For stay-at-home parents, the ideal exercise routine is one you can perform close to home and adjust to your family's schedule.
Workout videos can help you build aerobic fitness, strength, and flexibility without leaving the house. You can start your workout whenever it's convenient for you and hit the pause button if the baby cries or your telephone rings. With hundreds of videos on the market, you'll find plenty of variety at a relatively low cost. But with all those titles available, how do you know where to start? Try these suggestions to find the best videos for your needs. For suggestions on incorporating exercise into your lifestyle, visit "Fitness Tips for Parents."
If you're a beginner, try:
- Kathy Smith's Fat Burning Classics (handweights required)
- Richard Simmons's Supersweatin' Party off the Pounds
- Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds (handweights required)
If you're pregnant or have recently had a baby, try:
- Denise Austin's Fit & Firm Pregnancy (handweights required)
- Leisa Hart's FitMama Prenatal and Postnatal Workouts
- Sarah Picot's Prenatal and Postnatal Pilates (handweights required)
If you want to build aerobic fitness, try:
- Donna Richardson's Old School Dance Party (go to the "Shopping" link in the left menu bar)
- Crunch: Cardio Salsa with Giselle Roque de Escobar
- Gin Miller's Simply Step: Classic Moves (step platform required)
If you want to build strength, try:
- Kathy Smith's Time Saver: Lift Weights to Lose Weight (hand and ankle weights required)
- Tamilee Webb's I Want That Body (handweights required)
- The Method: Pilates Target Specifics with Jennifer Kries
If you want to gain flexibility, try:
- Karen Voight's Pure and Simple Stretch
- Tamilee Webb's Total Stretch for Beginners
- Madeleine Lewis's AM/PM Stretch for Health
If you want a total-body workout, try:
- Petra Kolber's Trainer's Edge: Cardio Interval Training (handweights required)
- Denise Austin's Boot Camp: Total Body Blast (handweights required)
- Donna Richardson's Sweating in the Spirit 2 (resistance band required)
If you're looking for a challenge, try:
- The FIRM's Total Body: Super Cardio Mix (high and low step platforms and handweights required; medicine ball optional)
- Karen Voight's Energy Sprint (step platform and hand weights required)
- Step Reebok's Intense Moves with Gin Miller (step platform required)
For candid consumer reviews of hundreds of fitness videos, visit the Video Fitness Web site.
