I was sitting here at work, wasting time, shopping for the holidays on Amazon.com and I thought, "Hey why don't I buy a nice exercise video? Maybe on stretching or weights?" The more I shopped, the more perplexed I became. So, I thought I'd get your opinions:

What's your favorite exercise video and why?

I might get a lot of flak for this, but I don't care. (When the video came out, the news reported women were hurting themselves trying to keep up w/Cindy--I go @ my own pace; it's what the pause button was made for)

I like Cindy Crawford's original video. It's got a blue background & she's wearing a red swimsuit on the cover.

The reason I like it is because she has you doing a lot of different stuff. I never push myself to the point of pain, I ease into it. She's got the stretching, weight lifting, floor exercises, a little bit of yoga, etc.

I tried to do that second video of hers & that was just not happening. It's called the Next Challenge & the box is white. WAY too hard, but you might like it.

I also enjoy Donna Richardson's workouts.

I'm pretty much at a beginner's level (still). I like Leslie Sansone's "2 Mile Walk" (aerobics) and "Firm Up Fast" (toning) tapes. A couple of other aerobic tapes that I like are Kathy Smith's "March to Fitness" and Richard Simmon's "Sweatin' to the Oldies 3" and "Disco Sweat". I also like "Beginning Callanetics" for stretching/toning and Joyce Vedral's "Fat Burning Volume I" for weight training. Joyce does go a little fast, though, and I think she skipped one of the exercises that should have been included.

If you want a good site that has exercise videos listed by type and fitness level, try www.collagevideo.com. I've boughten quite a few tapes from them and have been really happy with thier service and recommendations (i.e. the beginner tapes are truly for beginners ).

Good luck with your search!

Jo
341/269/135(?)

I like

* Joyce Vedral's Fat Burning Workout - weight lifting. She's a strange character, but this is the tape that really got me started on weight lifting, and I still use it when I need a quick workout at home.

* Tae-Bo - I find it energizing, though I wish I had a variety of 1/2 hour workouts, because doing the same one over and over is really boring.

* The Bellydancing Twins workout tapes - surprisingly challenging in ways - and it's something different!

Pen
265/217/150ish

HI
I use Kathy Smith's Power Step Workout. When I first got it, I barely made it throught the warm-up. Luckily it is divived into 5 sections so you can do what you can and stop as you are comfortable. Also they have one woman doing a non-impact version so if you want to get through the tape with an easier version you can do her version of the harder steps. It took me awhile to get use to it but it gives a really good workout for legs, hips belly and bottom....my problem areas.

IsabellaMay