Bellydance Fitness for Beginners - Basic Moves & Fat Burning

Rating:
Summary: Great workout for the out of shape and rushed!
Review: I love the beginning workout on this CD. It reminds me a lot of Tai Chi--but with music and some prettier moves. I bought this DVD to have a short and easy workout to alternate with an easy Tai Chi workout. I can almost do this workout and will be able to do it soon. It covers all sections of my body, but is not so strenuous that I will damage myself. Veena and Neena are experienced instructors and they make the workout fun, relaxing and thorough. I have not done the fat burning portion yet--I will save it for when I can do the basic moves easily and want to step up the action. It looks like there is a more advanced set of DVDs that is available if I ever get really smooth and want to move it up more.
This is a very professionally done DVD with attention to scene and background selection, good sound, selection of music and costuming as well as sound method.
Many films of this nature often leave a lot to be desired--but this one is professionally laid out and I will enjoy it for years.
I will probably buy the more advanced three set if I put in enough time to get smooth on this beginning tape.:)
I am too old to want to bellydance in a public class, but this is really fun and inspiring to try this in my own home. :)
Mary Z. Cox
www.nettally.com/infocon

Rating:
Summary: GREAT WORKOUT
Review: Veena and Neena's Bellydance for beginners is the greatest bellydance workout there is. It is really easy to follow along with and they teach you real bellydancing moves. It is really fun to do and the music they play in the background is great too. The only thing is I wish they would last longer than they do! This is the funnest way to exercise. You'll really enjoy it. But beware! After the first time you do it (both basic moves and fat burning) your WHOLE body may get really sore (especially your hips but that means the exercises really work and that your doing all the moves correctly!) You might need to take 1 or 2 days off before you do it again. Overall I can't wait to buy the rest of the DVDs from their collection!!

Rating:
Summary: half good half bad
Review: The twins are very good instructors, the first section Basic Moves is intersting and fun, fine for beginners and for the people who wants to do some workout,but the second section Fat Burning is very very very bored,tedius and you can hurt your knees because always is jump and jump. If you want to learn bellydance you can have The Sensual Art of Bellydance series, they are very nice,sensual, fun and they teach you very good.

Rating:
Summary: Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad buy
Review: In searching for an exercise routine I could find motivating and stimulating, I came upon this title. Just the word 'bellydance' drew me in and it was a must have. Now, while I have enjoyed the Basic Moves section I feel like it does almost nothing for me. Maybe it raises my heart rate for a while, but it hasn't helped me tone up or lose any weight at all. On top of that, no matter how easy that section becomes, the Fat Burning section still requires a much higher level of activity because of the constant hopping. It's too big a difference for me to get used to. I'm asthmatic so my lungs get tired and tight really fast (lots of water helps immensely). Most workouts are fine for me. It's when jumping is included that I can't handle it well. Another reviewer advised to just step into positions instead of the hopping, so I'll have to try that and see if it makes it easier for me. Otherwise, I'm unable to finish that routine.

Now, I'm currently working out to the Classical Pilates DVD (intermediate) and, while I find there's nothing that has been better for me, I continue to use the Basic Moves routine in this DVD because it keeps me feeling really flexible (and yes, sensual).

If you can handle jumping around, then I'm sure the Fat Burning section will work well for you. But for me, the DVD has only given me as much as 3 stars can afford.

Rating:
Summary: No happy medium for intermediates.
Review: Fat Burning (25 mins) is almost straight hopping. You can make the workout easier by stepping through the moves instead. It will definitely get your heart rate up, and zaps the calves like nothing else. Mine actually ache for several days after doing the routine. The warmup and cooldown are enjoyable. This is a brief but CHALLENGING workout.

The other segment, Basic Moves (30 minutes) is low impact and low-effort. It's more like a "day-off" workout--less strenuous than most yoga and pilates DVDs. You will experience some upper-body toning as you do make "snake arms," shimmy, and do other dancelike, sinuous moves. But unless you're a real fitness beginner, it won't work you out.

Rating:
Summary: My New Favorite Workout!
Review: I just finished this workout, and I have to say, it is fabulous! Admittedly, my arms were more out of shape than I anticipated, as I found out while doing the various movements on this DVD. The moves may feel a bit odd to those of us without any prior bellydancing experience, but I easily caught on. I didn't realize how much of a workout I was getting until I sat down at the end and began to seriously sweat! It's long enough to get a good workout, but short enough that it doesn't feel dragged out with filler and talk. I can see how over a short period of time, the moves would become more natural. This is a very fun workout that is both aerobically and visually stimulating. It is well worth the money and time invested in it.

Rating:
Summary: Very fun, difficult if you're heavy
Review: I recently rented this video because I wasn't sure if I wanted to actually buy it. I have a bad lower back due to a work injury, so I was asking around for something low-impact. Well, this is it! I haven't had to quit because my back was hurting too much to continue. That's great! I've only done the Basic Moves part so far and I've only done it 3 times. I like the way the exercises move down your body, and no part is worked out too much. I also really like the music. The best part is I can already tell that my muscles are toning up. Everyone I know has commented "have you lost weight? Are you working out?"
I'll be the first to admit I usually don't do the whole workout video thing. Mostly because they're boring, not fun, they hurt too much, etc. The production value is not as good as I would have liked. The narration threw me off the first time I did it, but after that I just ignored it. Unfortunately, tuning the narrator out is almost essential.
Other than those two complaints, I'm extremely impressed with this DVD and will be buying it once I have the money.