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Step One: are videos for you?
Advantages
They are inexpensive.
You mean you DON'T want to pay hundreds of
dollars per year for a health club? Perhaps your
budget can't handle one of those club-quality
home treadmills?...For less than the cost of most
one year health club memberships, you can get a
high quality step bench, several pairs of
dumbells, aerobic shoes, and a nice collection of
exercise videos, which generally cost between
$10-25 each. When next year rolls around, you'll
still have your equipment and your videos (you
should probably replace the shoes, though, if you
haven't by then!)
Variety.
There are many excellent videos on the market, so
there's something to suit everyone's style and
fitness level. Power step workouts, funky floor
routines, heavy duty iron pumping, kickboxing, tai chi, yoga--they're
all available on video.
Excellent instruction.
Many (though not all) video instructors are
terrific teachers with years of experience.
Advanced exercisers might even find more
challenging routines on video than at their local
club.
Weather or Darkness won't preempt
your workout.
Let it rain, snow, sleet or hail! If you are
primarily a runner, walker, inline skater or
cyclist, video aerobics can be a great
cross-training activity when the streets are icy
or when the heat index is too high. No catcalls
from men in pickup trucks, either.
Privacy.
Overweight or out of shape exercisers (and some
skinny, fit ones, too) may feel
self-conscious at a gym. Put on that ratty ol'
T-shirt, pop in a video, and sweat your heart
out. Oh, and nobody in a video will ever comment
on how you look in Lycra Spandex!
Convenience.
Sometimes it's just easier to pop a tape in the
VCR than to drive to a gym. Many of us would
never exercise regularly if we had to get in a
car and fight traffic to do it. Slide that tape
into your VCR and convince yourself to do the
warm up--you'll probably continue through to the
end.
You can rewind.
If you have two left feet, a screaming child in
the room, or really like part of a routine, you
can always rewind the tape. Just remember to keep
moving while rewinding to keep your heart rate
up.
Disadvantages
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Beginner's Corner
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