LITTLE ROCK — The team behind Core Fusion, a series of exercise DVDs, has a certain type of efficiency.
The duo, married couple Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito, are releasing their first yoga workout Aug. 24, Exhale: Core Fusion Yoga - Energy Flow ($16.99).
The two trade off the role of leader, walking viewers through moves from standing splits to downward dog, all the while putting their own spin on yoga standards.
A familiarity with Pilates and the arms of a gymnast would serve one well in some of the segments.
The routines are described as a combination of Pilates and yoga, and “balance with a cardio kick.”
The DVD can be done in its entirety, 50 minutes, or broken into 10-minute segments. Play them all with or without the separate introductions. There are also bonus segments: a 5-minute stretch, a 10-minute toning session and an 8-minute “cardio sculpt” segment.
The first segment, energy flow, is a sort of warmup, but would also be goodfor someone just wanting to wind down. Included are stretches like cat and cow, runner’s stretch and child’s pose. Plank and other yoga standards round out the session.
The “sun salutation” workouts (there are two) are more involved, starting off the bat with push-ups.
There’s more hopping, pulsing and more difficult balance moves.
DeVito and Halfpapp are proficient at instructing, offering a running dialogue of pointers - elbows go here, ribs go here, legs go here and so on.
That’sparticularly useful for those who aren’t familiar with yoga or let too much time lapse between yoga sessions.
A Chi Gong session that combines stretching with various movements (for example squats are combined with arm circles as are side lunges) is a bit more challenging. The standing split moves demand not only flexibility, but a bit of endurance. At least for those who already find such moves taxing.
The “core and glute” workout is also a bit grueling. This is the only segment that requires more than a mat - yoga blocks are suggested. DeVito says a stack of books can be used instead, but that just seems like an accident waiting to happen to me. Oh drats, there go Dickens and my elbow.
Various moves require balancing one’s body on the blocks, in sort of pommelhorse fashion. While he’s a perfect “V” lifting his legs and bottom while balancing on the blocks with his hands, the move will be extremely hard for someone with less upper body and core strength - so pretty much the rest of us.
The only complaint - other than ouch - I had was that in this last segment and at various other times, DeVito and Halfpapp fail to show modifications. So those who are less toned should look behind DeVito. A few other exercisers keep their legs down and simply lift their buttocks. Even DeVito says you’ll need to work up to his level.
The segment puts the core in Core Fusion.
Assistant City Editor Katherine Benenati is also a certified personal trainer. Her blog, Hot Mama: Finding Time to Break a Sweat, is at littlerockmamas.com.
ActiveStyle, Pages 25 on 07/26/2010