5 Best Rated Pilates DVDs for Beginners – In-Depth Reviews

B eginnings are the hardest as you haven’t yet gotten a hang of the ropes and need all the help you can get, which is generally hard to get, especially when you are on your own. With a practice like Pilates, it might get discouraging when you first initiate into the workout as not only must you round up the motivation to do your Pilates routines at home without mentorship, someone pushing you from behind, but you have to pay extra attention to every move so that you don’t put yourself at risk of injury.

Luckily, the all-time best Pilates trainers have made instructional DVDs specifically targeted toward beginners to aid those in your situation. What the coaches focus on in these videos is explaining the fundamentals of the movements, breathing, and follow-through, ensuring that even if you are uninitiated, you will proceed correctly with each exercise. Moreover, there is the added benefit of workout inspiration as only routines suited for your skill level are chosen, helping you grow gradually so that you may later upgrade your routine at the appropriate time.

If you want to take up this practice at home but you lack experience, we will show you what are the best instructional DVDs for beginners released up to this point so that you narrow down your search and have an easier time picking a routine that complies with your goals.

Top Rated 5 Pilates DVDs for Beginners

Photo	Product	Runtime	Media Format	Instructor	Price
Best Overall	1. Element: Pilates Weight Loss for Beginners	51 minutes	Multiple formats, color, full screen, NTSC	Brooke Siler	Check Price
Editor’s Choice	2. 10 Minute Solutions: Pilates for Beginners	55 minutes	Multiple formats, color, NTSC	Lara Hudson	Check Price
Best with Yoga	3. Denise Austin: Mat Workout Based on the Work of J.H. Pilates	52 minutes	Multiple formats, color, NTSC	Denise Austin	Check Price
	4. Pilates – Beginning Mat Workout	60 minutes	Multiple formats, color, NTSC	Ana Caban	Check Price
	5. Pilates for Beginners with Kristin McGee	60 minutes	Multiple formats, color, NTSC, widescreen	Kristin McGee	Check Price

1. Element: Pilates Weight Loss for Beginners

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One thing that Pilates holds over cardio and fitness workouts is that it transforms your body, strengthening and shaping it harmoniously, all while working on your focus, balance, and flexibility. The list of health benefits is long with this practice and a topic for another time. Here, let’s focus on the Element DVD, a training video presented by Pilates legendary coach Brooke Siler.

What makes this DVD the most sought-after entry since its release is the fact that you are provided with detailed explanations regarding how to sit, move, and breathe. Moreover, it is shot in quite a relaxing scenery, the music accompanied by the view of the Pacific Ocean in the background ensuring you will get lost in the moment and stay motivated to follow through with the routine in its entirety.

What Does It Focus On?

As suggested by the DVD’s title, the workout routine is intended to help you lose weight while familiarizing you with the practice. Yes, at its core, Pilates is not directed toward weight loss. But there are exercises that, when performed properly like instructed here, and when combined with a healthy lifestyle (meaning no more junk food, pay a bit more attention to your diet), can transform your body and help you shed fat.

What Does It Include?

It is split into three sections as follows:

• The Long Lean Waistline program has a total duration of 20 minutes and emphasizes on stretching and toning your waistline and core.
• The Lower Body and Sculpt program has a total duration of 20 minutes and emphasizes on shaping the lower half of the body, a problem area for a lot of people.
• The Core Strengthening program has a total duration of 10 minutes and provides a more demanding workout with which you strengthen core muscles.

Who Is the Coach?

To better appreciate the quality of the workout this DVD provides, let’s talk about the coach a bit. The Element training video is presented by Brooke Siler, who is among the most recognized names in Pilates as she is a second-generation teacher that has been trained by the direct protégée of Joseph Pilates, the man who started the movement. Aside from the fact that she has a studio in New York City and a Pilates certification program, Brooke has been the coach of many celebrities, including Madonna and Lauren Hutton.

Need we say more? If you still aren’t convinced that her guidance is irreplaceable for at-home beginner trainees, know that she even has two New York Times best-selling books about this workout, her input, and professionalism being celebrated on all fronts. With advice from a top-tier trainer like Brooke, you are sure on your way to a perfect body and leveling up your skill in no time.

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2. 10 Minute Solutions: Pilates for Beginners

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As this is your first time training, ideally, the routine should be segmented so that you won’t rush through the workout but rather focus on perfecting the basics. This is exactly what you get with our favorite selection as the DVD is divided into five segments that each last an estimated 10 minutes, more precisely:

• Core Basics: Using proper positioning, you will strengthen the abdominal muscles, while you will make use of Pilates core fundamentals to streamline your waistband.
• Lower Body Basics: Challenging drill for the core as you must stabilize the torso to work on sculpting the thighs, glutes, and hips.
• Upper Body Basics: Trim the fat on your arms and tone them, all while your back and shoulders are harmoniously shaped and defined.
• Total Body Combo: A more complete session that involves the shoulders, spine, and hips working together to strengthen and tone your whole body.
• Long & Limber Stretch: Use the principles of Pilates to stretch your shoulders, spine, and legs so that you improve your posture.

During the routines, the emphasis is put on stretching, strengthening, and toning, ensuring that in a few weeks you won’t only get a hang of the workout but that your body will be reshaped and healthier as well. Woefully, there is a downside to this DVD. While Lara does a wonderful job of exemplifying the routines and paces all workouts just fine, there could have been more detailed instructions regarding proper form. Moreover, there are some high-impact exercises included with which you should proceed with care to avoid potential injury. Other than that, the DVD is perfection, especially if you want to do short 10-minute workouts five days per week to not overexert yourself or get bored with the routines.

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3. Denise Austin: Mat Workout Based on the Work of J.H. Pilates

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While you are not spared of consulting your physician before you take up the physical exercise to make sure that no health condition is contraindicating that you perform Pilates, chances are slim that you will be denied the workout considering the drills presented in this DVD. It is appropriate for people of all ages, even those who are over 60 and seek a friendly workout. Moreover, there no limitations when it comes to fitness level before commencing either.

The video stars Denise Austin, the energetic and pleasant renowned home fitness star who passes you through two workout sessions intended to give you harder ab muscles, strengthen your back, relax you, tighten that tummy, and even lengthen your body. Each workout session lasts an estimated 20 minutes. The first is focused on streamlining muscles without bulking you up or putting stress on the spine, whereas, the second routine combines Pilates exercises with yoga stretching in a natural combination, providing a more difficult workout that grows your flexibility and relaxes your whole body.

While the movements and positions are not challenging to follow, they do work out key areas of your body to ensure changes are made as you exercise. Just grab yourself a comfortable, supportive mat, put the DVD on, and make it a habit to work out at least three times per week following one of these 20-minute sessions, and in only 3-4 weeks you will start to see improvements in how your body looks, as well as how you feel.

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4. Pilates – Beginning Mat Workout

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One of the most resounding names in this industry, Ana Caban has a contagious positive energy that she professionally transmits over this video, keeping you motivated and ensuring you won’t ever get bored. To keep up with the drill she provides, all you need is a mat and a positive mindset, and you are good to go. Thus, better keep your Pilates reformer for when you get accustomed to the practice better and have the physical condition to get creative with your workouts; in the meanwhile, this DVD suffices.

Even if you are a complete stranger to the movements, there is no need to fret as the coach explains everything in detail each step of the way. Moreover, she details what each exercise targets and what you achieve on a fitness and health level as of performing it so that you get an in-depth look at the health benefits of Pilates.

What the program targets are reshaping and redefining your body through safe, low-impact drills that don’t put you in any danger. As a bonus, you are provided with an energy boost program that will come in handy after a few sessions, when you are more accustomed to the movements. After this part of the program, you will feel more refreshed than you do after a cup of coffee, and all through a healthy workout.

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5. Pilates for Beginners with Kristin McGee

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This DVD is split into four separate segments where the lovely and inspiring Kristin McGee eases you into Pilates, teaching you proper posture, breathing, and movement with each drill that she exemplifies and explains. What the videos focus on are strength, firmness, and flexibility increase, so if you stick with the program, you will see major changes in the way you look, feel, and move, all in a matter of weeks.

She teaches basic mat techniques and merges drills to give you a deep burn through low-impact exercises, ensuring that everyone can follow the routine, regardless of their age or fitness level. As aforementioned, there are four different sections, two of which are 10 minutes long, while the other two are 20 minutes long. When you start, until you get the hang of the workout, do each section separately.

After a while, though, you can mix and match the segments as you like to customize your workout sessions and make the whole experience more fun. Another thing we like about this purchase is that it includes a booklet that you can consult for advice on maximizing the workout, as well as eight perforated take-along cards to use as quick guidance when you can’t watch the video.

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Conclusion

Similar to yoga up to a point, Pilates is a practice that you can easily take up at home to spare yourself the extra commute and expenses. Needless to say, you enjoy complete privacy this way, and you can follow through with the drills at your own pace, not feeling ashamed if you make mistakes or ever have to fear that you might be left behind.

But what about beginners, those who are completely uninitiated to Pilates, can they perform the drills correctly from home? The answer is yes! Although, there is one condition – following the instructions provided by a Pilates expert.

This doesn’t mean that you have to call in a trainer for home sessions, but rather to acquire and follow the tips provided in a DVD like the ones presented in this ranking. Before we reach the inevitable end, let’s review some of your best options again to refresh your memory and help you make the right choice.

Best Pilates DVD for Beginners: Element
With a beautiful location, soothing music, and the lovely Brooke Siler there to guide you through each exercise, this DVD provides a 50-minute session of muscle strengthening, toning, and flexibility increase that is impossible to parallel. What makes it perfect for beginners is the fact that it includes cardio-focused exercises as well, which adds a sense of familiarity to the routines. Moreover, the exercises are low-impact and quite easy to follow, ensuring you won’t have difficulty following through with all the drills that the coach presents. Best of all, it is one of the few videos that never get boring, no matter how many times to perform the routines from one end to another.

Editor’s Choice: 10 Minute Solutions
Comprised of 10-minute segments that aim to teach you the basics of Pilates and how to follow through with beginner-friendly routines, this DVD is our personal favorite due to its fragmentation and pace. As the sessions in which it is divided are short, you can perform one per day and take a two-day break per week to maximize results when it comes to reshaping your body. This also makes it a cinch to customize the workout sessions by mixing exercises from one segment to another. Moreover, the segments are divided according to the category they fall into, more precisely core, lower body, and upper body basics, followed by total body combo, and stretching.

Best Beginners Pilates DVD with Yoga: Mat Workout Based on the Work of J.H. Pilates
Based on the teachings of J.H. Pilates himself, this instructional video is the closest it gets to learning the fundamentals of Pilates without going to a course but rather relying on the training provided by the coach, the one and only Denise Austin. What makes this particular DVD a standout is that aside from thorough explanations, reasonable exercises suited for those who are just getting started, and the hype and motivation induced by the instructor, the video combines elements of yoga into the workout to add complexity to the routine, ensuring you won’t ever get bored with it.