Search - Janis Saffell Dynamic Stretch on DVD

Bad cuing, Not balanced.

Fitness maven | Illinois | 01/07/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The voice-over narration could be vastly improved. Several times during the workout, Janis switches sides, but doesn't cue to do so, and since you are not looking at the screen at the time, you don't know what's going on. At other times, she cues "arms back" when "arms up" is what she means, and "bottom leg" when she means "top leg".

Moves opening the chest and back and leaning to each side to stretch the obliques are repeated three times during the workout. It seems like an aweful lot of oblique stretching, whereas the lower body (which needs more stretching in most people) is given short shrift.

"

I Have Found No Better Tool For Stretch

Patricia A. Williford | Los Angeles, CA | 03/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Janis Saffell Dynamic Stretch is the best dvd for stretching out your body if you are not in the mood a strict yoga routine. She performs and reponsibly teaches simple yet effective stretches that flow naturally. I also love that I can do this when I am really tired and want to be revitalized. Most of the routine is matwork so don't be afraid that you will have to stand the whole time. There is nothing dangerous or awkward about being guided through these exercises. That is not to say that you will not be challenged if you are full of intention and do the exercises the way she does them. She is extremely pleasant and easy to understand. Each exercise/stretch flows into the next and makes perfect sense. The routine is balanced and does not cause me pain. In fact, I love it so much because it actually relieves my pain and stiffness. She doesn't hurry through anything. She is equally skilled at teaching pilates, and you can buy her pilates dvd along with this one at a discount I think. I have purchased "Dynamic Stretch" four times now because I leave it places or I give it away to people who need it desperately because I know that they will never take a yoga class or do stretches on their own.

My dog stretches every time he gets up before he even takes a step. He is smarter than we humans I think. Janis' approach is smart. I think she demonstrates how human beings would behave instinctively (like my dog) if we were not conditioned to skip over being kind to ourselves and others. Take care of yourselves and encorporate this dvd into your life before you step out the door. I was eager to review this dvd and am glad to be generous with my praise because this has actually helped me. I can't say that about most of the things into which I have dumped money. I also enjoy "Pilates To Go" by Maria Leone and all of Maury Winsor's stuff. Most of the exercise dvd's I've purchased are junk. This one, I cannot live without. I have a spondilolethisis (can't spell). It means my back is broken. Lengthening at a slow, graceful pace is extremely important to my well-being."

Dynamic Zen

Rebecca Johnson | Washington State | 10/25/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Janis Saffell presents a series of gentle stretches to encourage more flexibility. She spends enough time in each stretch to make them effective. The workout begins with flowing standing poses and progresses on to mat work. A yoga mat is needed for all of the exercises.

The slow and controlled movements make this a relaxing stretch routine. At first you are doing forward bends and back bends and then a series of flowing exercises that are dancer-inspired movements.

You may recognize Mermaid from Pilates and Cat/Cow from Yoga. While most of the poses are beginner to intermediate the Teaser is more advanced. Plank with Battements is also from Pilates as is Single-Leg Pull, which is more of a strengthening exercise.

It may be advisable to walk on a treadmill or bike for at least 30 minutes before trying this DVD. This will help to warm up the body and prepare you for going deeper into the stretches. The setting is a beautiful pool and the music alternates between flute and classical guitar.

~The Rebecca Review
"

Fantastic quick stretch video!

Seren | Oakland, CA | 10/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Janis has a calming voice and keeps things short and sweet. This is the kind of video worth buying because you can watch it over and over and not get sick of it. You might need to view it once to see the exact format, or just glance at the screen often, but it is not hard to follow at all and once you do it once you should have no trouble from then on. She narrates with a voice over instead of trying to explain as she is doing which I much prefer in yoga videos since it is less disruptive. The video has relaxing, but non intrusive music in the background, which is rare. She gives a nice all over body stretch of back, shoulders, arms, legs, and obliques. She doesn't hit every muscles but the video is only about 30 mins long so how could she? This is exactly what I was looking for. Something mellow enough to do after a run or bike ride, or just anytime I find a spare 30 mins to stretch out. I am somewhat familiar with yoga and pilates so the moves are easy to follow, but there is obviously room for me to improve so I won't "grow out" of the video any time soon. I love how she keeps the flow going and really demonstrates the moves with precision and accuracy--you can see exactly what it should look like by watching her move her body. I have done a ton of yoga, pilates, stetch, etc. videos and this is one of my favorites by far! Also, you can Netflix it first to see if you like it before you buy it! ENJOY :)"