Pilates: 52 Classic Mat Exercises

"This book would be fine if you are under 30 and healthy. Some of the other reviews displayed here and the book inself in the blurb on the back state that it is suitable for all levels of fitness. Not!!! I purchased this book and it is certainly not suitable for all levels of fitness. It is very advanced (one of the exercises involve a severe forward flexion and which if you have back problems you should approach with extreme caution) In the beginer's section there is also an exercise called a 'roll up' which is almost identical to a traditional sit up. This should not be in a beginner's section!!! People with low back problems beginning this programme will almost certainly injure themselves if they attempt the beginner's programme. There are no prelimary Pilates exercises which concentrate on showing the beginner how to strenthen their core area by pulling up their pelvic floor muscles and staying stationery. There is no relaxation posture, which is a key posture showing the beginner how to align their body. There is a 'double leg stretch' in the beginner's section which would put extreme strain on the lower back and the only caution advised is 'proceed with caution if you have disc or lower back injuries'. All the postures are illustrated by instructors with extremely young and fit bodies. Looking back at some of the reviews here I see that some of them are written by people who are instructors or have over 5 years experience of this type of exercise so I just want to issue those of you who are not in the first flush of youth and are not fit with back problems and were advised to try pilates as an exercise with a warning before you buy it and injure yourselves. It is really irresponsible to advertise it as being suitable for all levels of fitness. Shame on you Alycea Ungaro."
~ Written on 2007-08-09

"This floor pilates book is really user friendly. Clear photographs, easy to follow steps and explanations as to why the various exercises are used make this book great. It also caters for all levels of fitness and flexibility. I am a student of floor pilates at advanced level, but will keep this book as a handy reference. Especially great for those starting out with pilates and well worth the money."
~ Written on 2007-07-23

"I am relatively new to Pilates. Thankfully, I had beginner's luck, due to the fact that Ungaro's "Pilates: body in motion" was one of the first two books I bought regarding Pilates. The other was not too good, but this one more than makes up for it.

In my opinion, Alycea Ungaro should be praised for writing such an useful and clear book. In the introduction, Ungaro says that "Life wreaks havoc on our bodies", due to the fact that "Our routines and habits cause us to consistently overuse specific muscles", but that Pilates can be an antidote to that. She points out that Pilates is "not a mystical cure-all", and that it is not supposed to replace other forms of exercise but rather complement them, in order to help you to "look better, perform better, and, above all, feel better".

"Pilates: body in motion" has not only good explanations besides each exercises, but also many photographs that allow the reader to understand how to perform each one correctly, and what to do to avoid the more common mistakes.

I think it is also worthwhile to highlight that this book is neatly divided into chapters, one for each program (introductory, beginner's, intermediate, advanced), and one as introduction. That helps the reader to save time, due to the fact that he can find the exercises that correspond to his level quite quickly. What is more, it also gives each person the opportunity to advance at his own pace, something we are not always able to do in a class.

On in all, I think that this is an excellent book, and I strongly recommend it to anybody who practices Pilates, or would like to practice it. You won't be disappointed :)

Belen Alcat"
~ Written on 2006-01-12

"I had a bad experience with pilates books ,non of the previous books I bought have such good explanations and instructions as Alycea Ungaro's book, I'm already a certified Pilates instructor so I know what I'm talking about.I was happy to see this book was translated to hebrew and now is sold here in Israel.
The book has clorful and clear pictures with clear instructions of what to do and what not to do next to them, the exercises are divided to beginner, intermediate and advanced level and there's a chart with the order of the exercises for every level with little pics and a bonus magic circle workout in the end.
So have fun with it."
~ Written on 2005-12-29

"I can only agree with the other reviewers, this is an excellent book. I normally steer clear of "exercise books" - I've practiced Yoga and Tai Chi and currently practice Taekwondo and virtually every book I've seen on those subjects misses some basic dimension, e.g. the pictures aren't of the crucial moment or are from the wrong angle, the descriptions don't quite get the point across, etc. In this case, the pictures and descriptions are excellent. Since buying the book I have seen a few Pilates DVDs and discussed my technique with practitioners and I haven't found anything yet to make me think the book has sent me in the wrong direction. In my view, this is outstanding for an exercise book and well worth every penny. Enjoy!"
~ Written on 2004-10-23