Workouts to Escape the Summer Heat

by Joanna

It seems like this summer has been a hot one so far!  It’s been challenging to stay active when the weather reaches 100 degrees. BUT, I have been able to find a way to burn some extra calories by going through my current exercise DVD collection inside with the relief of my air conditioned living room. Below are the ones I really like and seem to reach for first:

Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred
Before popping this in the DVD player for the first time, I was a little nervous, I’m not going to lie! I had seen Jillian when she was on the Biggest Loser and remember her screaming at the contestants. I was really hoping that wasn’t how she was going to be on the DVDs. But to my surprise, she was firm but nice! There are three different people doing the exercises, one who is doing the exercises modified for a beginner, one who would be considered intermediate, and one who is performing the exercises in an advanced way. This is nice because if you are a beginner, for instance, you can follow the person who is doing modified exercises and then work up to the advanced. The DVD will last you quite a while this way!

Rodney Yee’s Beginner Yoga
I had purchased this one because I was too intimidated to go to the yoga class at my gym a few years ago.Someone recommended this to me and I’m glad I got it. Rodney goes through the most common poses and shows how to do them correctly but also shows how most people do them incorrectly. In addition to the instructional section, there is a 20-minute Morning Workout and a 15-minute Evening Workout. Even if you are not a beginner, this can help perfect the common poses and bring you back to basics.

10 Minute Solution: Hip Hop Dance Mix
I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that I own this, but I do and you know what… I love it!The only reason I bought it was because I was missing Zumba at my gym and it was on sale, so I thought I would give it a shot. There are five 10 minute sessions and while it didn’t get my heart rate up as much as Zumba, it was fun and I burned more calories than sitting on my rump watching Teen Wolf.

Do you have any DVDs that you recommend?When I exhaust these three I’ll be looking for new ones.I’ve heard good things about the Leslie Sansone videos and the other Jillian Michael’s videos. I’m not at the point of trying P90X or Insanity, though. Maybe someday!



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