Yoga Dancing with Jillian
At last! The long awaited reviews of my varied exercises.
1. Dancing with the Stars - Dance Off the Pounds
First, allow me to clarify: I am not a dancer. NOT. AT. ALL. I am out of my element in aerobics classes and on dance floors. So I was a little concerned that I would spend 45 minutes with my ankles wrapped around each other, worried that some hidden camera was broadcasting my attempts to all the internet
But no worries! The dancers teach at a mercifully slow pace and pick it up as they move through the routines. After 45 minutes - 15 minutes each of Jive, Swing and Quickstep - I am sweating, but not out of breath. The dances have me spending a lot of time on my toes and jumping around a bit, which does provide a nice calf- and core workout.
I think my favorite part about this one is that it is not cheesy! The dancers are perky, but not annoying. My recommendation: This one is great for those "I don't feel like working out" days, because of its fun factor.
2. Jillian Michaels' Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism.
Holy cow. I'm not sure I ever actually finished this workout. Yes, because I couldn't. Jillian, The Biggest Loser's feared personal trainer, means business. That said, I reeaaally like this DVD. The workout is broken into 7 circuits, with one set of repeated exercises per circuit. So you do 5 or 6 exercises, twice, and then you move on to a new set of exercises. And these are the types of exercises I understand: Punch. Kick. Lunge. Kick some more. And until Jillian tells me I did an "amazing job" at the end of the 50 minutes, it is also not cheesy. I can feel this one working while I'm in the middle of it. My recommendation: Good for an indoor butt-kicking.
3. MTV Yoga for Beginners
My previous experience with yoga is kind of like dancing. Awkward, tied in knots, not understanding. But I've tried this one, at the recommendation of a friend, and I think I'm a fan. The instructor moves me through the poses clearly enough to keep me from getting frustrated, and quickly enough for it to be a pretty good workout. I can feel my muscles lengthening as I sweat through pose after pose, and I'm aware that if I keep at it (I've done it 3 or 4 times), I might see some pretty good results. My recommendation: Good for an extra workout or when in need of a good stretch.
4. EA Sports Active Personal Trainer for Wii
Who would've thought that a video game would have my number? I selected a 40 minute "Hard" workout and after about 30 minutes I had to ask my husband for a towel so that I wouldn't slip on the sweaty floor. In my family room. The floor that was wet from the sweat dripping off my body. From a video game. This game had me running, jumping, lunging, punching, curling, kicking...for a solid 40 minutes. And when I finished, I was sore. My recommendation: Good and fun.
1. Dancing with the Stars - Dance Off the Pounds
First, allow me to clarify: I am not a dancer. NOT. AT. ALL. I am out of my element in aerobics classes and on dance floors. So I was a little concerned that I would spend 45 minutes with my ankles wrapped around each other, worried that some hidden camera was broadcasting my attempts to all the internet
But no worries! The dancers teach at a mercifully slow pace and pick it up as they move through the routines. After 45 minutes - 15 minutes each of Jive, Swing and Quickstep - I am sweating, but not out of breath. The dances have me spending a lot of time on my toes and jumping around a bit, which does provide a nice calf- and core workout.
I think my favorite part about this one is that it is not cheesy! The dancers are perky, but not annoying. My recommendation: This one is great for those "I don't feel like working out" days, because of its fun factor.
2. Jillian Michaels' Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism.
Holy cow. I'm not sure I ever actually finished this workout. Yes, because I couldn't. Jillian, The Biggest Loser's feared personal trainer, means business. That said, I reeaaally like this DVD. The workout is broken into 7 circuits, with one set of repeated exercises per circuit. So you do 5 or 6 exercises, twice, and then you move on to a new set of exercises. And these are the types of exercises I understand: Punch. Kick. Lunge. Kick some more. And until Jillian tells me I did an "amazing job" at the end of the 50 minutes, it is also not cheesy. I can feel this one working while I'm in the middle of it. My recommendation: Good for an indoor butt-kicking.
3. MTV Yoga for Beginners
My previous experience with yoga is kind of like dancing. Awkward, tied in knots, not understanding. But I've tried this one, at the recommendation of a friend, and I think I'm a fan. The instructor moves me through the poses clearly enough to keep me from getting frustrated, and quickly enough for it to be a pretty good workout. I can feel my muscles lengthening as I sweat through pose after pose, and I'm aware that if I keep at it (I've done it 3 or 4 times), I might see some pretty good results. My recommendation: Good for an extra workout or when in need of a good stretch.
4. EA Sports Active Personal Trainer for Wii
Who would've thought that a video game would have my number? I selected a 40 minute "Hard" workout and after about 30 minutes I had to ask my husband for a towel so that I wouldn't slip on the sweaty floor. In my family room. The floor that was wet from the sweat dripping off my body. From a video game. This game had me running, jumping, lunging, punching, curling, kicking...for a solid 40 minutes. And when I finished, I was sore. My recommendation: Good and fun.
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