Thursday, August 09, 2007

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

By Kim Taylor

Doctor Lynn’s Anti-Aging Workout for Every Body: Flex & Tone

Dr. Lynn Anderson developed this 40-minute program to help exercisers improve their posture, increase their range of motion and instill balance and strength in their bones, muscles and core while offering exercise as an antidote for aging.

The scenery includes a misty-looking floor that is almost cloudlike, a backdrop of rainbow or nursery colors and blue mats used for floor exercises. The appearance of the room is soothing, as is Dr. Lynn’s voice.

She performs the graceful and almost balletlike movements while describing which body parts are being worked.

Although this workout video says it’s for everybody, it’s not. You have to be able to get down on the floor for the flexibility exercises and to reach and stretch on most of the others.

The two assistants in the video, Cheryl and Lara, are students of Dr. Lynn’s and are very careful in their movements. Most of the time, the camera is focused on Lynn and Cheryl.

Dr. Lynn features three workouts:

— The flexibility workout consists of simple stretching, warm-up and breathing exercises that benefit the entire body. The musical accompaniment is relaxing.

— The stretch and tone workout is a gentle workout in which viewers learn more advanced stretching techniques.

— For the balance and strength portion, you will need 3-pound weights, the stability ball and a body mat to do upper-body exercises, including chest presses, breast boosters and a workout on the triceps. The lower-body techniques offer strengthening exercises for the buttocks and the legs, as well as abdominal belly busters.