cardio dvd for beginners

Can anyone reccomend a cardio dvd suitable for a beginner? I have been looking online at several- Zumba, p90x... and now the rest escape me. I think they would probably kill me as opposed to helping me get in shape. Maybe in a few months those might be viable options but I think I better start at the beginning!

I walk about 3-4 times per week anywhere from 2.5 to 5 miles at a time so I am not a total couch potato, but I need to start a cardio program and want to do it properly. Going to the gym isn't really an option for me because of my goofy work schedule so any and all suggestions on a good DVD would be very much appreciated.

Well, since no one had any answers, I started with a beginner kettlebell dvd. I got through 40 minutes on the first try. My legs are burning. We'll see how it goes again in a few days.

I do walking dvd's with Leslie Sansone which has great cardio. Good luck with the kettlebell. It does give you a great workout. I have one and use it off and on. Yes it does give a good burn.lol

I'm also interested in good beginner workout DVDs. I have about 10 DVDs that have been collecting dust for the past couple of years, and now that I'm working out again I've found that many of them are a little too difficult. I totally believe in "no pain, no gain," but there are some exercises that I simply cannot do at my current level of fitness. Three DVDs that I own and would recommend for you are:

- Strong Body, Ageless Body with Erin O'Brien
- I Want That Body! with Tamilee Webb (the Buns of Steel lady)
- One-on-One Training With Jackie (Warner)

These are NOT cardio-specific DVDs, but they WILL get your heart pumping for sure! I also like that all three instructors are very good about explaining and demonstrating proper form. They do require a set of light weights (or ideally two sets - 3 lbs and 5 lbs). You can read reviews for all of them on Amazon.

I would NOT recommend any of the CoreFusion series of DVDs for beginners, as a lot of the moves require extreme flexibility.

Hope that helps!

Gina

I like the Leslie Sansone walking videos, too. I thought at first they were going to be kinda "sissy" but I was surprised. They can be as hard as you want them to be depending on the effort you put in. I'm usually drenched at the end. The P90X is going to be majorly hard and have lots of strength training. I looked into it a few years ago and wound up getting the Power90 instead (precursor to P90X ordered from Beachbody.) I enjoyed that one since I doubt I'm ever going to put forth the effort required by the P90X -- I don't have an hour a day! I also got Bob Harper's strength training one -- the title is slipping my mind right now. I was impressed with that one but it is 65 minutes long! I save that for weekends. I've also done Slim in 6 which was good. And my favorite workout series is the FIRM series with the Fanny Lifter box from a couple of years ago. I still go back to that one time and time again. I don't really like the stand alone FIRM videos all that much. And my all time favorite video is a Cher step aerobics VHS from probably 1985. Lol!

P90X is definitely not for beginners. I still can't complete a round of it and I've been weight lifting off and on for 15 years. The Power90 is a good idea. I've just ordered Zumba as well (to mix in with P90X). Stay far away from Insanity for some time as well - super difficult and advanced. I have some friends who do TurboFire, but I'm not sure how advanced that is either. Slim in 6 is a good starter program that also mixes in strength training using resistance bands.

If you have a Wii the WiiFit games are good starters. There is also the Biggest Loser as well as Zumba for both Wii and XBox360. If you have cable many cable companies have a workout channel so you can just flip on whatever is on. Most of them are pretty geared towards beginners. There are also a few workouts available on NetFlix. That might help you get an idea of what you might enjoy.

My all-time favorite was Buns of Steel. And let me tell you, back then I DID have buns of steel after that workout!

Hello everyone! My name is Vanessa and I just thought that I would let you know that I am currently a Team Beachbody Coach. What this means is that I am here for anyone who is interested in any Beachbody products such as P90X, Insanity, ChaLEAN Extreme, just to name a few. I am currently doing the ChaLEAN Extreme, because as most of you mentioined, P90X looks very intimidating, especially for a beginner. My workout is Circuit Training where the motto is muscle burns fat, so that is what is concentrated on. If you have any questions or would like more information about Beachbody products, check out my website at www.beachbodycoach.com/VANESSAMALDO08

I am also on Facebook- Beachbody Coach Vanessa Maldonado
email: vanessamaldo08@gmail.com

Let me know how I can help all of us gain a better and healthier life!!

@ LauPug- I don't know if "good burn" is an oxymoron or not but I do feel the burn today. Not to the point of needing a Tylenol but almost!

Sherillyn - you might want to try ibuprofen instead. Tylenol is so hard on the body. FlexAll is also great for soreness (as well as IcyHot), and no pills.

This is going to make me sound incapacitated (which I'm not) but I have to be careful with both ankles, wrists, my left knee and lower back. That sounds awful! This isn't recent but has been an ongoing problem for some years. I'd love to find an exercise dvd that would be at least partially usable. I've never tried one so I really don't know what is available. Thanks for any help!!!

My 2cents - you can do P90X you just may have to modify you moves until you are physically able to do them - Chalean extreme I believe has someone in the dvd doing modified versions - also L-Glutamine post work out helps cut lactic acid/soreness

KSttride - you don't sound awful or incapacitated! I have tons of issues in different body parts too and spent 2 years in a wheelchair after I got out of the Army. I still have to use a wheelchair sometimes (if I have to stand for over an hour. I can walk, but I can't stand still on my foot). Have you tried exercises on a stability ball? There are tons of them and I would think many would be suitable for you. Look for one that says Beginner. You may also be able to find a Yin Yoga DVD that would be suitable. I don't know of any off-hand, but I know it's possible. I used to teach a yoga class for people with disabilities. Vinyasa is lots of movement, Yin is holding the poses longer and is much gentler. And still a great workout.

My wrists bother me at times, and I find using weight lifting gloves with a stability wrist wraps helps immensely - even when I am not lifting. You can get a cheap pair anywhere really. Big 5 has good ones for $15 or so. I would recommend getting them at a sporting goods type store so you can ask someone to point out the right kind and let you try them on (sizing can be weird). Anyway, I find these help me to remember to not flop my hands and wrists around weird when I am working out., and they give me some support. I know it might sound strange, but I'm a little gangly.

Also, have you tried using a foam roller? While more of a physical therapy tool than "exercise" I find them helpful, especially for my knee issues. You can find tons of exercises using them by just googling around the internet.

Thanks Amethyst! All of your suggestions sound great. I have a stability ball and that is really the only way I can do crunches. The Yoga suggestion sounds good as well. I'll definitely look for something this coming week. Ditto on the foam roller and gloves. My knee decided to give out on me for all of 5 seconds today so I need to find the physical therapy exercises from about 7 years ago and start them again. It always happens just when I begin to make progress no matter how careful I try to be. It won't stop me though....not this time!