Workout Wednesday: Tips, Tools, and Reviews

Product:  Leslie Sansone’s Walk Away the Pounds Express.  DVD with stretchie band.

Where bought/available:  Bought at Wal-Mart, also available here from Amazon.com

Why:  Recommended to me by my sister, Clara

I bought this video a couple of years ago because I liked the idea of an inexpensive way to get fit at home.  Plus, I had been a member at a gym before and got really tired of paying a monthly fee to feel like I didn’t belong.  Yes, fat people DO belong in a gym…until skinny people show up and give you the "go to the bad place" look to which I reply…well, never mind.  Anyway, so I bought the DVD and took it home to watch it before I tried it.  The moves seemed simple enough and the tone of the video was uplifting.  So, I tried the first mile and got through it unscathed; tired but unscathed.  I eventually worked up to all the miles of the first workout or all four miles of the second workout.  Here are my findings.  But first a little about Leslie (or as I call her “Miss Perky”).

From her bio:  Leslie Sansone has always been concerned with fitness. Seeing people struggle and fail on fad diets and exercise regimens, Leslie was determined to make exercise accessible to all. Part of her formula included taking the intimidation away from exercise. That’s where the idea for In-Home Walking™ came in. If she could remove all of the factors that usually turn people off from maintaining a regular exercise program–expensive gym memberships, other gym-goers, strenuous exercise that leads to burnout, fancy work-out clothes, expensive exercise equipment–she knew that she could develop a program that people could stick with.

Rating (on a scale of 1-4 smileys): J J J + 1/2

The Good: 

1.              Simplicity:  the moves are not extremely difficult, but they do get the job done.

2.              Adaptability:  If a move is too advanced, she does give the option of simply marching in place.  Also, the intensity of the moves can be adapted to your fitness level.

3.              Real people:  Everyone in the video is not bone thin.  There was even one 70+  year old man working out in the video. (A couple more cute guys around my age in the mix wouldn’t have hurt, but I digress).

4.             Variety:  The moves were varied (especially in the four mile walk) and the music changed as the workout progressed.  Plus, there were two workouts on this one video.

5.             Economical:  This video wasn’t expensive (around $10) and is even cheaper now on Amazon.com.

6.               Music:  The music didn’t sound like it was “written by an appliance.” (got that one from Greg Proops, but it so describes some music.  But you’ll hear more about that when I talk about podrunner)

 The Bad:

1.            The chatter:  OK, I know it’s an instructional video, but this chick never shuts up!  Her constant chatter sometimes gets in the way of the instruction and she loses count or lets a move go on too long.  Her Aflac duck laugh grates my nerves, but it doesn’t detract from the actual workout.

2.              Rhythm Nation:  This may just be a personal problem, but on both workouts, she uses a piece of music in which the tempo and emphasis (musicians call them accent notes) changes constantly.  In other words, because I am a band nerd (BLOW SOUTHERNERS) I start every move on my left foot; easy to do because all the music is in four beats.  The section that changes makes that impossible.  Most people won’t be bothered by this, but it aggravates the stew out of me (where’s ONE?).

3.             The Stretchie Band:  I’m glad that the band came with the thing, but they only use it for a few minutes in the 3 mile workout and not at all in the 4 mile.  Also, she asks you to use the band while you march (?!)  This takes too much concentration and coordination, so I either just do the band without the marching, or do the marching without the band.  She needed more options for using it.

4.             A Technical Nit Pick:  Most DVD’s contain index marks or chapters to help you find a specific place in the film.  The marks are at the beginning of the workout and the stretch at the end on both workouts.  I think there should be chapters at each mile like there are on her newer videos.

So, all in all, this is a very good video for beginners and can be made very intense for the more advanced.   If you are a beginner, I would recommend gradually working up to all the miles.  For advanced users, up the intensity.  This would also make a great rainy day workout.  So, try it and let me know what you think.

(here's a preview of the 3 mile walk)

(and a preview of the 4-mile walk)