New workouts: 10 Minute Solution: Tighten & Tone Pilates

LITTLE ROCK — Title: 10 Minute Solution: Tighten & Tone Pilates

What’s the goal: Get a complete Pilates-style workout, 10 minutes at a time, without going to a studio or using a machine.

Who’s it for? Anyone who wants to have a leaner physique. Even if you have never done Pilates before, you will have no problem understanding what to do. Lara Hudson gives cues for proper posture, breathing and placement of a resistance band during exercise.

Whether you do exactly what she is telling you to do is a different question. (It’s wise to find a live instructor for your first Pilates experience.)

Format: This 57-minute DVD workout is divided into five segments. You can create your own custom workout by programming any of the segments in the order you select.

Tighten and Toned Core: uses the band to tone the abdominal muscles

Defined Arms and Shoulders

Trim and Slim Lower Body: hips, gluteus muscles and thighs

Total Body Toner: a standing routine using the band

Long and Lean Stretch: a cool down that uses the band to intensify the deep stretches.

Gear needed: resistance band (included), yoga mat or padded surface

Floor space required: Enough space to lie flat horizontally and vertically

Can I do it barefoot? Yes

What do they want from me? The ability to balance and hold positions for a while. For one workout you are asked to sit on your knees for the entire segment.

Who demonstrates the workout? Hudson demonstrates alone in a studio setting.

Anything bad about it? No, actually. This is one of the better workouts I have seen in a long time. Hudson is extremely thorough in instructing how to use the band and also demonstrating each movement. She does not hurry from exercise to exercise. She gives the right amount of encouragement and describes what to do if your muscles are not that flexible.

I like that the DVD comes with a band.

Workout developer’s credentials: Hudson is a Pilates method gold-certified expert with more than 15 years of experience. She is launching a new signature workout called the Mercury Method.

Price: $16.98