Outdoors Versus At Home

Just a quick mention about something that is gaining continued popularity: home fitness DVDs.

Since Janet Fonda decided to don those ever famous leg warmers, a large number of home fitness queens have tried to grab our attention (and our money) and make us jump and sweat in front of our TV sets in the front room.

In more recent years general consensus has been up and down, with usual sales peaks around Christmas time, ready to beat the newly acquired bulge in time for the new year.

Whether they are your ‘thing’ or not, exercise DVDs can actually be very good and a valid alternative to getting out of the house for your fitness sessions.

They have a really big advantage, which is the ability to help build confidence, particularly if you have not considered exercising for a long time and you feel very out of shape.

They go at your own pace, you can stop and rewind if you miss something, and you can make as many mistakes as you like before getting it right, with the added bonus of no spectators to make you feel out of place.

Possible problems you may face

On the other hand, one of the problems you might encounter with DVDs is that you might have to use two or three to keep the workout interesting, and you will also need to be quite self-disciplined to workout regularly.

One of the biggest problems you might have is choosing the right DVD: there are far too many out there (some of them fairly poor quality for fitness content) so take your time.

The best thing to do is to read as many reviews as you can and try to choose something that you would like to do, like perhaps mixing a bit of music and dance routines with traditional exercise.

Can games help you stay healthy?

With the recent boom of fitness games the image of computer games has taken a turn for the better.

No longer are computer games merely seen as a means to sit in the darkness for hours playing World of Warcraft, while you eat a cold slice of pizza and shy away from the great outdoors.

Nope, things are changing. The Wii Fit, the main cause of such hype, works by means of a motion sensor that is set atop your TV, which is able to read your actions.

Along with the aid of a controller and a balance board you are able to follow on-screen instructions to carry out a fitness routine.

This can range from doing push-ups, yoga or even aerobic exercises.

But, does it really make any difference to your fitness?

At the moment the only real answer to this is ‘possibly.’

There is no doubt that computer games such as the Wii Fit can give you a health boost but only if you maintain a regular fitness regime, as is the case with any exercise.

The one thing that sets the Wii Fit back is that the challenges are just not taxing enough and will not pose you with as much strain as exercising at the gym or going for a kick around with your mates.

However, as a cheap and family friendly alternative, computer games are certainly taking a step in the right direction.