No thumping music or graphics, no flashy sets & most importantly an instructor who doesn't feel the need to talk or shoutin a 'motivational' fashion all the way through it. Darcey is elegant & calm & explains everything simply & concisely.
I was a complete beginner to Pilates when I bought this DVD, & a few reviewers have expressed the opinion that it is not suitable for beginners & indeed may lead to injury, but provided you watch closely how Darcey does things & watch the key points section, you should be okay. Of course, you should exercise your own judgement as to whether you think a particular exercise is suitable for you or not. For example, I have a long standing cartilage problemin my right knee, so I sit out the 'sphinx into a roll-up' exercise, because I know that sitting right back on my knees like that would do more harm than good.
The full workout itself is effective, but not overly difficult. There are some quite challenging exercises, particularlyin the abdominal section, but they are do-able & well worth persevering with. What I love most about the programme is the way that it is interspersed with some truly wonderful stretches which feel absolutely blissful, especially when they come after some of the more challenging exercises. I wholeheartedly agree with Darcey when she says that she could do these stretches all day. They really do feel amazing. I always come away from a workout feeling energised, both physically & mentally.
The music is calming & soothing & gives a meditative quality to the workout, which I am sure contributes to the feeling of mental clarity you are left with at the end.
The only slight problem I have with the DVD, & the reason I could only give it four stars, is that I found it quite difficult to follow her timing. Now, I'm not terribly musical & perhaps the timing is quite obvious to most people when following the soundtrack, but I find that I have to keep watching the screen to keep to the same timing as her. If I don't I invariably end up either going too fast, or worse, too slow & not fittingin the right number of reps each time. But this is a small point & certainly doesn't interfere too much with my enjoyment of the programme.
Fabulous Body Work Out - By: Ms. Sarah E. Bane, 04 Aug 2008 
Great work out. Very easy to follow & well paced for beginners. Your body gets stretched but not battered. You feel great doing the warm up, the full program & then the warm down. Would love to see a new video by Ms Bussell taking you to the next stage. Lovely music.
Worth the effort - By: Molly Davidson, 31 Jul 2008 I have various back problems typical of a desk worker. After attending a series of pilates classes run by the physiotherapist that I attend I decided it would be more convenient to exercisein my own home. I chose this DVD based on previous customer reviews & would highly recommend it. Don't be put off by Darcey Bussell being slim, elegant & very, very flexible, this DVD is at the right speed & level for anyone who wants to take up pilatesin privacy without looking like an inept idiotin a class! Darcey is a good teacher & the pace is just right. The music is calm & soothing. The exercises are very similar to the classes I attended & are not a struggle. With there being a shorter programme as well as the main one it is possible to fit this into any busy schedule & that really is the main thing to remember - the DVD is very good, but absolutely useless if it sitsin its cover unused.
