I feel no shame in admitting that I am completely and utterly addicted to exercise videos. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I get my butt to the gym. I've put in my time, I've done my derrière boosting duty, but sometimes? I just can't do it. The reasons for my negligence varies: I'm bloated, I'm tired, I'm rushed for time, I have no clean sports bras, I've put it off so long that leaving my apartment seems about as appealing as bathing angry cats for a living. These are the moments that exercise videos become my best friends. They're short yet challenging, interactive yet totally private, and sometimes surprisingly motivating. In the sense that everything is a microcosm of the world (how's that for meta?), exercise videos have some surprisingly good life-lessons attached to them. Okay, yeah, this is a stretch, but go with me here, a little positive self-talk never hurt anyone:
- Try the modified version. It really is okay to take the easy way once and a while.
- Sometimes you have to do the same thing over and over again to get the result you were looking for. Einstein said that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. I don't agree, I think it's the definition of practice.
- I'm stronger than I think I am. Hard ain't impossible. Just because something looks intimidating doesn't mean I can't handle it, but I can't if I don't give it a shot.
- It's all right to look ridiculous--no one is watching. I've
certainly not taken my fair share of chances for fear of looking stupid
if I fail. It has since occurred to me, with exception to The Daily Special,
no one is watching me. If I fail, if I screw up, if I land on my
proverbial ass, there's no crowd of hecklers. There's just me and the
rest of the world that is too wrapped up in their own lives to worry
about mine.
- Take positive reinforcement for what it's worth. This is
one of the harder lessons I've learned in life. Sometimes people just
tell you what you want to hear. You know where it's at, so take other
people's opinions for what they're worth; same goes for negative
comments.
- Take time to breathe and reflect on what you've accomplished. You know at the end when you're stretching and breathing and the
instructor is telling you to congratulate yourself on a job well done?
Life should be more like that. Taking time to look at what I've
accomplished gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment, even if I do
feel silly just sitting there thinking about how great I am.
So, I can turn anything into a self-help book. After all, I'm
currently working on a manuscript declaring the eternal wisdom of the
Sears Catalog. But, this isn't such a bad way to think. Anywhere I can
find a little self forgiveness and appreciation is a good place. It
would be great if all that self-love came naturally, but hey sometimes
you have to do the same thing over and over again before you get it
right.
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Every time I started to compose a comment on this blog, I was distracted by the picture of Jane Fonda, it cracks me up. Kim's life lessons learned at the hands of Jane, Richard and Billy are inspiring and funny. The end result should always be you feeling good about yourself. Kudos Kim!
Love the blog! I agree - one of the best things about workout DVD's is that I don't have to look all cute and workout trendy because I'm afraid people are watching me at the gym. And, thank goodness, there is a video for every exercise preference!
I love workout videos for just the reasons you list...espcially the fact that you don't have to "dress up" to go to the gym. They certainly serve a purpose when life gets too hectic or you just don't want to go anywhere that day!
Thanks, Kim
Fellow workout video junkie here, I agree with you completely! Except I have developed a bad habit lately of playing my workout DVDs on the computer, and if I hear the ping of my Gmail notification thingy, sometimes I pause the DVD to check my Inbox. For shame!
Just curious, what your favourites? Always on the lookout for a newie :)
Shauna, I have so many exercise DVDs that I recently started giving them away. I buy them like other people buy jeans, I want what's new and trendy but generally stick to the same oldies but goodies.
My favorites:
The FIRM-equipment is needed, but these are some of the best most well rounded exercise routines around. I really appreciate that they use free weights and encourage you to keep moving up in weight as you get stronger.
Crunch Burn and Firm Pilates: It's a pilates based aerobic routine, and a short mat section at the end. It's the kind of workout I do when I don't have a ton of time or energy but want a well rounded workout.
Sara Ivanhoe's 20-minute yoga makeover collection: The set has 4 DVDs, each targetting a different body section. I tend to find yoga intimidating, so this is a great way to ease in and get a good basis without feeling bogged down.
Also, for those of you out there that have netflix, the watch it now feature does include a sports section that has a ton of exercise videos, meaning you can try new DVDs without having to buy. If you don't like it, you can just stop it. I'm sort of in love with this option.
Seriously, is there anything more fabulous than Jane Fonda in a pair of leg warmers and feathered hair?
I recently discovered fitness videos "on demand"! They are free with my television service. This discovery more than doubled my work out video options, which is great because I can switch it up more often.