If you have never tried any type of aerobics, you will probably want to test as many different videos as you can before you decide which type is for you. Although kickboxing is all the rage, you may find it simply isn't for you. On the other hand, if your neighbor swears that Richard Simmons is the most annoying person on the planet, you may find that dancing to oldies is just the trick to keeping you motivated!
Save Dollars, Lose Pounds
Because there is such a wide variety of videos available, finding the one for you can take a lot of trial and error. That can prove costly if you are purchasing your videos outright. A good alternative to buying videos is to visit your local public or community college library. Most have a fairly decent selection of videos, which you can check out at no charge. You can also rent exercise videos from most video rental stores for just a few dollars.
Yet another option is to form a lending club with friends or neighbors who are also trying to lose weight. You can each purchase a different video and then exchange them on a weekly basis. What if someone wants to do the same video at the same time? Why not start an exercise group? Just be sure to go to the person's home that has the most space! You will probably find that having the added support of your peers will help to keep you motivated.
By trying out the videos for free, or little cost, you can weed out the types you know you do not enjoy. When you find the one you like the most, then it's time to purchase your own copy. You may want to consider investing in DVDs instead of VHS since they are much more durable.
Where to Buy
I have a personal favorite place to buy exercise videos: Collage Video. Granted, you can buy them almost anywhere that carries movies: K-Mart, Wal-Mart, and the like, but in my opinion, nothing can compare to the Collage Video catalog. Their Guide to Exercise Videos is available via snail mail or you can visit their Web site.
The best part about Collage is that they actually do the videos in their catalog and review them. As the introduction to their catalog says: "Just because the package says [a video is]… 'easy for beginners' doesn't make it so … That's a problem you won't have with our exclusive do-the-video-before-we-write-about-it policy." If you are still on the fence about which video to buy, or, you haven't had a chance to try many out for yourself, Collage's reviews are a guiding light. The reviews are written without any jargon and staff favorites are indicated with a special symbol.
Additionally, a small chart indicates how much of the video is warm-up, cool down, etc., and each video's impact is accurately assessed. Some of the reviews even include ratings from popular magazines like Fitness and Self.
