Video Fitness (www.videofitness.com): This Web site doesn’t sell
DVDs or videos, but you can trade with other videophiles through the
site’s Video Exchange. You post your DVD “wish list” and a list of your
own tapes that you don’t like or have outgrown and then negotiate
trades with other VFers. No money changes hands.Your DVD options
Whatever you want to improve, tighten, tone, build, or reduce, there’s an
exercise DVD out there for you. Chances are, you’ll find dozens. Exercise
DVDs usually fall into one of the following categories.
Aerobic
This category includes high- and low-impact aerobics, step aerobics, strip
aerobics, Spinning, funk, jump rope, and kickboxing tapes. The aim is to
keep your heart rate elevated and your calorie burn high. Look for tips on
proper form, how to use the equipment, and how to check your intensity
level. These tapes should include an easy warm-up to get your blood flowing.
The aerobic workout generally lasts 10 to 45 minutes. The cooldown should
last at least three minutes and should be followed by a stretching session.
Strength training
Strength-training (also known as muscle toning or sculpting) DVDs use a
variety of equipment, including dumbbells, bars, tubes, and bands. Some
tapes focus on a particular body area, such as abdominals, thighs, or arms;
others tone your whole body. You generally find two types of toning DVDs:
gym-style and choreographed. Gym-style workouts typically work one
muscle group at a time, doing 10 to 15 repetitions, and you usually need a
weight bench.
Choreographed toning routines may work several muscle groups at once or
rotate. These routines aren’t dancy, but some of them do require coordination.
They tend to give you more aerobic conditioning than gym-style workouts,
but they won’t build as much strength.
Watch these choreographed routines carefully: The instructor shouldn’t have
you doing a massive number of repetitions. You shouldn’t do more than 15
reps per set — perhaps 30 for abdominals.
Toning tapes should explain how to choose the proper weight for each exer-
cise. The warm-up should be well-rounded but have a bit more emphasis on
the body parts you use in the main workout. The instructor should provide
tips on proper form, how to make the exercise harder or easier, and how to
modify a move if, say, you have a back or elbow injury. The cooldown and
stretch segments should be similar to those in aerobic tapes.
Chapter 19: Choosing an Exercise Class or DVD 299