I am a person who actually enjoys exercise. I especially love doing aerobic DVD’s and Videos. The ones I like the most are the ones that include some type of dancing. I like Jazz, Country Western, Hip Hop, Belly Dancing, you name it if it some kind of dance work out I really like it. I love the challenge of learning new steps and when I have mastered a dance video or DVD I love just dancing my butt off. Last December I received Dancing Off the Inches as a Christmas present (that I requested). I was looking for something new to try and looking to try a new instructor. I started doing it and by about the third time I did it I had all of the steps down and really enjoyed doing it. Of course that got me wanting more. So even though I don’t usually invest in shorter workouts I went and purchased Dance Off the Inches 15 Minute Express. I plan to review both DVD’s but this particular review will be for the 15 Minute Express DVD.
Dance Off the Inches 15 Minute Express Workout
As the title clearly points out this is a 15 minute work out using dance steps. There actually is a bit more to the DVD however, as it also includes and extra 10 minute dance off option. The instructor for this DVD is Lydia Haskell. She leads a group of 4 other ladies through a short dance work out. They like to call it a party, since it is a bunch of girls getting together to dance, and have fun. The dance party takes place in what I assume is a studio but is set up to look like some ones living room. There is not a whole lot going on visually other than the five ladies dancing. Four of the dancers from the original Dance Off the Inches DVD are also on this DVD, the instructor however, is different. Both instructors on both DVD’s are very good, although the one on the first DVD was a little bit peppier. The dancers are enthusiastic and do a nice job.
While doing this DVD you will find your self first easing in to the work out with a gently paced dance warm up. The entire warm up is done standing up and is all rhythmic movement, there is no stretching.
The dance moves themselves are taught to you in 3 different levels. Level 1 is very slow. This is where you actually learn the step. Once the instructor feels like you should be comfortable with the moves, you move on to level 2. Level 2 is a little faster. Shortly after Level 2 you go in to Level 3. Level 3 is full out and at tempo. By the time you get to level 3 you should be pretty comfortable with the moves.
After the warm up you are taught 4 different dance moves. Each one at a time and using the levels as explained above. Then the moves are combined, 2 at a time and eventually all the moves are combined to form a routine. After all of the moves are all put together and you do them a few times you then go in to your dance cooldown.
Both the warm up and cool down take up about 4 minutes of the work out.
The 10 Minute Dance Off
As mentioned above the DVD also includes a 10 minute dance off. The 10 minute dance off uses the moves that you already learned in the regular dance off, however the order is changed and some of the movements are changed slightly. You get about a one minute warm up here before the pace picks up. There isn’t really much of a cool down in the 10 minute dance off section you just kind of slow down a bit in the last 10 seconds.
Experience
I found this DVD to be mildly challenging. The warm up and cool down moves are very easy. Three of the dance moves are relatively easy, but there was one that was a little confusing, but by the 2nd time did the DVD I got it pretty good, and by the third time I had mastered it. Two of the moves are lower impact and the other two are higher impact. If you are unable to do the pony step for any reason this might not be a great DVD for you, as the higher impact moves are kind of similar to the pony step. Once you get all of the steps the dance is pretty fun. I think it would take most people only about three attempts before than can do the entire work out like a pro. The 10 Minute Dance off is all dancing and very little instruction (because you already know the moves) and is actually more fun.
My Opinion and Advice to Maximize the Workout
Usually I would not recommend a work out that is so short in length. My reason for this is because your body doesn’t start tapping in to your stored fat until you have been aerobic for about 20 minutes. Until that point you are burning up the fuel you put in to your body earlier that day. There are more technical ways of saying it but I am trying to keep it simple. Back when I used to teach aerobics about a hundred years ago we used to call it, “burning off today’s toast.”
Of course any time you are getting your heart rate up you are strengthening your heart. and that is always a good thing. So if you are simply doing this work out as a quick way keep your ticker tuned up by all means dance away. But doing a 15 minute work out is not going to do a whole lot to help you lose weight. But if all you have is 15 minutes a day to exercise then you should do it. Any exercise is better than no exercise at all.
I like to do this DVD as a warm up for some of my more strenuous DVD’s. But on days when I don’t feel up to doing a more strenuous workout I will try to stretch out the amount of time I do this work out. Obviously by adding the 10 minute dance off after you do the first part of the DVD you will be bumping up the length of the work out to 25 minutes total. But I am not satisfied with 25 minutes for myself. I like to be in that fat burning zone as long as possible. So here is what I do:
I do the first part of the DVD. I then do rewind or skip back to where the instruction part is over and you just dance the routine, then I do that part again, and again. Then after than I like to skip over the 10 minute workout and usually do that whole thing twice. By doing this I can usually extend it out to be a 45 minute aerobic workout.
Remember also in order to be fit and healthy you also need to include some weight bearing exercise and you need to do some type of stretching or flexibility training. The warm up in this DVD does do enough to warm your muscles up so that you won’t get injured but you will not get that added bonus of flexibility. Make sure you combine this DVD with other ones that will help you to build strength and flexibility as well.
Final Thoughts
The work out is definitely fun. I really enjoy doing it. However, if you are trying to lose weight you should do a longer work out. But using my tips above you can turn this fun dancy DVD in to a longer work out. The instructor is very good. The moves are all explained very well. They are challenging enough that you won’t find them too easy, but not so hard that the average person could not pick them up. The music is perfectly in tune with the work out and has a good beat that makes you want to dance. This is a good DVD to use as a part of, or as a supplement to your fitness plan. I don’t believe this DVD has enough elements to get you in great shape all on its own, but it is definitely one that could be a fun part of a well rounded collection of fitness DVD’s.
One of the Latest Dance off the Inches DVD's is:
Dance off the Inches Fat Burning Jam
http://www.epinions.com/content_297941044868
If you like to dance while you work out you will probably like:
Dance Your Pants Off
http://www.epinions.com/content_131687747204
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