|
Most fitness professionals say that you need variety in your workout to make it effective. Besides busting boredom, variety ensures that you are working your total body! However, for us "at-home" exercisers, getting new DVD's and fitness equiptment can become quite expensive. And some videos are what I call duds . . . they just don't spark my interest or they aren't fun to do.
So, let me introduce you to seven different videos that are very effective for weight loss and overall fitness; one for each day of the week! However, just adding one new workout will help boost your results. So pick one that sparks your interest and get moving!
Day One: Walk Slim: 4 Fast Miles - Leslie Sansone - This video can be done by absolutely anyone, anywhere. If you're not already familiar with Leslie's workouts, they are low-impact, and consist of four simple moves (walking, kicking, knee-ups, and side steps). The motions can be done at full range or half-range (so if you can't kick quite as high, then just do half range). What really makes this workout effective is the pace of the music rather than the moves. So as long as you're going, you're in the program. This specific video also adds high impact "jogging" to the workout, but people who wish to stay low impact can do power walking instead. It's fun, and easy!
Day Two: Tight On Time: Body Blast - Tamilee Webb - Today is a power day! Tight on time workouts are just ten minutes each, but use four limb motion to make the most use of every second. Trust me, this video will get you sweating! Pick two sections, and the stretch segment (which is amazing, by the way). Tamilee's charisma will keep you going through the tough sets. The good news is you'll be done quickly, and can treat yourself to a nice long shower afterwards for a job well done!
Day Three: The Firm: Ultimate Fat Burning Workout - Alison Davis - This is a coordinated routine video combining aerobics, light lifting, and abs work into one 45 minute session. It also uses four limb motion so you are working your upper body and lower body at the same time. I enjoyed the variety of muscles worked throughout the video. I feel like I get a complete body blast when I do this video. One warning, the video is very demanding, and so don't forget to take water/stretch breaks between segments. That will help you keep your endurance for the entire video.
Day Four: Fit to Strip - Carmen Electra - I know so many girls who keep this among their top workout videos. It's actually one of the few I bring on vacation because it's quick, effective, and doesn't require any extra equipment. Even though this is part of Carmen's Striptease workout series, there isn't any dancing in this one. It's all about toning up your muscles for a body that looks great in anything. I love the interactive menus, you can choose to target different areas of your body and customize the music tracks. It's also a great for people who like to work out a little in the morning and a little in the evening. You can easily incorporate a few of these moves before heading out the door or hopping in bed.
Day Five: Caribbean Workout - Aerobics - This DVD has to win my award for "Most Bang for Your Buck". It's so inexpensive to order on the internet now, and it contains four TV length workout episodes (so 23 minutes x 4 episodes). The aerobic routines are very easy to follow, and the scenery on the video makes it more visually interesting than most other workouts I've tried.
Day Six: The Girls Next Door Workout - Okay, some of you may now be thinking "She's recommending Carmen Electra AND Hugh Hefner's Girlfriends?!" But honestly, the Girls Next Door managed to create the PERFECT workout video for the girl on the go. It's also a great vacation video for when you don't have a lot of time or space to work out. Each section is 15 minutes, but targets a different type of workout that targets the areas that we need to work most. Holly does a great hand-weight routine using a stability ball. Bridget does her "Butt and Gut" routine which really burns. Then Kendra has a "martial arts" routine that targets the abs and legs. Pick any two sections, or do one plus a 20-30 minute treadmill session.
Day Seven: Pilates: Beginning Mat Workout - Ana Caban - If you haven't tried Pilates yet, let me tell you it's the best way to get stronger, longer, and leaner all at the same time. This is my favorite beginners pilates workout, because it offers great modified movements for those of us who still need to work on their flexibility. I truly believe that this workout can be done by anyone. However, it also offers challenges for more advanced exercisers, so it's a video that you can grow with as you get stronger. Also, since pilates is based on stretching, it can be a great relaxer as well. I sometimes use it as my "quiet time" activity.
|
