Fitness DVDs

For any Zumba or hip-hop aficionados looking to add a little variety to their home workout routine, the Latin Cardio Party ($10) makes a good option. From warmup to cooldown, the entire workout takes less than 45 minutes to complete, and all three short Samba, Cumbia, and Reggaeton dance routines are easy-to-follow and plenty of fun.

Keep reading to learn how much dance experience is necessary for this DVD.

Following along to a fitness DVD is a great way to get your sweat on for so many reasons: it's inexpensive, you don't have to leave your house, and you can exercise whenever it fits your schedule. That said, not all fitness DVDs offer the best workout. Here are some ways to get more out of your fitness videos.

• Don't just work one body part: If the instructor is leading you through basic squats, grab a set of dumbbells and add shoulder presses. If you're doing bicep curls with a resistance band, throw in some lunges. Get creative by doing compound moves to burn more calories and work multiple muscles at once.
• Move a little faster: During cardio workouts, pick up the pace and do double-time. Moving faster not only gets your heart pumping to build endurance, but it also burns more calories.
• Do challenging variations: Instructors often demonstrate one move, and then they show how to make it more advanced. If you can think of a way to make it even harder — like balancing on one leg, standing on a Bosu ball, or using a resistance band along with your set of dumbbells — go for it.
• Skip the break: If you're not too winded, do some extra push-ups or run in place instead of resting between exercises. Or if you're familiar with the DVD and you know which move is coming next, skip the rest and start in on the burpees a little early.

FitSugar reader (and certified trainer) JessicaSmithTV posted these tips for choosing the right fitness DVD in our 10 Pounds Down! community group.

Workout DVDs can be a wonderful way to stay in shape — they are convenient, ready when you are, and can introduce you to new exercises, techniques and instructors you may otherwise never meet. And while the benefits of workout DVDs are many, so are the options to choose from! It can be overwhelming to try to find one that you really enjoy and want to do over and over. Here are three tips to help you find your perfect match:

1. Borrow, swap and ask for suggestions
Not sure where to start? Ask friends for suggestions, and better yet, borrow a few from their libraries to test drive first. Post an inquiry on Facebook asking for your friend’s favorite titles to get ideas on what to start looking for, and where the best deals are (did you know that Costco sells fitness DVDs?).

2. Don’t limit your workout preferences
Many online dating sites use algorithms that specifically match you up with people who have traits that you specifically said you didn’t want, and yet you may end up dating that person — why? There is usually a big gap between what we say we want, and what we end up really liking. For example, if you love light-weight, high-repetition barre workouts, don’t limit your options by only searching for "barre-style workouts." Who knows? You may end up falling in love with kickboxing!

3. Check out Collage Video
What if you could preview workouts, check out a full breakdown and review from certified instructors who have done the workout, and read comments from people who have already bought and tried the DVD? You can with the website Collage Video! Search by DVD title, instructor, equipment used, and fitness goals to find your ideal workout. And, if you buy it and don’t like it, they’ll take it back, no questions asked — even opened DVDs — within 30 days of purchase.

Have your own fitness tips to share? Post it in our FitSugar Community — it might even be featured on the homepage!

For the eighth challenge of the Get Fit For 2011 giveaway, we're asking you to review a fitness DVD or workout — tell us why you love it or why you'd leave it. Besides getting the chance to win some fantastic prizes, you'll also be sharing valuable information with the FitSugar community. Check out what readers are saying about these workouts from trainers Elise Gulan, Hilary Burnett, and Jillian Michaels.

• Yoga Fitness Plus with Elise Gulan — FitSugar reader TiVo loves celebrity fitness trainer Elise Gulan's Yoga Fitness Plus workout because the routine is fast paced and even though it requires flexibility, "you don't have to be a contortionist to feel the burn, and trust me, with this 45-minute routine you'll definitely feel the burn." TiVo's only complaint is that some of Elise's comments can be on the cheesy side.
• Hilary Burnett Pilates Advanced — If you are trying to up your Pilates game, reader ladyboarder9669 says this is the DVD to try. The 20-minute workout will get your heart racing while challenging you to improve your form: "I would highly recommend this workout DVD to anyone who loves Pilates, but is a bit bored with beginner/intermediate."
• Jillian Michaels: 30 Day Shred — We're in agreement with nnmarie about 30 Day Shred from Jillian Michaels being a solid workout. Even though nnmarie is not into home workouts, it's the one fitness DVD that she'll make an exception for: "It's hard; it challenges you to challenge yourself . . . and it leaves you with a burn that lasts for days."
  

Be sure to share your DVD review in our Get Fit For 2011 group to enter our weekly giveaway of a $100 Nike gift card and a chance to win our grand prize — a four-day fitness boot camp in LA, which includes a nutritional consultation with the C&J Nutrition team!

Looking for an easy, at-home way to get in bikini shape? Look no further than the 10 Minute Solution Quick Sculpt Pilates With Toning Ball DVD.

This five-part, 50-minute workout is another effective 10 Minute Solution DVD that comes with a free gift — in this case, a pretty pink toning ball. Though I identify more with host Jessica Smith of the Belly, Butt, and Thigh Blasters DVD with sculpting loop, I prefer this workout and its accompanying equipment more. To find out why, read more

Whether you exercise at home, need something for a rainy day, or want a workout you can travel with, a fitness DVD is the perfect solution. But with titles coming out every week, it's hard to know which ones are worth the splurge. To take the guesswork out of choosing which fitness DVD to buy, here are our picks for some of the year's best. Go ahead. Buy yourself a present from this list — a fitness DVD is definitely the kind of gift that keeps on giving!

• The Biggest Loser: Last Chance Workout ($10) Jillian Michaels and past Biggest Loser contestants take you through three workouts that focus on maximizing the body's fat burning capabilities. If you loved the fast pace of Jillian's 30 Day Shred, this DVD won't disappoint. Equal emphasis placed on strength and cardio.
• Personal Training with Jackie: Power Circuit Training ($10) Celeb trainer Jackie Warner usually gets $400 per hour for a circuit training session — save yourself some bucks and buy this DVD instead. There are five different circuit training workouts that differ in total workout time and areas of the body targeted.
• Jari Love: Get Extremely Ripped ($15) The title pretty much says it all. An hour-long DVD full of squats, lunges, overhead presses, and biceps curls. Be warned: all your muscles will be aching after this one.

To see what other fitness DVDs we loved this year, read more

I've accumulated a bunch of fitness DVDs over the years. Some will forever be favorites, like Core Fusion Body Sculpt, and some I've only tried once, like Valerie Bertinelli's Losing It and Keeping Fit.

What's a girl to do with the stacks of fitness DVDs she never uses? Trade them for something she will use. SwapaDvd.com is a website that allows you to post DVDs you no longer want. Once you post 10 to your "DVD Tower," you get one "gift" credit from the site. Then you can start swapping with other users. When someone wants your DVD, you mail it to them (yes, you pay the postage, which is typically $1.85), and you earn one credit toward a video you want. When you request a DVD, the owner will mail it to you. It's a great way to get rid of workout videos you're bored with, and to try something new. Once you're done with exercise DVDs you've received, you can always re-post them for others to request. Great idea, huh?