Perfect Posture Pilates

By: Ellen Barrett

Narrated by: Ellen Barrett

Here's a quick primer routine for improving overall posture by paying attention to the three main components of posture: spinal alignment, muscular balance (from one side of the body to the other), and total-body strength. You will stand taller and feel firmer if you perform this fun and effective workout twice a week.Looking for more variety in your workouts? Check out these personal training sessions.(P)2005 iAmplify

Poor recording quality but nice little workout

This is a solid little 20 minute Pilates yoga routine whose main appeal is its ease-of-use - it's something you could easily fit in every day and offers some results without breaking a sweat. The author/instructor keeps you cheerfully moving through the whole routine. The recording quality is unbearably poor.

I downloaded the highest level (5MB) file available on this audiobook, but the sound played through my computer speakers or iPod was unpleasantly distorted with what sounded like a lot of compression artifacts. The author's voice is distorted as if she were speaking through a walkie talkie, (sometimes to the point where it is hard to understand some words) and the background music would sometimes cut out as if I were listening over a speakerphone. Not ideal for something I might want to listen to every day.

The author/reader has a pleasant and positive approach, and I liked that she counts or snaps you through all the reps so that you complete the whole set and keep moving. If I were to nitpick - I personally found myself a little distracted by her intonation and choice of words, which sounds to me like a teenager at the mall (it made me feel like an old fart). However, she does keep you going and frequent encouragement is part of why you use a trainer or class in working out, so better "sooo TOtally AWEsome!!" than not enough reinforcement.

The author assumes you have some knowledge of basic yoga positions. Easy enough. There were a few times when I found her instructions of exactly what body position to be in not quite specific enough, as though she were relying on visual example. But most of the time it was pretty simple stuff.

I felt good after doing the routine, I thought it was effective.