A growing number of people are overweight and obese, but you wouldn't know it by flipping through a magazine, watching TV or going to the movies. Thin is still "in" when it comes to models, actors, advertisements and yes, even exercise. We've known for a while that you can be overweight and fit at the same time, and certainly, many overweight men and women work out and live active lifestyles. Unfortunately, the world doesn't cater to the overweight. Airplane seats are too small; fashionable clothes are harder to come by; and most fitness programs don't offer the specific instruction and welcoming environments that many full-bodied people need in order to be successful. It's no wonder that 1/3 of SparkPeople members felt the need to lose weight before joining a gym in the first place!

Research from 2007 found that people who follow workout videos that prominently feature the instructor's thin or toned physique feel worse about themselves. Talk about low motivation to continue a program! Another recent study found that women who read fitness-related magazines while on an exercise bike exercised for a shorter duration than those who read general interest magazines that focused less on body shape. Apparently, all of this "thinspiration" isn't very good for us. So wouldn't it make sense that we'd all be more successful if we worked out with trainers or exercise instructors who looked more like us (and less like a seemingly unattainable ideal)? I think so.

A few fitness pioneers are paving the way for people of all sizes and ability levels to get fit without pressuring them to change or making them feel out of place or bad about themselves. We recently told you about Debra Mazda, founder of Shapely Girl fitness DVDs, which feature curvy women (including 165-pound Mazda herself) and back in June, I had the pleasure of reviewing Abby Lentz's DVD, HeavyWeight Yoga, which is specifically designed for overweight and obese individuals. I immediately fell in love with the DVD and everything that Abby represented. Soon after, she sent me her newest DVD, HeavyWeight Yoga 2: Change the Image of Yoga. I had the opportunity to try her new title a couple weeks ago. Want to know what I thought about it?

In her sophomore DVD in the HeavyWeight Yoga series, 61-year-old Abby brings even more to the table than in her first DVD, including eight of her students who help her demonstrate the poses in a "live" class format. The traditional workout includes five segments that run together seamlessly, but you can also select each segment individually from the menu to create your own class based on time available or ability. Here's what to expect during each of the five segments of the workout.

• Breathing and Centering (less than 2 minutes) to prepare your focus for the workout ahead. This takes place seated on the mat.
  
  
• Warm-up Series (25 minutes), also seated cross legged on the mat, to warm up, lubricate and gently massage the neck, wrist, elbow and shoulder joints. Seated hamstring, inner thigh, spine and torso stretches follow.
  
  
• Floor Poses (5 minutes), which include quite a bit of isometric abdominal work after your slowly roll down onto your back from a seated position. Additional leg stretches using a strap come next, as well as one of my favorites, happy baby pose. Abby is careful to instruct participants to work through their own ranges of motion and stretch to the point of "sweet discomfort," never pain. You'll also gently roll over onto your belly and do salambhasana (locust pose) before preparing to stand up. Abby has her students slowly transition to standing from hands and knees (table pose) to downward dog, and then by slowly walking their feet toward their hands to roll up.
  
  
• Standing Poses (10 minutes) only take a few minutes and include mountain pose (tadasana), the half moon series and eagle pose, which is a balancing pose (modifications explained and demonstrated). Five-pointed star, warrior 2, exalted warrior and a wide leg forward bend complete the standing poses before you make your way back down to the floor from a wide-leg downward dog and then return to hands and knees to prepare for the end of the workout.
  
  
• Savasana (corpse pose) makes up the last 10-15 minutes of the workout, just like in a traditional yoga class. This time is devoted to total relaxation and resting. You'll see each student lie down in a different position using various props like blankets, pillows, eye covers and blocks to find comfort while in savasana (corpse pose). There is no instruction or talking, but the soft music continues to play and if you were to actually watch the DVD, you'd see shots of the students relaxing intermixed with beautiful nature images.

The class is gentle and non-threatening; it's relaxing and it feels good. Abby helps every student (and viewer) feel successful by offering modifications to make poses easier or more comfortable, always instructing to work through your own range of motion and to stop if anything doesn't feel right. While Abby does not explain every modification in detail during the workout, you will see various modifications used by the students throughout the DVD, which I found to be just as helpful. A bonus feature, that adds her commentary to the workout while watching the DVD does provide even more insight and tips.

Abby's instruction is spot-on, and she sprinkles in small bits of visualization during certain poses and other reminders about loving yourself. Near the end of the DVD she says, "Be sure the voice that talks to you 24/7 is warm and loving, talks to you with care and concern, talks to you with respect and a big sense of humor…Talk to yourself as if you are your best friend."

The DVD bonus features include short interviews with each of the eight students on the DVD. "It's my hope that in seeing them and hearing their stories, you will come to know that you, too, can do yoga. And you can believe that the benefits of yoga can be yours," Abby explains in the introduction. Besides Abby's gentle and welcoming teaching style, my favorite thing about HeavyWeight Yoga 2 is the classroom full of students who are regular people. From the interviews (another bonus feature), I learned that they vary in age from 39 to 82. Some have survived cancer, weight-loss surgery, competitive athletics, injuries, menopause, health issues and work stress, yet each one of them has been able to practice HeavyWeight Yoga and reap the benefits in their lives.

"Don't let your size get in the way," say Sharon, 39, the largest in the group. 82-year-old Marie says that yoga has helped her feel better about herself and helps her feel good and move around better.

"Anybody can do yoga, explains Matt. "That's the message of this video, I think. Even if you've got some extra pounds or you're not very limber or you're older or have some medical issue, it doesn't matter. You just start where you are and go from there…Yoga is not just for women who are super thin. It's for everybody no matter what your body type. "

This DVD will change your image of yoga. It is completely appropriate for overweight or obese exercisers who want to try yoga successfully, but it is also gentle enough for people with limited mobility who might have trouble moving around, getting up and down off the floor, or have balance issues but want to help improve their functional range of motion. It would also make an excellent teaching tool for yoga instructors who want more ideas to help their full-bodied students feel welcome and successful in a yoga class. I highly recommend the DVD for anyone who wants to begin a gentler yoga practice! You can buy HeavyWeight Yoga 2 ($16.95) from Amazon.com or directly from Abby's website, HeartfeltYoga.com.

What do you think about Abby's mission to change the image of yoga? Have you tried Abby's first DVD? Will you try this one?