Yeah, I tried but you know Google, it was all vendors selling tapes, shoes, equipment, or About.com articles saying how great water aerobics is. I just want something that tells me what to do. I'll keep looking, maybe just have to order a tape.

Missmess, I've tried the sweating to the oldies as well and liked it. Must admit though that Disco is more my thing.

Schmoodle, I'm glad you found soomething that you will be giving a try.

This is what I do every day for exercise. =) It may have been mentioned already, but it has a "Workout Mode" with various options you can tweak to fit your personal workout style (I turn 'workout step' on so there are no incredibly fast steps, and also turn 'jump' on to really work my legs and get me sweating!); I set the game timer to a minimum of 50 minutes of actual dancing, though I usually overshoot by 10 - 15 minutes because I'm having such a good time. It also requires you to input your weight so it can more accurately estimate how many calories you will be burning at that level of exercise - and 'asterisks' the weight out incase you don't want observers to see that magic number.

Today I did about an hour (of dancing only - it doesn't count the time inbetween songs, etc. towards the count-down) and burned around 650 calories, if the calorie-counter is close to accurate! I sure was sweating buckets. I ran a test and the calorie-counter does infact keep track of your steps, so if you do the same song twice, it will accurately reflect that you've burned a lot more calories if you ace it than if you just stand on the mat only taking a few steps.

The only problems I can foresee with DDR are 1) it requires a gaming system and a mat, which can be costly depending on which version of DDR and which mat you buy; 2) the music selection is sizeable, but may not have songs for everyone, and you can't add your own; and 3) obviously, sort-of-dancing in front of the TV isn't for everyone!

Just forewarning, DDR isn't like real dancing unless YOU make it that way. I am going for the higher difficulty levels to work up a sweat and get my legs burning, but an alternative is going easier on the songs and improvising with your whole body (especially those arms - I have a bad habit of letting them hang!). Either way, I highly recommend it!

HIP HOP ABS!!!!

It's my favorite form of exercise, and it comes with all kinds of extras. Several workouts, a dance instruction DVD, etc. And it's so fun!!!

Unfortunately I have an injury and can't exercise (besides physical therapy) until I'm healed, but I really miss it!

I love to roller skate... It's been a long time since I've gone. When we moved to Alaska, there wasn't any place to skate. Before we moved there, I'd go twice a week. I've got a foot injury that needs to heal, and once it does, I'm going! I actually dream about it sometimes...

I've heard of Hip Hop Abs. Is it really as good as it's cracked up to be? Do you need any extra equipment?

Kara

hey gals! have any of your tried Turbo Jam? this isn't an ad or anything...and I was really cautious of ordering ANYthing like that from tv....from I am truly glad I bought turbo jam. it is insane, loud, and makes me sweat like a pig! a sexy pig! haha

leda

What did it run you, Leda?

After my first Hip Hop Abs routine, my abs hurt like I just did 500 crunches. Not a bad hurt, though. That "I can tell I've made progress" hurt. Just make sure to watch the 5 minute instructional video first so you can do the moves the right way and maximize your efforts. Tuck, tilt, tighten!

And you don't need anything but a DVD player and some room to dance. It's so much fun!

I like just walking. It's an hour round trip for work and I walk pretty fast... faster on the way back. Plus 3 times a week I walk 40 minutes round trip to Harvard for class/rehearsal and back, the grocery store is 15 minutes away, and the gym (when it opens next week) is about 45 minutes round trip. Then on weekends I walk everywhere. It may not burn as many calories as jogging or exercise videos, but I get to people watch and I feel accomplished because I actually get somewhere.

I like working! No, really, as in chopping wood, mowing the lawn, using a hammer, scything a lawn. If you have some tools around, you could imitate working with them. I've had a bout of bad knees lately, so using tools that emphasize my upper body not only increases my heart beat, but I got biceps, too!

You can imitate some of these exercises with a sledge hammer. Goodle "shovelglove" for a workout, if you're interested.

Susan

I love Turbo Jam Series, it rocks!!! It has great music and you can do low impact as well as high impact. I do love to alternate my workouts so I am trying to do outside stuff since it is summer with walking and trying to work up to some running depending on how my joints feel. I do 2 to 3 weight workouts a week as well. I feel so much better after doing my workout, I have more energy for the rest of the day.

MEGAN YOU ROCK! I tried your phone number trick and it was so much fun! I didn't think about how long I was running and I had a blast going faster and slower. Thanks so much for the idea!!!

Kara