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36 of 36 found the following review helpful:
 a new level for the mind, body and soulOct 15, 2003
i've exercised with denise austin's TV show for a long time, but i wanted something that focused solely on pilates. unfortunately, i bought the stott pilates advanced matwork tape and i ended up hurting my neck and back. then denise came out with this new dvd and i wanted to give it a try. after doing this program, i realize i never should have veered away from denise. her exercises are always completely safe but extremely effective (you'll feel it and see it!), she has an interesting background, fantastic music, and she looks stunning as always.
when you start this workout your mind will be preoccupied, but after a few minutes you are completely engrossed in following the routine. denise takes you through exhilarating, lengthening stretches (mind); standing pilates that work your arms, chest, butt and legs without hurting your neck and back (body); and invigorating, refreshing flowing motions (soul). incredibly, she kept my abs engaged throughout, which is exactly what i wanted in a workout routine. the best part is that the 40 minutes fly by and then i can't wait till the next time. i recommend this dvd for any level of fitness: the more advanced you are, the more you'll be able to engage your different muscles while doing the exercises. working out with denise is the fastest and most enjoyable way to a good body.
28 of 28 found the following review helpful:
A nice fusion workout blending yoga, Pilates, & dance movesOct 04, 2004
By Beth Cholette
"doctor_beth"
Denise Austin's Mind Body Soul is a 40-minute workout which nicely blends different exercise styles. It is filmed on an outdoors-y looking set, and Denise works out with two background exercisers. The first section, Mind, begins with a 5-minute warm-up which concentrates on breathing and spine stretches and then moves into an additional 5-minutes of standing yoga postures. The poses (warrior II, side angle, triangle) flow nicely and include some more challenging balances such as warrior III and dancer. Denise gives good reminders to focus on your breathing, although she overuses trite phrases such as "your spine is your life line."
The middle segment, Body, consists of Pilates movements performed mostly in a standing position. In the first 10 minutes, you will replicate Pilates matwork moves such as single leg stretch, criss-cross, double leg stretch, spine stretch, and saw, all while standing erect. However, you will also perform some challenging plank work from a push-up position on the floor. The following 10 minutes require the assistance of a wall. Initially, the wall is used for support during 1-legged moves such as leg kicks, leg circles, rear kicks, and heel beats. Next, the wall is used for some strength moves, including a wall squat, a triceps isometric exercise, and wall push-ups. Throughout this section, Denise repeatedly reminds you to "zip up" your abdominal area so that you really feel the work in your midsection.
The final section of this video, Soul, was a 10-minute dance-type stretch. The exercises performed included mambos, lunges, and additional warrior poses, but the moves seemed to serve as more of a cool-down function rather than cardio or toning. This was my least favorite section of the video; it may have worked better if the Mind and Soul segments had been reversed. Overall, however, I found this to be an enjoyable workout for light toning and general stretching. Denise's personality is a bit more subdued than usual here, and because the workout moves slowly, I found her much easier to follow than in her aerobic workouts.
11 of 11 found the following review helpful:
One of my favorite Denise Austin workouts!Dec 26, 2004
By Jenni
"singing2christ"
I have been working out to Denise for over two years and I love what she offers in her videos. Currently, I do her "Fit & Lite" and "Daily Workout" shows on Lifetime daily, as well as own her "Mat Workout Based on J.H. Pilates", "Power Zone: The Ultimate Metabolism Boosting Workout", and her Abs workout videos. I am pretty satisfied with those, but Denise's 2003 release of "Power Zone: Mind, Body, Soul" video is probably one of my favorites.
The first workout, "Mind", is a warm-up that is absolutely great to do in the morning - "Mind" is filled with concentrated breathing, slow stretches, and focus on pulling in the abdominals.
The second workout, "Body", is a Standing Pilates segment. If you own a video or have ever used the Pilates workouts, these moves should be familiar - the difference is you're standing up while doing it. Sounds strange, but you sure feel the burn more than you would if you were doing them on the floor. This one's terrifc for the abs.
The third workout, "Soul", is a salsa-inspired segment - I wouldn't really call it cardio, but it sure gets your heart pumping. It's pretty fun. You really feel this in your torso.
The last workout, "Spirit", is a sort of a cool-down; great for doing right before bed. It's a real soother.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this video to someone who just wants ONE fitness video - this video is awesome, but I suggest you get another video to go along with it to get in your essential cardio in.
15 of 17 found the following review helpful:
Fun 40 minute workout!Sep 10, 2003
By David Seguin
"djzilla"
Power Zone by Denise Austin is a very original workout. Denise combines yoga postures, pilates, and a cardio aerobic workout to give you a full body workout that connects the mind, body and soul. At a total of 40 minutes I have found this to be a perfect evening workout video. Mind-here Denise focuses a lot of breathing and a variety of yoga postures. This is to relax you and get you prepared for a more dynamic workout to come. It's a great opener to the DVD! Body-This is Denise's standing pilates workout. Standing pilates, your probably wondering what that is. Denise has modified some of J. H. Pilates workouts so that you can do them from a standing position. Some of these can be tough but they all work your core just like standard pilates. This is a great core workout. Soul-Denise finishes her program with a little salsa dancing routine that will pickup your heart rate but not stress you out. This section might be a little difficult to follow at first but stick with it. It's worth it and is really fun but most importantly completes the full body workout. I highly recommend this DVD from Denise. It's one of my favorite programs now and one I like to do 2-3 times a week. It truly is a great for in the morning to help wake you up or in my case in the evening to unwind you from a stressful day. 5 Stars!
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
One of my favorite workout videosAug 22, 2003
This has got to be one of my favorite workout videos ever. I look forward to doing these exercises everyday. It makes waking up extra early easy.
My waist is not big but it could use some shrinking and this is what this tape does- every single minute of it, you can feel your waist and stomach muscles being used in ways that you have never used them. I would say that to loose weight some cardio and weights need to be done in addition to this tape- but this tape is just as necesary, because cardio and weights do not workout the waist area as effectively as this. Plus, this workout lenghthens you out like no other. You will find yourself standing tall all day. The first segment is some wonderful yoga moves, and they are all very relaxing. The second segment is 'standing pilates' and it's so nice not to have to lay down on the floor to do them! The last segment is some flowing dance moves and some yoga. I am not crazy about dance moves in videos,but I loved these! because
they are easy to do and because the ones she does in this tape, again, focus on shrinking the waist and elongating the body. This tape feels like a full body massage, exept you feel invigorated at the end, and ready to face your day.
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