I have a gym membership that has been helpful for group fitness classes a few times a week. I've also gotten back in the habit of appreciating the variance and flexibility of a good DVD workout. Thankfully, it's a pretty booming market and there are lots of new options to try! Here's a few new ones that I had to try recently.
Physique 57 Cardio Sculpt
The awesomeness of Physique 57 DVDs and I go way back. Their traditional Physique 57 format DVDs are still my all-time favorites and are recommended to friends all the time. In fact, I just did the 2nd edition today and still feel the quiver! I've been eyeing the new Physique Cardio Blast workout but something from the trailer made me wonder if it would be intense enough. I finally rented it off the online workout site (genius), and it was super condense, intense and effective. I highly recommend it for days that you need to get in a shorter, 30 minute workout or for times that you are nursing an injury as it is very low impact and done without weights. It's being sold as a DVD now and bundled with Physique 57 Cardio Sculpt, which you can also try before you buy with the online streaming feature.
AKT in Motion
This new AKT in Motion DVD by Anna Kaiser (Kelly Ripa and Sarah Jessica Parker's trainer) combines dance cardio with toning segments. The dance cardio is fun and easy to follow and the DVD moves through segments with timed water breaks and motivation from Anna. It's a really fun DVD and I am always feeling toned and completely wiped the next day! I thought Anna's instruction could be too intense but it when you're doing the DVD it is actually just really motivating and fun. The workout itself is 60 minutes, so be prepared for a full run time of 84 with warm up and cool down, which is a little much to hold my attention in my living room and get in before a work day, but I think the workout is great so I am more committed to make it happen.
Buti Yoga and Shakti Sweat
I first heard of Buti Yoga on a TV show a few years ago and thought it was my kind of yoga. It mixes power yoga, Kundalini yoga and tribal dance for a really fun and lengthening workout. The spiraling of the core during the rotations in the movements is supposed to work inner and outer core muscles for a lean and strong middle. I have a ton of fun doing the Buti DVDs and the movements seem to feel challenging and natural. Shatki is more of a piyo version of the program and, in my opinion, is a little more choppy in style. The production quality on these is a little more homespun, but it's part of the fun, especially in the Buti workouts where there is some banter in the group. Buti Yoga is also a certification and can be taught at fitness centers, so you could find a class in your area to supplement the DVDs.
Pound Rockout Workout
I've been really anticipating this DVD release (I think I purchased it one of the first days it was on pre-sale!) as Pound is by far my favorite group fitness class. I signed up to do a Pound Pro certification on a late night feeding with Heidi when she was just a few weeks old and loved getting to know the format. When I took a master class with the founders I definitely got choked up when the first riffs were playing. The founders are so real, so fun and all about expression and endorphins and letting the results naturally follow.
I am a super Pound nerd but have a hard time finding the right class for me in Dallas. The Pound DVDs' production quality is amazing. The personalities are so fun and it's really beautifully done. There are five DVDs total, but I keep going back to the jam session, which is closest to the traditional class format. My only wish was that the run times were a bit longer and they had a few more jam session formats to mix things up more while staying in the traditional class format. The music really takes you through the workout, so this is one you can try when you feel like you really need to change it up to get motivated.
Switching things up on the regular and creating flexible and accessible opportunities to exercise has been a big part of me staying consistent with a job change and the ever changing demands of motherhood/life. What helps you get the motivation to stay the course? Any DVDs you're loving that I need to order?
