by Tracey Lloyd

Created on: September 07, 2008

Want the fun of a fitness class without having to leave your living room or pay expensive gym fees? Why not try exercise DVDs you get all the fun and encouragement from working with a fitness leader but without having to leave the house. There are DVDs out for nearly every exercise type from aerobics to yoga to martial arts. Some particularly good DVDs for beginners and enthusiasts alike are:

10 MINUTE SOLUTIONS FAT BLASTING DANCE MIX

Presented by Jennifer Galardi, this package of five ten minute exercise routines combine aerobics and dance moves for a full body workout. The routines are simple to learn, suitable for beginners and you get plenty of encouragement. You have the option to do one workout at a time or you can pick and chose to create your own personalised dance workout. Each exercise routine has a warm up and cool down section included. There is also two routines to work on specific areas of your body like your abdominal section and your butt and thighs.

YOGA FOR ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS

For mind-body fitness, yoga has many benefits including increased strength, relaxation and flexibility and a great starting point for those who want to give yoga a try is Yoga for Absolute Beginners. The presenter, Susan Fulton, is warm and encouraging and provides you with an introduction to the positions of hatha yoga, in both floor and standing positions. The background scenery in this DVD is extremely relaxing it was shot on location on a cliff top in Portugal with waves rolling over and over in the background.

FITNESS FUSION JAZZ BELLYDANCE FOR BEGINNERS

Bellydance for Beginners is an introductory bellydance lesson presented by world famous bellydancing teacher, Suhalia Salimpour. The workout is challenging and combines bellydance moves with jazz ballet moves. The scenery to the DVD has a very Arabic feel and if you own a scarf that you can tie around your waist you can feel that you are part of an exotic harem. This is an exercise workout where you don't feel like you're even exercising. While this workout can be completed by beginners, I would recommend that you have a good fitness base to begin with (start by using 10 Minute Solutions for a while and then building up to Bellydance for Beginners).

PILATES TV SPORT FIX

An Australian exercise DVD from the Pilates TV show, presented by Zosha. This workout is a series of 5 programs which focus on using Pilates to develop muscle strength in areas of your body that you use for sports. For example one program is dedicated to working on strength and stability in your torso when you are doing rotational activities such as golf swings or tennis shots. Zosha and her co-presenters are very warm and encouraging and often you will find that you stop to giggle at something that has been said. Again, this is a challenging workout you don't require any special Pilates equipment but a reasonably firm fitness base is advisable.

There are many great DVDs out there to give you the group exercise feeling without having to be part of a class or even leaving your house. Remember to have fun when you work out and if you have any medical conditions or are over the age of 35 if you're male or 45 if you're female and haven't worked out for while, get a fitness check from your doctor first. Enjoy your exercise!

Learn more about this author, Tracey Lloyd.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.