September 7, 2010 | by Brooke Joanna Benlifer, RD | No Comments
If you’ve ever done workout routines or abdominal exercises using a DVD in your living room, you know that a great instructor is KEY in motivating you to get off the couch. Regular, consistent exercise on a long term basis is crucial to good health, which makes an amazing fitness DVD an invaluable tool. Over the years, I’ve sweated with some of the fitness world’s most loved instructors. One person that I keep inviting into my living room is Suzanne Bowen. I first tried Bowen’s 10 Minute Solution: Pilates Perfect Body
As a dietitian, I know the importance of diet in obtaining and maintaining a healthy level of body fat and a strong core. Excess fat around the midsection makes people more prone to a host of medical conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, elevated triglycerides and metabolic syndrome. When combined with abdominal exercises that tone the core and work these muscles to the point of fatigue (read: noticeable soreness the following day!), it is easier than ever to achieve a gorgeous (healthy) middle.
Gorgeous Core is designed to be suitable and convenient for those looking for quick 5 to 12 minute workout routines of abdominal exercises, as well as women wanting a full body challenge that targets the core from a variety of angles. Sit ups and crunches are only two of a myriad of abdominal exercises to exhaust the transverse abdominals and obliques. If you choose to do all of the fitness segments included in the DVD, it takes one hour, not a huge time commitment for a healthy body! However, one of the shorter workout routines – the 5 minute on-the-go segment – is great if you are working up a sweat just thinking about how to fit a few abdominal exercises into your busy day!
One of my favorite workout routines was the first 12 minute segment, called Lean, Long and Strong. With Suzanne’s expert cues, I found that my muscles were burning. This is no small feat, considering I’ve often struggled to feel “the burn” despite performing traditional and non-traditional abdominal exercises. And, one of the workout routines – Metabolism Bootcamp – boosts heart rate and helps you tone arms, glutes and thighs in 12 minutes.
In addition to a lovely setting for the DVD (no harsh lighting or thumping rock ‘n roll), Suzanne strikes a wonderful balance of being encouraging but also honest enough to motivate women to work hard and focus. She is a role model herself, promoting sound nutrition and regular cardiovascular exercise in addition to her DVDs, to help you achieve a Gorgeous Core for the long term. And isn’t that what it’s all about?
