If you have a little space in your home to work with (or can create some by shifting the coffee table) in front of a TV with a VCR or DVD player, exercise videos can be an embarrassment-free way to try aerobics, and often strength training as well. You can rent exercise videos to try them out before purchasing a few or, better still, you can check them out at your local library. Make sure to select a video with an all-over workout; avoid those that promise spot-toning of some body part. Check to see what equipment the video requires and if you have it available; a step workout won’t do you much good unless you own your own step. The length of exercise videos varies, so choose a length that will work for you; do try, though, to find a video which includes both cardio (aerobics) and strength training.
The most important factor in choosing an exercise video or DVD is your own taste. Find something you’re comfortable with, with exercises you enjoy, music you like, and an instructor who doesn’t make you want to crawl out a nearby window just to get away. Some of the newer fitness DVDs have features that older videos weren’t able to offer, like allowing the viewer to choose from different intensity levels and sequences.
Do-It-Yourself Cardio
Exercise videos aren’t the only option for cardio you can do on your own, at home, without special equipment, and they’re not right for everyone. If you have no spaces large enough to swing a cat in, you may find the workouts hard to follow, or perhaps you have plenty of room but can’t stand the perky instructors or get bored to tears. If you prefer, you can perform simple cardio moves, in very little space, on your own while you watch TV or listen to your favorite music.
Watching some exercise videos or going to a class or two (see below for tips on finding cheap classes) can help you get ideas for moves that you can do, like jumping jacks, marching in place, heel touches, kicks, and hamstring curls. Vary the intensity level of your moves, mixing high-intensity moves like jumping jacks- if you are comfortable with high intensity- with low-intensity moves like marching or hamstring curls. And don’t be afraid to make up your own moves or just dance to the music.