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Exercise Videos - Are They Right For You?
Exercise videos are an excellent way to try and achieve your home fitness targets, but they may not be right for you. They are certainly an inexpensive way to help you stay in shape, but, the onus is still on you. Exercise videos can show you what to do, but YOU still have to do it!
Many people are very focused, and exercise videos are all the motivation that they need. Some however, and this is not intended as a criticism, cannot flourish on their own. They need a trainer or maybe a group training environment where there are others to help you stay motivated. If you fall into the latter camp, then exercise videos may not be what you want.
Exercise videos are not interactive. By that I mean, you can get no feedback from a tape. If your attention to detail is good, then you can properly execute what you are being shown on the tape, but if not, then you may not be exercising properly. And at worst, you could hurt yourself, so be careful.
And also bear in mind that not all exercise videos are made equal. Some are better than others. Ask around and see what others think. Or try and read reviews of tapes to help you decide.
Selecting a Home Fitness Video.
It is important with any home fitness routine, that you think carefully about what it is that you are trying to achieve. Choosing exercise videos goes hand in hand with this idea. It seems like an obvious statement, but don't buy a video on leg exercises if you want to exercise your shoulders!
The point is, think carefully about what you want from your workout, and buy your exercise video accordingly.
Choosing Which Exerise Videos Are Right For You
There are three main types of workout, and you should choose your exercise video to fit in with one of these.
Aerobic Activity
Exercise videos which offer aerobic activities, or cardio vascular exercises, help ensure that the heart works hard, and helps to keep it in shape. It is these type of exercises that make the body burn fuel, so they would be good exercises to assist in weight loss. One cautionary note, do not just jump into aerobic activities and try and go full pelt into them. Ease your body gently into the exercises a little at a time. It is also possible to carry out such exercises with a minimum of equipment.
Strength Activities
Strength training is, as the name implies, designed to build and strengthen muscles. It is not really generic, because each muscle group in the body will require a different type of exercise to maximise the benefit to the group.
When combined with aerobic activity, strength training can be very effective in a weight loss program, because strength training accelerates the rate at which the body burns fuel.
Flexibility Activities
Flexibility exercise videos will probably be the group glossed over by most people. However, if you talk to any fitness coach, and I am sure that they will tell you that any home fitness program should include muscle stretching as part of the routine. Stretching your muscles before and after exercise, warms the muscles up and reduces the risk of injury.
Exercise Videos Summary
Choosing home fitness videos should be done with care, because an incorrect choice could leave you frustrated and out of pocket. If you choose the wrong video, then the likelihood of you dropping out of your exercise program increases, so think carefully about what you are trying to achieve, and choose your video accordingly.
If you have not been exercising regularly, or are over weight, please don't aim too high. Choose a beginner type of video, and take your time. Let your body get used to the exercise, and it will help you ensure that you can get the maximum benefit from your work outs.
Try and get a tape which covers all of the exercise types; aerobic, strength and flex training. You will probably enjoy the variety more, and your body will get a more thorough work out.
