Brea Getting Fit

I didn’t feel like pulling my barre out today, so I decided that I would do a DVD that doesn’t often get used. Now I remember why: it’s tough. Tough, but doable. Exhale Spa (www.exhalespa.com) came out with a workout that fuses pilates and isometrics. I love isometrics. I’m not terribly flexible, so pilates is slightly difficult for me. That said, I enjoyed this workout. There are some things that bother me…like the voice-over instruction. But I can get beyond that. I really like the fact that this workout is segmented: it has 5 individual 10 minute segments. Each segment has its own warm up and cool down, so they could be stand-alone workouts if you’re crunched for time. The first segment focuses on upper body, with planks, push ups and tricep dips. The next segment has a lower body emphasis. They do some knee dancing-type moves that really worked my quads. After those segments, it’s all about abs!! First, they do seated ab work, and move to flat-back work. You will need to be sure that you have an available wall for this segment. And it’s tough. It not only works your abs, but your hip flexors, quads, inner thighs and forearms. After the seated ab work, the next section includes lots of isometric exercises, very similar to Bar Method or Squeeze. The last segment is a dynamic stretching segment, ending with their “signature” stretch. Try it. I double dare you. I think the multiple warm ups are a bit much. You do the same basic warm up (with variations) in each segment. I would have liked to see a “play all” option with one warm up. I don’t really see the need for 5 warm ups, since each segment keeps your entire body very warm. I also would have liked to have the instructors speaking to me, rather than a voice-over. I felt that their glances at each other were a little much as well…they appeared to be laughing at their own voice overs. On a positive note, they are both in tremendous shape, and they do a great job of showing modifications for every move. I appreciate this. I’m still not strong enough to get all the isometric ab work without holding my thighs. This is a nice, calm workout that left me ready to relax, rather than ramped up. I will do this one again, although it won’t be a go-to workout, as I seem to lean more toward Squeeze, Tracy Anderson and Bar Method lately.