Everyoneù from the absolute beginner to the most accomplished athleteùcan benefit from stretching on a regular basis. Whether preparing for a sporting event or just winding down from a stressful day, stretching can prevent injuries, improve posture and circulation and help you become more limber and relaxed. Now, renowned fitness instructor Tamilee Webb has developed stretching routines that will provide increased flexibility and vitality to people of all ages, lifestyles and levels of fitness.

Total Body Stretch for Beginners
Whether you just finished a game of football, played 18 holes of golf, need to rejuvenate after a hectic meeting, or simply want an active and energetic way to stretch, Total Body Stretch For Beginners will stretch those major muscle groups to help prevent injuries soreness. Tamilee has designed three separate 10-minute stretch programs to best fit your body, lifestyle and schedule. Choose the program that's right for you or combine all three stretch programs for a complete total body stretching routine.

Beginner's Stretch for Flexibility
Is yoga too difficult, boring, or uncomfortable for your body? Do you wish that there were an easier way to relax tired, aching and tense muscles and unwind after a stressful day? Beginners Stretch for Flexibility can help bring balance and peace to your body and spirit. Tamilee will lead you through a 30-minute total body stretching experience that is easy to follow and relaxing. It will help you create that perfect balance between mind, body and soul.

The first section, titled total Body Stretch for Beginners, consists of three 10-minute stretches. You can do all three or just do one.

The first stretch is called the standing stretch. This is for those of you who don't like to have to get down on the floor for exercising. You do all the stretching from a standing position. It also helps develop balance.

The second stretch is called the sitting stretch. You do the whole thing while sitting on a chair. This one requires a sturdy chair that won't tip over when you sit towards one side or the other. This one is for anyone who doesn't want to get down on the floor for exercising, but might not have enough balance to do the standing stretch.

The third stretch is called the floor stretch--and as the name implies, you do it while sitting on the floor. This is my personal favorite since it requires no balance so I get the best possible stretch.

Any one of these three stretches is complete on its own, but if you feel a need for a longer stretch, you can do all three.

The second section of the DVD is titled Beginners Stretch for Flexibility. It consists of one 30-minute stretch that includes a short relaxation exercise at the end. This one is a bit more challenging, but you feel SO good at the end.

On a daily basis, I do the floor stretch (10 minutes) after my cardio workout. This provides me with the best stretch. Every once in a while, I'll do the standing stretch instead of the floor stretch. Sometimes only once a week and sometimes more, I do the 30-minute stretch. I especially love to do the 30-minute stretch if I've had an especially stressful day or if I want to get really relaxed. :-)

The best part of these stretches is that I can do them. They are not all super-easy, but all are doable--even for someone just starting out like me. :-)

178 of 178 found the following review helpful:


For the average person, this is the DVD you're looking for.  Nov 10, 2006 By V. Messner
I'm a male in my mid-thirties. I am and always have been inflexible. I recently had back surgery and I realized that I could do one of two things: decide to never again take any physical risks in life and accept that I will continue to lose flexibility at an alarming rate due to lack of movement/activity. Option two was to take a serious look at how I could regain some of my range of motion and possibly even extend it. I chose the latter.

I've amassed a wide variety of yoga and stretching DVDs over the last year. The two I bought first were Tamilee's Total Stretch for Beginners and AM/PM Stretch for Health with Madelaine Lewis. These two remain favorites of mine.

Both are more geared toward the average person; no intimidating, foot-behind-the-head yoga poses here. These are basic stretches that should be safe for all, when coupled with common sense.

Although I like both DVDs mentioned above, Tammilee's DVD gives more bang for the buck. There are multiple options here, depending on how much time you have, There are three different 10-minute, total body workouts - one standing, one sitting and one on the floor. All the workouts are perfect for when you lack either the time or ambition to commit thirty-minutes or more to stretching.There is also a thirty-minute workout that gives you a more thorough stretch when that's what you're looking for.

This DVD gives you a little bit of everything. I'd recommend both this and AM/PM if you plan to purchase two DVDs, but Total Stretch is my recommendation if you only buy one. It gives you all the options you could need and is the best stretch DVD I've ever had.

152 of 158 found the following review helpful:


Not as good as Madeline Lewis' "AM/PM Stretch"  May 02, 2004
This video is only good if all that you want is a 5 minute stretching routine for before/after working out. It only targets the major muscles. The standing, sitting, & floor routines are all repetitions of stretching the same muscles, just in different ways. And it really is for beginners only; most of the stretches are extremely basic. I would not recommend it if you are looking for a TOTAL stretch for your whole body.

If you are looking for a relaxing stretch program for your entire body, then instead of this DVD, I recommend "AM/PM Stretch" by Gaiam with Madeline Lewis. Madeline Lewis gives better instructions about proper form, and she helps you target your breathing better. Plus, the mood on "AM/PM Stretch" is much more soothing.

Both DVD's are suitable for beginners. If you can afford both, then the two DVD's actually work well together - I use the "AM/PM Stretch" when I want to stretch my entire body and feel relaxed, and I use this Tamilee Webb DVD when I'm preparing to do aerobic exercise. I bought both DVD's at the same time, and while I don't hate this one, it just isn't nearly as thorough as the "AM/PM Stretch". Even for the stretches that the two DVD's have in common, the "AM/PM Stretch" gives more thorough directions on how to properly do each of them.

Only get this Tamilee Webb DVD if you don't know any of the major body stretches AND only if all that you need is something very quick so that you can go work-out.

36 of 36 found the following review helpful:


Great for the Flexibilty Challenged  Dec 16, 2002 By Sharon Berry
I have always had to work hard to do even simple stretches. After I injured my lower back in martial arts doing the repetitive kicking motions, stretching not only became challenging, but it was also painful. Physical therapy and traction didn't help. Spinal steroid injections for pain management didn't help. I tried "beginning" yoga and Pilates, but they were too difficult. I was ready to give up when I found this DVD with Tamilee. After only one session, I felt great! You can do 10-minute segments or combine them for a 30-minute session, which is what I would recommend for days you haven't done much exercise. Tamilee is a down-to-earth instructor and shows you how to gradually and safely build your range of motion. She also builds confidence in this no-pressure routine.

30 of 30 found the following review helpful:


Great, a must have!  Aug 18, 2003
I do this DVD everyday after my cardio workout and I love it. The Total Body Stretch section is basic stretches (some I didn't know of and some everyone knows) put in 3 fluid variations (standing, sitting, floor) my favorites are the standing and floor. The Biginners Stretch for Flexibility section is 30min stretching that is a little more hard than the 3 10min Total Body Stretches, so I would suggest doing the 10min ones for a week or two and then doing the 30min one for variation. I don't like Yoga and this DVD is a wonderful alternative. Stretching is an important part of any workout just as Cardio and Strength Training are.

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