I've just done my tae bo video for the first time in ages and am struggling with the kicks first time I tried one my back started hurting so I stopped.

Now, I've heard a lot about the new Gerri yoga video - not that I want to end up looking like a pre-pubescent Ms Halliwell, but I need something a bit gentler . I have got the Pilates one but unless your TV is mounted on the ceiling it's impossible to follow the video without straining your neck as you constantly need to watch it to follow it and it's nearly all floorwork.

Does anyone have a favourite video they could recommend? Remember, I'm nearly 40 so I need something gentle

Janey

Whilst we are on the subject can anyone tell me anything about Yoga or pilates as I know nothing about either of them. I would like to invest in avideo too if anyone can recommend them.

I usually try the library or video shop so I can try before I buy but they are pretty hard to getr hold of at this time of year

I bought myself a Power Yoga video and it is OK to do - but I find exercising indoors a bit boring. I prefer to take long walks with the dog.

I think it is by Barbara Currie (??) and it is the same exercises as Madonna and Geri Halliwell do. Its broken down in to sections - the first is 10 mins and is for everyone, then there are specific sections for various parts of the body and then there is a final section for more advanced people.

I think I would probably do it more if I didn't have a dog.

Don't have a yoga video, but along with Tae Bo, I have the two Lorraine Kelly videos, Figure It Out & Figure Happy. Each vid is broken down into 3 sections lasting between 15 - 20 minutes - which suits me. The same fitness expert is used in both, Jenny somebody.

Figure It Out, starts out with upper & lower body work out. Find this bit kills my thighs (shouldn't say that will put you off). Both vids are fairly easy to keep up with and as the exercises are repeated I soon got the hang of it.

I think every exercise video is hard to start off with, if you could the state I get myself into you would have a good laugh. I too tend to borrow the videos from the library before buying them, will your place not reserve them for you ?

Anyway I too am looking for a new workout vid, as a swap around with my old favourites. What does everyone else use. I don't have a dog & tend to work out while the boys are asleep, so it has to be house bound.

Carol

I'm seriously thinking about getting a treadmill. It has to be one of the electronic ones with a distance counter on it - it also has to be able to fold up out of the way in the day.

Has anyone ever bought one? What's the lowdown on them?

Janey

It sticks in my throat to say this, but one of my favorite vid's is Vanessa Feltz'! I like the way it has her success story at the begining, it's quite motivational and she doesn't hide the fact that she, of course, has a personal trainer.
I haven't got a treadmill (no space!) but I do use the one down the gym, I did however buy one of the small steppers wich is good for doing half an hour at a time watching various soaps!

Treadmills are so boring like exercise bikes - I think that you have to do something to music to make it enjoyable. I know you can listen to music while you are walking, or jogging or whatever but I would get fed up with it very quickly. For me it would be a very expensive fad

I've got the Lorraine Kelly videos that Carol has and I agree with what she has to say - I too like the fact that the different sessions are split up so just as you're getting to "I can't keep this up much longer" stage it stops and goes onto something else. I haven't done them for ages though 'cause like Peachey says I get bored exercising in the living room, I need to get out of the house.

My MIL bought a treadmill about 2 years ago, it cost £1,800!!!!! It's state of the art stuff and goes up hills, and tells you how many cals you've burned off etc. But like Jano said it was an expensive fad. Anyway she gave it to me (had to hire a van etc 'cause it's really heavy) and it now sits in my garage!! I used it quite a bit when I first had it, it's a novelty thing, and put a little tv in there too but I got too bored and now it's got a bike and Christmas decs on it

I wish I could remember where I read or saw it - but sometime during the last couple of days I heard about doing stair exercises - running up and down the stairs, walking up and down them - using them for step exercises, walking down them backwards, doing backward dips on them, etc. etc. I think it was a 20 min exercise routine that warmed up with 2 mins of rapidly walking up and down them and then moved on to other exercises. If anyone else heard/read this could you let me know where because it seemed such a sensible cheap idea for a rainy day (like today).

I may be interested in those LK vids (does she keep her cardie on whilst she does it) I wonder if I could get one 2nd hand, I have so many here which I don't use for one reason or another. I hate it when you get one and you are going along nicely and then the camera decides it's got a mind of its own and pans off the person you are watching, or it just shows their faces and not what they are doing.