Rating: Summary: Great DVD Review: First of all let me say that the DVD format is ideal for exercise programs, allowing you to skip to exactly the desired workout without all the rewinding and fast forwarding. As someone who has been exercizing on a regular basis for the past 6 years, I have come to realize the benefits of exercise. Kathy is ahead of her time for targeting menopausal women. It is even more important to stay fit at this stage of life. I have been doing her cardio and strength training segments exclusively since receiving this DVD. Her workouts are a pleasure to do and her tips for staying healthy are an added bonus.
Rating: Summary: You don't have to be Pre-Menopausal to enjoy this workout! Review: I can't tell you how great this video is - I loved it!! Even though I'm only in my 20s, it is still a great workout and I love the way they make each section only approx. 20 mins - perfect for today's busy woman. Even the workout music used during the segments is good.I also love the graphics in the information sections!! The video comprises Cardio, Toning (with weights and Kegels) and Yoga sections which can be done individually or as a combination. It is also highly informative - plenty of information that the viewer needs to know about what will happen in the near or distant future. It includes information on diet and which exercises relieve which symptons; Osteoporosis is not the only concern we should have! You've done it again, Kathy!!
Rating: Summary: great workout for the very fit Review: I enjoyed hearing (and seeing) Kathy Smith talk about women's health issues, but unless you are very fit, this would be a hard workout to keep up with (in my opinion). It does pose a challenge and is far from boring, however. I rated it a 5 star for those that are at the level needed to perform her workouts.
Rating: Summary: Good companion with book Review: I first bought the book of the same title and really liked the workout sessions recommended towards the end of the book, but particularly with the weight section, I was concerned I wasn't doing it correctly. I bought the video to help with the lifting instruction and it is a perfect companion. She even interjects in the middle of your repetitions to remind you how your posture should be or where your shoulders should be, etc. I'm really enjoying the workouts-so hopefully I'll use them!
Rating: Summary: You don't have to be menopausal to do this workout! Review: I purchased this DVD b/c it is a DVD. I don't know why workouts keep coming out on VHS and rarely on DVD. So, that said, I received this dvd today and did the 3 part workout: cardio, strength training & yoga. Each section has an overview before you begin, Kathy lets the viewer know why it's important for the body while going through menopause. She gives the cues before the moves, the moves weren't very difficult, thus, finally a workout I could do! The cardio workout was medium-level, I was breathing intensely but certainly not huffing & puffing. I thought the cardio was perfect. It's only 20 minutes, so it would be great on a quick-workout day. If you want a longer one, I suppose you could do the workout twice. During the workout, Kathy voices over every now & then with little bits of info on menopause, such as "did you take your vitamin E today" and explains why vitamin E is good during menopause & other such tidbits. The strength training workout lasted 20 minutes, you need weights & a chair and wasn't too difficult. One nice thing is that a picture of a person's backside was shown to let you get an even greater knowledge of doing the exercise correctly. The yoga workout was my least favorite. I've not done yoga before but it just seemed like stretching to me. There is a question & answer section for a doctor on menopause, and a group discussion. Both informative. I'm not going through menopause, I'm too young! I just wanted to be able to buy a moderate-level cardio workout on dvd that I could do, that wasn't so choreographed & jumpy that I couldn't keep up. This is it. Although I'd rather see Kathy's "Step Workout" (the best workout!) on dvd, this one is a decent substitute until something better comes out. So bottom line, a nice overall workout on DVD and it gives lots of nutritional advice & menopause information. Just don't be put off by "menopause" if you're too young and not even thinking about it. It's still a good, decent workout.
Rating: Summary: Great Workout, Excellent Information, Feel Good Again! Review: I was very impressed by this tape; both the exercise routines & the informational sections. If one's in a rush & wants to do the routines, obviously, skip the talk, but one should take the time at some point to listen to the informational sections...they're informative, important, & may provide many answers to those experiencing, or those who will experience menopause. The aerobic, weight, & yoga routines are again, great for beginner to advanced. Beginners or "time savers" can split the apprx. 20 min. each routines. If you have the time & are in shape, go for the gold! K.S.'s routines can be tailored from beginner to advanced. The informative tidbidts regarding health tips, etc. interspliced between & within the routines are inspiring, rather than annoying, & make sense. One feels great about working out, & if you are experiencing "peri" or full menopause, this is an excellent tape that will make you feel better about yourself both physically & mentally. I would certainly recommend this particular workout to either one's K.S. workout library, or one's exercise workout library in general.
Rating: Summary: Great Workout, Excellent Information, Feel Good Again! Review: I was very impressed by this tape; both the exercise routines & the informational sections. If one's in a rush & wants to do the routines, obviously, skip the talk, but one should take the time at some point to listen to the informational sections...they're informative, important, & may provide many answers to those experiencing, or those who will experience menopause. The aerobic, weight, & yoga routines are again, great for beginner to advanced. Beginners or "time savers" can split the apprx. 20 min. each routines. If you have the time & are in shape, go for the gold! K.S.'s routines can be tailored from beginner to advanced. The informative tidbidts regarding health tips, etc. interspliced between & within the routines are inspiring, rather than annoying, & make sense. One feels great about working out, & if you are experiencing "peri" or full menopause, this is an excellent tape that will make you feel better about yourself both physically & mentally. I would certainly recommend this particular workout to either one's K.S. workout library, or one's exercise workout library in general.
Rating: Summary: Not for out of shape beginners Review: I worked out to Kathy Smith tapes regularly for a long time. That was before I let myself go 5 years ago and gained 35 awful pounds. Now, just starting out all over again at the age of 42, I could not keep up with the different types of steps being changed in this DVD and would have preferred it if she had stuck to a fewer number of moves a little longer, rather than having so many to learn/change so rapidly. I began cheating and just doing my favorties over and over before becoming too frustrated and stopping altogether.
I would recommend the Sansone "Walking Away the Pounds" DVD's for those (like me) who are very out of shape and just starting out again. It has a lot of basic steps repeated, with varying arm movements to get your heart pumping and body conditioned for the more moderate DVD's like this one.
However - I gave it 4 stars because of the menopausal informative sections and the great yoga section. Also, because I WILL someday again be able to keep up with her. But for the time being, this DVD is just too much.
Rating: Summary: This tape really works for me. Review: I'm really out of shape, though was very athletic in my youth (I'm now 57 years old). As a recent birthday gift to myself, I bought 6 fitness videotapes from Amazon, and this was the second I put on. And now that I met it, I'm not even going to bother to try the others until I'm really tired of this one. Kathy Smith is wonderful -- intelligent but not schoolmarmy (as the first tape was)and challenging but not out of reach. Kathy runs you through the beginner level and then proceeds to advanced level, but encourages the beginners to carry on at their level until they're (we're) ready to move on. I don't like getting interrupted every 20 minutes for a health lecture, but I just fast forward to the next segment. I like doing two 20-minute workouts (cardio and weights+bones), which just fits my schedule. I'm writing this to encourage myself to stick with it, but if anyone can keep me conscientious, it's this excellent tape. I strongly recommend it.
Rating: Summary: This tape really works for me. Review: I'm really out of shape, though was very athletic in my youth (I'm now 57 years old). As a recent birthday gift to myself, I bought 6 fitness videotapes from Amazon, and this was the second I put on. And now that I met it, I'm not even going to bother to try the others until I'm really tired of this one. Kathy Smith is wonderful -- intelligent but not schoolmarmy (as the first tape was)and challenging but not out of reach. Kathy runs you through the beginner level and then proceeds to advanced level, but encourages the beginners to carry on at their level until they're (we're) ready to move on. I don't like getting interrupted every 20 minutes for a health lecture, but I just fast forward to the next segment. I like doing two 20-minute workouts (cardio and weights+bones), which just fits my schedule. I'm writing this to encourage myself to stick with it, but if anyone can keep me conscientious, it's this excellent tape. I strongly recommend it.
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