Exercise videos have come a long way since Jane Fonda started the craze back in 1982 with her "Jane Fonda Workout." Today, there are literally hundreds of videos to choose from.
From low-impact aerobics, to high-impact step aerobics, to kick-boxing, to specialist videos for maternity, the elderly and even children, the range of options can be overwhelming.
In addition to convenience, home exercise videos have several advantages over gyms:
* Exercise videos are generally inexpensive, between $10 and $25 each, and the equipment needs are very low. Outside of a good pair of shoes, the most you'll typically require is a dumbbell and perhaps a step.
* No need to worry about the weather. You can work out to your exercise videos when its hot, cold, raining, snowing, or anything in between.
* Great instructors. The best video instructors combine motivation with showmanship and skill. (TIP: use the resources at the bottom of this article to help you find the instructor and videos that will be best for you.)
* You can exercise in private. A lot of people don't like to work out in front of others, especially when they are just getting started. There's nothing more intimidating than a group exercise class where you are the only one that doesn't know the moves and feels like a klutz.
With all that going for them, what's the downside of exercise videos? The biggest is that you have to be completely self-motivating. The social network that many exercise classes bring isn't there, and sometimes putting that tape in one more time can seem like the most awful thing in the world. A lot of people combat this problem by getting a variety of videos to choose from. If you constantly change your video rotations around, its less likely that you'll get bored with them. (Hint: Ebay can be a great place to pick up exercise videos for next to nothing.)
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