Best Fitness Videos

Fitness videos really are a great way to get fit in your own home.  But before you rush out to buy one, it's worth thinking carefully about what fitness video will best suit you, your goals and your lifestyle.

Before you choose a video, ask yourself:

What type of workout do you enjoy?

If you love to dance, you may not really enjoy  a video that focuses on conditioning exercises and vice versa.

What are your goals?

If you're exercising to de-stress, opt for a yoga or t'ai chi video. If you want to lose weight, choose an aerobics video. If you've done a lot of aerobics in the past, look for one that says 'high-impact' or 'dance' on the cover, as the choreography will be more challenging. And if you've just had a baby, choose one of the many videos designed for this purpose. To lose weight you need to raise your heart rate for at least 20 minutes.

Consider your space

'Think about how much room you've got in front of your TV. With an aerobics video, you'll find yourself moving forwards, backwards and diagonally, which is no good if the coffee table or family dog are in the way! Try a yoga or conditioning-based video if you mainly want to stay in one spot.

Get the right video for your fitness level

Think about the time you can dedicate
Look at the total run time of the video before buying. Most of these divide the run time between introduction, warm up time, then the workout time and cool down time.

Consider renting the video to see if you like it before you buy it
 

Click on the links below to see our Health Editor's favourite fitness videos, from traditional through dancing to clubland.  There's bound to be one for you!