My love of exercise videos goes far beyond my need for meaningless approval from people who can't see me: it comes from convenience and my love of adequate air conditioning. New York was under a heat advisory this weekend, and while my gym tried it's hardest to stay tolerably cool, it achieved slightly-cooler-than-a-sauna status. Since braving the treadmill was not a mistake I was about to make twice, I did the next best thing to sitting around my apartment in my underwear eating sorbet and watching Bobby Flay. I did an exercise video. 

Although I have a very strong love for the girls of The Firm, I was in the mood to broaden my horizons. My very favoritest exercise video in creation and the one that goes on every vacation and business trip with me is Crunch: Fat Burning Pilates. Since I was all about trying something new, I logged onto Netflix (otherwise known as my boyfriend), and searching through their Watch it Now exercise video collection, found a video that was like the cooler big sister to my already favoritest video: Crunch: Burn and Firm Pilates.

What makes Burn and Firm extra challenging is it's use of hand weights. Otherwise, the two workouts are relatively similar. Something to consider when scouring the exercise shelves of your local video store (do people even have local video stores anymore?). Some other things you should know:

The Good

• Ellen Barrett, the instructor, is positive without being crazy-perky and annoying.
  
  
• The choreography is simple, so if you're prone to spasticity, this is an easy-to-follow workout. (If you're looking for more advanced choreography, Fat Burning Pilates is a little more along those lines.)

• It's a mix of classic floor work Pilates and Pilates-inspired aerobics--the best of both worlds.

• There's not a ton of back work, but besides that it's a really well-rounded workout, reaching all your major muscle groups.

• You don't need much space, I did it in a 4' x 4' clearing in my bedroom.

• It's only 46 minutes!

The Bad

• The warm-up is really on the long and boring side.  Once you get past that part, it really does pick up.

• It's not super hard. If you're looking for a really challenging workout, this isn't it.  

• Ellen likes to say things like "You look great!" and "You've got great energy"; the laughing at the absurdity of such comments may deflect from your workout. Be forewarned.

If you're looking for a simple, well-rounded workout with easy choreography, I recommend it. If you're looking to hone your inner she-warrior, this may not be challenging enough for you. Either way, I don't care how little it calls me, I will never break up with Netflix and it's Watch it Now feature. Ever.