Gear: Women’s Health Total Workout in Ten!

One recent day in December it was too cold outside for comfort, so I decided to bag my typical jog around the park in favor of a fitness video. Truth be told, I was also feeling a little sluggish, and I figured this living room workout would give me a rest from my typical training routine. I mean, when’s the last time anyone broke a sweat following along to a on-screen exercise routine?

Well, several days after I slipped the Women's Health Total Workout in Ten! DVD my arms, legs and butt were still sore. This video—which is broken into 10-minute sections for cardio, upper body, lower body, and abs/stability—worked all the major muscle groups, had a challenging tempo, and workout creator Amy Dixon had the right amount of pep to keep me going without being too cheerleader-y. I really liked the short sequence format, too. Ten-minute workout clips aren’t at all daunting, and while I had planned to do only one or two sections, I wound up getting hooked and did the whole workout. Some exercises call for 3-lb dumbbells, but a few full bottles of water can stand in, too.