Barre Fitness with Jessica Smith

THE WORKOUT: Barre Fitness with Jessica Smith  ($14.95, In Wellness Systems LLC)

REVIEWED BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: You'll need good balance and enough experience to protect your back during some of the moves in these mostly low-impact workouts.

THE BREAKDOWN: Three 20 minute workouts—cardio, standing, and floor—are based on ballet moves. Lots of turnout, pointed toes, relevés, arabesques, and graceful arm movements (considerably more graceful when Jessica does them than when I do) require strong core, arms, legs and even feet. The cardio segment has high-impact options.

Jessica is a real charmer and currently my favorite fitness pro. A trained dancer, she makes everything look easy and it’s not, but she does it with a smile and no preening so I never feel like a clod even as I flail and wobble. The cardio segment is most challenging of the three for me; my arabesque combination is not something to which I would want witnesses. I particularly like Barre Burn, the standing segment, because I usually find working with weights tedious and this is a pleasantly fresh approach.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Ballerinas only look like they're floating on air. This is all hard work. And it's not even real ballet.

BUT IS IT FUN? It is, although I enjoy the floor and standing strength workouts more than the cardio because I'm such a klutzy ballerina. But I hope to master it someday.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You will feel it, shoulders to toes.

GEAR AND APPAREL: All three segments are done barefoot. The standing segment uses light weights and a sturdy chair, the floor work uses a small soft ball or a pillow.

FINAL WORD: This one is in heavy rotation for me these days; a new favorite.

10 Minute Solution Cardio Hip Hip

THE WORKOUT: 10 Minute Solution Cardio Hip Hop

REVIEWED BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: Fine for beginners who can handle choreography.

THE BREAKDOWN: I realize that hip hop is a music genre and not a race, but I can’t help but note that lanky, blonde Heather Graham is not the person who pops to mind when I hear “hip hop.”

But never mind.

I enjoy the first two of five segments of this DVD, but Heather lost me in the last three. The problem for me throughout is that the steps that change too quickly. A couple more reps of each step thrown into the complete dances, and some better cueing (which foot, please?), would help. And, I realize, so would having more than one person demonstrating—sometimes tricky steps are easier to grasp out if I see them done by different people with different styles and bodies.

I think what we have here is the classic problem of the professional forgetting how hard some stuff can be for the amateur. Slow this down a little and have a little sympathy for the beginner and it would be lots of fun.

That said, I’m sure if were determined, I could grasp the dances eventually. But the harder the choreography is to get a grip on, the less of a workout I get, so I am not terribly patient.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: I worked up a sweat—from dancing and also from frustration.

BUT IS IT FUN? Parts, yes. And it was a lot more fun when I figured out what the “downbeat” she kept mentioning was.

WHEN IT'S OVER: I have to pop in another DVD to get a full workout.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Nothing but rhythm.

FINAL WORD: Could be better. Wish it were. But I'll keep it around for those first 20 minutes.
--
I have a new book out! It's called The Introvert's Way: Living a Quiet Life in a Noisy World, and it's available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and a bookstore near you. (I hope. And if it's not, ask for it.)

Petra Kolber's Liquid Grooves

THE WORKOUT:  Petra Kolber's Liquid Grooves

REVIEW BY: Kritter

WHO CAN DO THIS: If I can successfully attempt it, anyone can. Petra's encouraging attitude and excellent cuing got me through a blend of modern dance, tai chi and yoga---all movements I've never explored. 

BEFORE YOU START: Make sure you have plenty of space.  There are leg and arm movements in all directions---you don't want to break the flow backing away from a piece of furniture. 

THE BREAKDOWN:  You can do just the warm-up plus one of the sequences, but if you've got the time the four sections really shine as one long workout. Awakening (the 4 minute warm up) flows easily into Sequences 1 and 2 (about 22 minutes per sequence), each section ending in a gathering of energy and a change of music, not a break in movement. It all ends with a 5 minute Moving Meditation of easy flowing moves, just music, no cuing.  I was surprised how much "taking it from the top" this DVD has, though thankfully she doesn't use that phrase and break the mood. New moves combine to make short routines, leading to two rounds of all the moves from both sequences.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Not fat-burning cardio, but you can work up a light sweat.  The movements are simple, you decide how much energy you're going to put in---how far you'll stretch, how deep you'll bend. Surprise arm toning bonus---by the end you realize you've been waving your arms around for nearly the entire 56 minute workout.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You'll not only be glad you did it, but surprised how quickly the time went by.


GEAR AND APPAREL:  No special props, no special clothes.  

BUT IS IT FUN?  Now it is. I had performance anxiety my first few attempts because dance-y moves and take-it-from-the-top routines are not my strong suit. It became fun once I relaxed and could focus on my breathing and enjoy the movement. 

FINAL WORD: Revitalizing

Leslie Sansone: Walk Off 10 Pounds

THE WORKOUT:   Leslie Sansone: Walk Off 10 Pounds

REVIEW BY: Kritter

 

UPFRONT:  There are LOTS of Leslie Sansone DVDs, and I own plenty of 'em. Leslie on her own, with a group, with weights, with stretch bands, without any props at all---a Leslie DVD for nearly every mood or level of fitness.  No matter how long it's been since my best of exercise intentions have fallen by the wayside, Leslie's always there to help me get back on an exercise program, and lately this DVD, from 2010, is the one I start with

WHO CAN DO THIS: If you can walk, Leslie will get you moving. Beginners can keep it low impact and you can choose a one, two, or three mile walk.  You can get a good aerobic workout without feeling inadequate---no fancy steps and combinations to trip you up.

BEFORE YOU START: Particularly as the pace picks up, focus on making sure your heels hit the ground.  You won't notice you're spending too much time on your toes until you pay the next day with very sore calves.

THE BREAKDOWN: This is Leslie as personal trainer, putting you through a 45-minute "multi-muscle" walk. You get a five-minute warmup of Leslie basics---walk in place, side steps, kicks and knee lifts---then the pace picks up and she leads you through a three-mile workout that includes lower body variations like hamstring curls and grapevines plus plenty of arm movements to up the intensity.

There's a cool down toward the end and a short series of calf and hamstring stretches that you'll probably want to supplement with some favorites of you own (she completely ignores your quadriceps).  Should you have energy to burn, there's a five-minute/five hundred step bonus segment.

Through it all Leslie coaches you through a motivational seminar on physical fitness, spiritual fitness, and "smart" food choices. So, yes, Leslie talks constantly.  If it gets on your nerves there's an option to exercise to music only

THE SWEAT FACTOR: I sweat plenty. As my fitness level improves I just put more effort in.

WHEN IT'S OVER: You'll be glad you got into your workout gear and walked the walk

GEAR AND APPAREL: A little floor space and a decent pair of shoes.  She doesn't use any extra gear, but if you wanna throw in some very light hand weights, no one's gonna stop you

BUT IS IT FUN? It's about as "fun" as a cardio workout's gonna get.

FINAL WORD:  Anything that gets me moving is a "smart choice".

Crunch Latin Rhythms Fat Blasting Dance

THE WORKOUT: Crunch Latin Rhythms Fat Blasting Dance

REVIEW BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: Anyone who’s gotta dance and enjoys learning choreography.

THE BREAKDOWN: Jennifer Galardi (and you know I'm a fan of hers) leads three Latin-flavored routines with her usual skill and likeability. Choreography—with interesting footwork, lots of hip action, and upper body flava—is not dauntingly complicated, but does require enough practice to present a pleasant challenge.

Galardi builds the dances at a reasonable pace, her cuing is excellent. Repetition as you learn the steps is part of the workout, and Galardi lets you know what body parts should feel the burn, which is helpful. (And we can all aspire to the pancake-flat abs she shows off in hip rolls.)

The DVD is the usual good-looking Crunch scene: a loft-like room with exposed bricks, lots cute cool chicks (and a guy). They’re fun to watch, too.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: As much as you want to, it’s all about your energy.

BUT IS IT FUN? So much fun. This has been among my two go-to DVDs for the past couple of stressful months. What better way to blow off steam than a little cha-cha-cha? (My other go-to these days is Kristi Yamaguchi.)

WHEN IT'S OVER: I’m sweaty and cheerful.

GEAR AND APPAREL: You’ll need a decent amount of floor space.

FINAL WORD: Love, love, love.

Kristi Yamaguchi Power Workout

Sophia reviewed this for The Dallas Morning News. Short answer: thumbs up. You'll need subscriber or member access to read the whole thing here.

10 Minute Solution Hip Hop Dance Mix

Sophia started out writing these reviews for The Dallas Morning News, and now she's back in there. What goes around comes around or something like that.

Read the review of 10 Minute Solution Hip Hop Dance Mix here.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through to Amazon from here.

Give a Gift of Fitness 2010

By Sophia

Standard disclaimer: If you’re shopping for a gift, make sure the recipient wants a fitness DVD. Otherwise, it’s like saying, “Happy Holidays, Lardass.”

OK, now that we have that out of the way, here are some suggestions from my 2010 favorites. You can also check my suggestions for 2009 and 2008. Some of my oldest DVDs remain in frequent rotation. And you can never have too many, since staving off boredom is key to staying on the program.

Of course, you’ll want to package this gift with my fabulous Suit Up and Show Up T-shirt.

Cardio

I’m all about Dance Off the Inches: Country Line Dance Party these days. It’s just fun and if I really throw myself into it, I feel reasonably worked out by the end.

I should have known all about Billy Blanks, Jr.—inventor of Tae Bo. But I never did Tae Bo and I didn’t know about Blanks until this year, when his Dance With Me Cardio Fit and his Dance With Me: Groove & Burn crossed my desk. Much fun.

Strength

Though it’s aimed at beginners, done with gusto, intermediates will also benefit from Step-by-Step Strength Training with Petra Kolber. One of the many pluses of this DVD is that also provides sensible balance challenges.

Core Fusion Energy Flow Yoga is not for novices in fitness or yoga. It’s athletic, energetic, challenging and effective. Who knew a ten-minute workout could be so hard? (I also recommend Core Fusion Pure Abs and Arms because good upper body workouts are harder to find than lower.)

If you’re already a hardbody, or close enough to aspire to being one Personal Training With Jackie: Xtreme Timesaver Training is 30 challenging minutes of combined strength and cardio.

Dance Off the Inches: Country Line Dance Party

THE WORKOUT: Dance Off the Inches: Country Line Dance Party

REVIEW BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: Beginner friendly—not too taxing, not too tricky.

THE BREAKDOWN: Dressed in Daisy Dukes, cowboy shirt tied to reveal her midriff, straw cowboy hat, and braids, instructor Amy Blackburn looks a little like a refugee from a girly mag. She’s also very low key, at one point emitting what has to be history’s most laconic “Yee-haw.”

No matter, this is a fun little workout: three easy 10-minute dances (plus warm-up and cool-down) with kicks and shuffles and sneaker scoots that feel more dancey than exercise-y. If you can’t pick up the steps right away (and I found most of them pretty easy to get), this series includes a step guide that breaks everything down. Blackburn’s cueing is excellent. This works primarily lower body and core, since most moves are done with thumbs hooked in your waistband, country-style.

The music, as always, is a bland approximation of the theme, which is a pity, as always.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: You sweat out what you put in and I’ve managed to work up a sweat.

BUT IS IT FUN? Yep.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Daisy Dukes and cowboy hat are optional and yes, it’s done in sneakers, not boots. You’ll need enough uncarpeted floor space to go about four steps in every direction.

FINAL WORD: Fun and different enough from other cardio dance routines to make it a great addition to a fitness DVD library.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through to Amazon from here.

Billy Blanks Jr.: Dance With Me Groove & Burn

THE WORKOUT: Billy Blanks Jr: Dance With Me Groove & Burn

REVIEW BY: Sophia


WHO CAN DO THIS: Easy enough for beginners, fun enough for intermediates. I found a couple of steps a little bit tricky to master, but not terribly.

THE BREAKDOWN: Three 10-minute dances—disco, African, and Latin—with warm-up and cool down. Each dance ends with a short toning “blast.” The DVD is customizable, so you can program the segments you want to do, and the order. You can also turn off Billy Blanks’ instruction if you want and just listen to the music. Not that the music is so great, but options are always nice.

I’ve been enjoying this DVD tremendously—well, most of it, at least. I can do the disco and African segments but things go horribly wrong every time I try the Latin segment, so I’ve been programming that one out. (This is an ongoing problem for me. I just don't have the Latin beat in my blood.) I also stick mostly with the low-impact alternative, to save both my knees and the bric-a-brac, since I can shake the floor with too much leaping around.

The routines are built slowly enough but energetically and the steps are fun. The dancers are much less distracting than they are in the last Billy Blanks workout I reviewed. Blanks has a likeable, happy vibe and his cuing is good. The cardio toning segments are a good touch—arm toning after the disco segment (ouch), lotsa squats after the African segment, thigh toning after the Latin segment.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: I can work up a good sweat.

BUT IS IT FUN? Absolutely.

WHEN IT'S OVER: I’m not in peak condition at the moment, so two segments (done energetically) plus warm-up and cool down leave  me pleasantly wobbly.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Most of the workout can be done on a fairly small area of uncarpeted floor, although parts of the Latin segment takes more floor space than I have to go forward and back.

FINAL WORD: I’ve been doing this one lots and probably will do it lots more.

Suit Up and Walk: The Country Music Mix

Now for something a little different. Sure, I'm a huge fan of the workout DVD, especially since I live in Texas where it's roughly eight million degrees for seven months out of the year. But right now, we are (finally!) starting to feel that delicious fresh autumn air and it's time to get out, get out, get OUT of the house! So instead of working out in front of the TV, I'm plugging into my iPod and taking my workout to the streets.

I've been fitness walking for many years now. (I don't like the term "power walking." It sounds goofy to me.) I started making walking mixes way back when the only available technology for such things was cassette tape. One mix could take an entire weekend of taping and retaping to perfect. I'm glad those days are gone

So in celebration of autumn, I thought I'd toss out a few fun mixes of some of my favorite walking songs. I aim for songs of a pace you can walk along with, bookended with warm-up and cool down songs.

And because I'm That Kind Of Girl, I'm going to start with a country mix. Some cool country, some dorky country, a little classic country. It's all good. (Well, I like it anyway.) You can click through to buy the songs from Amazon if you are so inclined. More mixes to come.

Personal Training With Jackie: Xtreme Timesaver Training

THE WORKOUT: Personal Training With Jackie: Xtreme Timesaver Training

WHO CAN DO THIS: You'll need to know proper form for using light weights.

THE BREAKDOWN: I am not generally Xtreme anything, except maybe hungry, and I tend to be shy about trying DVDs with a seriously ripped trainer on the cover. But despite the Xtremity and Jackie Warner’s intimidating six-pack, I decided that 30 tough minutes might be just the jolt my increasingly complacent workout needed.

Compound moves work the upper and lower body and core simultaneously, which also elevates the heart rate to the fat-burning zone. Each move is done for one minute, and when I say “is done” I mean Warner and her oh-so-fit cohorts Madison and Jericho do it for one minute. I manage 30 seconds before pausing to gasp for a while before gamely trying to rejoin--with varying success.

I used three-pound weights the first time I tried this and had to put them down halfway through each exercise and finish the reps with no weights (as Jericho demonstrates in the modifications). The next time, I used the one-pound weight gloves from 10 Minute Solution Knockout Body! and those worked great. Love those gloves.

Warner is the kind of trainer who exults in making you hate her, which is fine. I prefer that to a trainer who pretends everyone is having fun. The workout is just the right level of tough, for when you want to kick your own ass a little. I particularly like that although it includes lots (and lots and lots and lots) of the dreaded lunges, everything is done at a moderate pace. This gives me time to set up my lunges properly (protecting my wonky knees), and allows me to control my weights rather than flailing.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Very sweaty.

BUT IS IT FUN? Not fun, exactly, but quick and satisfying.

WHEN IT'S OVER: Endorphins, a sense of accomplishment, and wobbly legs.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Light weights, some floor space, and a mat. Warner wears silly, baggy, low-slung shorts, but I don’t think those are necessary.

FINAL WORD: Very nice; a keeper.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.

Dance and Be Fit: Lower Body Burn

THE WORKOUT: Dance and Be Fit: Lower Body Burn

WHO CAN DO THIS: Some dance training would help, but at the very least you should know how not to pull muscles. And bring all your self confidence.

THE BREAKDOWN: I love the dance style of this DVD—it’s like a mix between modern dance and Dean Martin’s Golddiggers. There’s nothing hip-hoppy about it at all and the challenges are grace and long lines more than attitude and flava.

You know right from the warm-up that you’re not in for a run-of-the-mill workout. The warm up is done seated on the floor and manages to be a dance anyway, with straddles, torso contractions, twists with legs swinging side to side. It’s interesting, challenging and uses muscles in a different way from most workouts. Same with the two 20-minute workouts. Although targeting the lower body, choreography includes head, arms, and hands.

I enjoyed the “Heavenly Hips” segment. I’m not sure it will do much to minimize my maximums, but it’s fun and a decent cardio workout. Things kinda fell apart for me in the “Lovely Legs” segment, though, because it has quite possibly the worst cueing ever. The voiceover of fitness pro Kimberly Miguel Mullen says “get ready to…,” while on screen, she and her crew are already doing whatever you’re supposed to prepare for. Steps change quickly with nothing to hang onto so you can prepare (i.e. “Do this eight more times”). Sometimes the cues are just plain wrong, telling you to change when it’s not yet time. Even the music seems off. It seems the voiceover was simply recorded while Mullen was watching the video—it’s more like play-by-play than cueing.

I’ve done Heavenly Hips a couple of times, but didn't make it through Lovely Legs once. The cool down is cool, if a little tricky to keep up with.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Not killer, but you’ll sweat.

BUT IS IT FUN? Most of it, yes.

WHEN IT'S OVER: If you’ve done just Heavenly Hips, you might want to pop another DVD in the machine to continue the workout.

GEAR AND APPAREL: The workout is done barefoot. You'll need a fairly large floor space.

FINAL WORD: I like it but wish it were better.

t forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.

Keeping Fit 3 Pack

THE WORKOUT: Keeping Fit 3 Pack

WHO CAN DO THIS: Intermediate and advanced exercisers who don't need to enjoy their workout.

THE BREAKDOWN: Three DVDs—Strength, Cardio, Pilates—with 10 five-minute workouts each. The series is designed, according to the package, to help you stay fit through your 40s, 50s, and 60s. Being one of those types of people, I’m interested in workouts targeting our Very Special Needs. And fitness pro Andrea Metcalf is cut and not 20 years old, which is cool. I was rooting for these workouts.

But I hated them so much, I assumed I’d missed the point. Although I don't always watch intro segments, which often are just blah-blah, I watched one of these specifically hoping Metcalf would express a philosophy that would explain why these workouts were better than I thought. But it was just blah-blah, and she lost me entirely when she said each five-minute workouts provides “simple motions that incorporate both upper and lower body and target the midsection” while demonstrating a move combining rows, lateral lifts, and deep curtsies. All at once. Nothing simple about that. Every limb is going in a different direction. With hand weights.

Each five-minute segment tries to pack a full workout into a frenetic pace. I flailed around, missing my nose with my three-pound weights, twisting knees, tripping on my own feet. I’m usually pretty good at picking up workouts quickly but I'm getting to the age where I worry about hurting myself. This program seems like an injury waiting to happen.

And when you think about it (I grumbled to myself as I bumbled and shvitzed), why would anyone want to do a five-minute workout, anyway? If you’ve bothered to suit up and show up, you’re gonna wanna put in more than five minutes. But the workouts are so frenetic, doing more than one five-minute segment isn’t much fun. I suppose you could mix and match from the three DVDs, but that’s a lot of changing DVDs.

FWIW, the Pilates DVD is OK, but you can't buy just that one. and will be sold separately, though there are better ones out there.

With all due respect to good intentions…fail.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Yeah.

BUT IS IT FUN? No.

WHEN IT'S OVER: My knees hurt.

GEAR AND APPAREL: Light weights, mat, floor. Whatever.

FINAL WORD: Feh.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.

Dance With me Cardio Fit

THE WORKOUT: Dance With Me Cardio Fit

WHO CAN DO THIS: You don’t have to be fit but you do need rhythm.

THE BREAKDOWN: Billy Blanks, Jr., has an abundance of happy, as does his wife, Sharon, who dances next to him in these three fast-paced 10-minute dance workouts—hip-hop, country, and Bollywood—interspersed with two minute faster-paced cardio blasts of jumping jacks, ponies, and such.

The first time I did this DVD, much profanity and hate occurred. The problem is busyness. An overly busy background makes it hard to see what’s happening; overly flava-full dancers confuse the choreography; the sometimes haphazard cueing is hard to hear over the music.

So I tripped over my own feet while I fought to focus on choreography that moves pretty fast, uses feet, arms, head, and chest with flava, and even adds a little vocalizing here and there—a huh in the hip-hop, a yee-haw in the country. I was distracted by the dancers, and then there was Sharon getting all up in my face. I wanted everything and everyone to ratchet back a notch or two.

Often I’ll drop a DVD that frustrates me on the first go-around. But something about this one appealed to me so I gave it another shot, focusing on Billy and the basic steps and ignoring the other dancers. And that time, I got the choreography right and had lots of fun. The steps are fresh and dancey and once I’d mastered them, I got overly flava-ful myself. Well with the hip-hop and country, anyway. My first experience with Bollywood was so humiliatingly awful, I didn’t have the heart to try again yet. Maybe another day. Maybe.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Pretty sweaty if you do the two-minute cardio blasts. Otherwise, just slightly sweaty.

BUT IS IT FUN? Yep, if you give it a chance.

WHEN IT'S OVER: I felt good, though I probably should work a little longer.

GEAR AND APPAREL: You’ll need enough uncarpeted floor space to go four steps forward, eight grapevines side to side.

FINAL WORD: Thumbs up. And, by the way, if your cable TV offers Video On Demand (Comcast, Time Warner and others) you can try before you buy this workout.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.

Element: Pilates Weight Loss for Beginners

THE WORKOUT: Element: Pilates Weight Loss for Beginners

WHO CAN DO THIS: Beginners to Pilates, not beginners to exercising.

THE BREAKDOWN: About 20 minutes of Pilates-based cardio and 20 minutes of mat work add up to a just-hard-enough workout by Brooke Siler, who owns the AB Pilates Studio in New York City and has trained Kristen Dunst, Lauren Hutton, Madonna, blablabla.

Pilates is like being beaten bloody with soft pillows. It looks so easy, hurts so bad…good...bad. The cardio workout is done standing, with big but highly controlled twists, bends, squats and lunges. Although I have done only a smattering of Pilates, the mat work seems straightforward and traditional—the hundred, roll ups, leg circles and stretches, sawing and rocking, a few push-ups. It’s relatively painless, in an exhausting way—it goes quickly and, best of all, feels effective.

Siler’s movements (done silently with voiceover and mildly irritating music) are mercilessly precise, but the high bar she sets is motivating. Her instructions are clear and expressive; at various times you draw circles on the ceiling, crash like wave, and brush crumbs from your thigh.

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Plenty of exertion, plenty of sweat. Surprisingly. But then again, I live in Dallas and it’s summer. I’d be sweating anyway.

BUT IS IT FUN? Sure, why not.

WHEN IT'S OVER: Your muscles will be talkin' to you.

GEAR AND APPAREL: A mat or carpeted floor.

FINAL WORD: Like it a lot.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.

Keeping Fit in Your 50s

THE WORKOUT: Keeping Fit in Your 50s - Aerobics, Keeping Fit in Your 50s - Strength, Keeping Fit in Your 50s - Flexibility

REVIEW BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: Anyone

THE BREAKDOWN: I was excited to hear about this three-DVD collection. Like many people in their 50s, I've been working out since the 1980s, when Ken Cooper coined the term “aerobics” and Jane Fonda first put on legwarmers. But, also like many of my peers, I find that programs aimed at people half my age can be rough on some parts of my anatomy--in my case, my knees, which have been doing their job for a long time and are wearing out. So I thought this program would factor in our changing bodies to help us keep active ("Keeping Fit...") while not hurting ourselves.

Well, no. The name for this series should be “Getting Fit in Your 50s,” since it is basic, basic, basic, presented in a Romper Room voice by exercise physiologist Robyn Stuhr. Model Cindy Joseph also demonstrates, but she looks awfully fit. She probably isn't starting from scratch, either.

The workouts, backed by throbbing porn-movie music, are repetitive and tedious. I managed to go into a Zen state during the strength training with weights, but I had to push myself through the aerobics and the flexibility program was so drab, I gave up. If they're trying to inspire couch potatoes, who might benefit from this basic training, shouldn't they have made the workouts a little bit fun? Shouting “Woo!” and “Yeehaw!” doesn't help. And for me, advanced add-ons weren't enough to salvage the workouts.

And perhaps most misguided are all those lunges. Lunges! Even Jane Fonda in her legwarmer days hated those, and here they go on and on and on and on … oy, my aging knees. Of all the standard exercises, that's the one for which I most need a substitute. Besides, after all these years working out, haven’t we earned something less odious?

THE SWEAT FACTOR: Yes, I got sweaty.

BUT IS IT FUN? No, I didn't have fun.

WHEN IT'S OVER: I was pretty sore for a couple of days after all those lunges, lunges, lunges. I have no doubt these workouts would do their job if I ever did them again.

GEAR AND APPAREL: The strength workout requires weights, a strap or towel, a chair.

FINAL WORD: I still think a series tailored to people in their 50s is a great idea.

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.

Fighting Workout Boredom

 By Sophia

Here's why I love having a library of DVDs, and why I love 10-minute formats.

My workout this week is a little cha-cha warm-up with Dance off the Inches: Dance It off Ballroom. Then I get some upper body with a chapter from 10 Minute Solution: Knockout Body. Then 10 minutes of lower body with 10 Minute Solution: Fat Blasting Dance Mix. That's 30 varied and somewhat vigorous minutes.

It's a beautiful day so I look forward to walking the dog later. (He insists.) That will add another 30 minutes to an hour, depending on my mood and schedule. And if I need to get the kinks out later, I'll try to squeeze in a few yoga poses.

Variety works for me.

For my full reviews of the DVDs:

Dance it Off Ballroom
Knockout Body
Fat Burning Dance Mix

Don't forget, you can help support this site if you buy your DVDs by clicking through the link above.

Give a Gift of Fitness '09

By Sophia

First, my standing disclaimer when it comes to buying fitness videos as gifts: Be sure the recipient actually, actively wants a fitness DVD. Otherwise, it’s just an ugly hint.

That said, here’s a gift list of DVDs that I’ve tried this year (or that I tried too late to put on last year’s list) and would recommend. And since a good workout never goes out of style (not so the fashions), check out last year’s list as well.

Just starting out

Nobody cues better than Petra Colber which makes Cardio for Beginners that much better for beginners. Broken into two ten-minute segments (one dance, one “athletic”) and two 20-minute segments (ditto), the workout is fun and useful.

Hemalayaa is one of the more appealing fitness pros out there and her Bollywood Booty is just a silly fun way to get the heart going.

Dance Off the Inches Dance it off Ballroom also makes the workout more frolic than work for the dance-friendly.

Needs new motivation

I love Ten Minute Solution Knockout Body. You get to punch out some aggression, the weighted gloves are a fun gizmo, and it’s a good upper body workout. Because the gloves are included, this is a gift with a little extra flash.

Fat Burning Fusion is an interesting Pilates flow that melds strength, stretch and cardio. Familiarity with Pilates and yoga are a plus.

I don’t know about you but, for me, lifting weights is tedious. But brisk and efficient Kathy Smith: Total Body Lift makes the job less onerous.

Only the strong survive


Jeanette Jenkins will charm the pants off you while kicking your butt. Jeanette Jenkins Sexy Arms, Abs & Legs is a full hour of smiling through the pain. “How do you think Madonna got so hot?” Jeanette taunts amiably.

I can’t finish all the reps of anything in the excruciatingly subtle Core Fusion Pure Abs and Arms, but I keep trying. This is not only a tough workout, but you need to know how your muscles work to do it justice.

Element: Yoga for Weight Loss is not my favorite-ever yoga DVD, but it’s a sensible, brisk flow that would surely live up to its promise if you stick to the program.

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Dance Off the Inches: Dance it off Ballroom

THE WORKOUT: Dance Off the Inches: Dance it off Ballroom

REVIEW BY: Sophia

WHO CAN DO THIS: This low-impact cardio workout is suitable for beginners who enjoy mastering footwork.
THE BREAKDOWN: Ballroom dancer Kristina Milova starts the workout with a fairly slow cha-cha, moves into a moderately paced salsa and culminates with a brisk jive segment, each about ten minutes long. She builds each routine slowly and if you have experience with dance aerobics you’ll probably be able to master the steps fairly easily. A step guide can help with any steps that give you trouble—which for me was the entire salsa segment. The cooldown ends with a flourish: the ballroom dancer bow. I plan to master that for use in a variety of situations.
My only quibble is with the cueing—it’s always a beat too late and sometimes unclear. Which beginning are we taking it from--the beginning of the entire routine or of the segment she’s teaching? And if we’re going back to the very beginning, a little reminder of where we start would help. I suppose if you do this DVD regularly you’d learn and this would no longer matter.
THE SWEAT FACTOR: If you’re not a rank beginner you’ll want to give it your all and do all three segments to work up a sweat.

BUT IS IT FUN? It is.
WHEN IT'S OVER: You’ll have a glow.
GEAR AND APPAREL: You need enough uncarpeted floor to go about four steps forward and side to side. But you can fudge it in a smaller space.
FINAL WORD: A pleasant little workout for anyone who doesn’t really like working out.

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