The shelves of every big supermarket and online store are filled with the newest fitness DVDs... not much of surprise because of course we're in January! The diets are on and fitness regimes are in full swing, but are these fitness DVDs actually worth you spending your money on? Are they sustaining long term fitness? Do we stick to them?
I have previously purchased fitness DVDs but have found I'll use them every so often rather than everyday. I was even organising my old DVDs and found about 5 I'd forgotten I'd purchased. Sound familiar?!To be fair to myself I'd got those DVDs off Play.com for maybe a fiver and it was to keep me going at university so I didn't have to spend any money going to the gym. Did it work? No... clearly not!
You may or may not agree, but I get very bored doing the same thing day in day out. I mean for example if I'm doing a spin class constantly I'll start to remember which tracks are coming next and how intense it might be, or say I'm doing an aerobics class and the routine remains the same I'll know what's coming... where is the fun if it is exactly the same for the next 6 months? That for me is where live exercise classes will be my top choice as the instructors are always delivering new content to keep you interested, something you just don't get from a fitness DVD.
I know fitness DVDs have their place and after almost going full circle I've learnt how they work for people. It's for all of us whose lives are in full speed and don't seem to stop... money savers, Mums, those who work from home and those who work away etc.
I'm not a mother myself but my sister is and I know she truly struggles to fit any training in. It is hard work, I babysit sometimes and even planning to clean the floor can be a right struggle let alone getting out for a run. When the baby has gone down for an afternoon nap, as much as I've been told all you want to do is pop the kettle on and have a breather, doing a workout sometimes is all you need to have a kick up the bum. The same applies with trying to save money as some gyms tie you into a contract and charge a small fortune, that is where a fitness DVD could be your new best friend.
This is me at present! I do go to the gym but I also like to do different kinds of exercise as my gym only offers spin, boxing and bootcamp. I do miss yoga so I'll save that for 3pm every other day as a break from work. I have always struggled to do high impact fitness DVDs at home, even though I know I should 'go for it' sometimes I simply won't push as hard as I could on a run or in the gym. Saying that if for some reason I miss a training session I'll happily add a fitness DVD back in to make up the lost time.
Anyone else panic when they know they're working away from home and can't get to the gym? Hi! I always do especially if I'm in a good routine of going each day. What I have done is purchased realistic fitness videos on itunes that come with me when I'm away. You'll also find some free fitness apps are good to tie you over, but the majority of these are toning exercises or core work.
My personal verdict is that yes there is a place for a fitness DVD, but for long term fitness? Nope. I'll use a DVD purely when I have a day I can't get to the gym perhaps or I have more energy to burn, or even I want an alternative training session. I've been reading so many tweets about people buying fitness DVDs and doing them everyday, but will they feel that invigorated to continue doing that same DVD 6 months down the line?
If you need something to really kick you up the bum to get fit, shed pounds and to be honest, get your confidence to exercise in public, then yes it is great. There is a demand, why do you think Insanity has done as well as it has? It's helping to shed the top problem so you can then find something that works for you, but once that's done you need to keep going as a lot of people get where they are happy and stop... Then you're back to square one. I've gone through some of my favorite fitness DVDs that I think are genuinely good and could easily be used again and again.
Charlotte's Belly BlitzIf you'd of asked me normally I would of totally turned my nose up and regarded it as just another reality TV person releasing some faddy fitness DVD. The majority of them put all their weight back on a year later.... but this one I'm impressed with. The transformation Charlotte has gone through is ridiculous and the best bit for me is it's not some 4 week thing, this has taken her 6 months. Created with Richard Callendar from ITV's The Biggest Loser and David Souter, this workout is actually really good!
Davina's 7 Minute WorkoutI've not done this Davina work out but I previously have. The best thing about Davina workout s are that they are realistic, not a gimmicky new fitness trend, just decent well designed workouts. Davina is awesome anyway let's be honest and this is quick short, sharp fitness.
Roxy's Bite Sized YogaI have this on my iPad. It's short 15 minute workouts, so when I'm staying away with work this is perfect! I really love how it's taught. Roxy is most well known for her role in Emmerdale, but I actually didn't know who it to start with.
Insanity WorkoutI've had a go at some of the Insanity workouts before as my friend bought the package. Now if you want a fitness experience with real benefits, this is the best thing out there. It's interval training with numerous workouts and you follow the plan gradually increasing the intensity. Bloody awesome... just Google images to see peoples before and afters. It does cost significantly more than a single DVD, I believe it's around £100.00, but if you're serious this is an amazing buy.
Don't forget there are also a lot of online services you can subscribe to that have new fitness workouts on a daily basis, and if you have Sky TV have a look for FAB TV for full days filled with various workouts! So to conclude I'd say use fitness DVDs but don't rely on them, go for walks, go for runs, get outdoors as the possibilities are endless for all budgets... Good luck with whatever you're training with and happy working out!
