Zumba Fitness – What’s it all about?

I was browsing Facebook earlier today and both my friend and my cousin were raving about the Zumba fitness workouts that they had been doing. I need to get back into the exercise routine myself so I thought I’d check it out and see what Zumba actually is.

Turns out it’s pretty much a dance fitness programme, where you dance to Latin grooves to burn calories. Apparently it was “invented” entirely by accident by an aerobics instructor who forgot his traditional music one day and had to ad lib, making up a new class based around the salsa and merengue music he had in his backpack. If you hate to count steps like I do then it turns out that Zumba is the way to go, since you just move with the music.

I’m sure there are some classes in my local area but I’m not really a fan of exercising in public so I decided to look for a Zumba fitness dvd instead and my search led me to the amazing Zumba Fitness Total Body Transformation System over at Amazon. This is the official Zumba Fitness DVD set and it’s been awarded 5 stars by almost 400 happy customers!

What’s included in the set?

You won’t need to worry about getting bored quickly with this set since the four DVDs contain six workouts. There’s even a pair of maraca-like toning sticks in the box so that you can tone your muscles while dancing.

The workouts themselves range from the basic – to teach you the steps – to a 20-minute express workout – perfect for when you don’t have a lot of time to spare – and a sculpt and tone workout. There’s even a cardio party for when you really want to get your groove on

What’s so good about this Zumba Fitness DVD set?

If you want to break into a sweat and melt that belly fat in the comfort of your own home then it looks like this DVD is the way to go.

The steps are pretty easy to master and the music takes over so that the time flies without you really realising that you are exercising.

There’s a great abs section too (which doesn’t involve hitting the deck to do endless tummy crunches) so your tummy will be toned up in no time.

What’s not so good about it?

Apparently the Toning Sticks aren’t great, and the rattling noise they make can be distracting. But then most people say that you don’t really need that extra dimension since the workout kicks butt without them!

The instructor Beto has an accent that can be a bit hard to understand at first, but over time you should be able to pick up what he’s telling you to do.

Do you need anything other than the DVD set to get fit with Zumba?

You’ll need some light loose clothing because Zumba fitness will make you sweat. You might also want to consider some Zumba shoes as they are easier to dance in than traditional aerobics sneakers.

Make sure you have a bottle of water near by so that you can stay hydrated during your workout. And you’ll also need to have enough room in front of your television to get your groove on – the more you move the more fat you’ll burn!

What do others have to say about the Zumba Fitness DVD set?

Danie’ commented on the dance routines: “Some mainstay dance routines are Samba, Merengue, Reggaeton (my fav!), Cumbia, Mambo and Salsa but I was pleasantly surprised that were more styles of dancing included in the workout other than Latin. Cardio Party (my fav!) has an “American Mix” section that features a bit of country dancing and an ode to 1950s Americana. There’s also some African steps that are really fun, too (you’ll see them in Zumba Sculpt and Tone and in Zumba Live). You’ll also see some bellydance (kinda, sort of) and Flamenco.” Click here to read the rest of Danie’s review.

What’s in the box?

Zumba Fitness Basic Steps Demo

I found this great Zumba video on YouTube which will give you an idea of the basic steps.

Ready to give it a try?

Yoga isn’t an expensive exercise to take up but you will need some basic yoga equipment to get you started. The five main items are clothing, a yoga mat, a blanket, a block and a yoga strap. In this article we’ll cover each of the items, what they are and whether you should buy them before you get started.

1. Start with comfortable clothing

To get the most out of your yoga practice you will need to wear light, comfortable clothing. Shorts or lose fitting bottoms work well, but avoid lycra as this could cause you to slip. Choose a top that is loose but form fitting as some of the poses are inverted, which means that your head will come down below your hips and could cause your top to ride up.

You don’t need to worry about expensive footwear as yoga is practiced barefoot, in fact many studios ask that you leave your shoes at the door to protect the floor area and keep it clean.

2. Add a yoga mat

Yoga mats, or sticky mats as they are often called define your personal space in the studio. They also provide traction for your hands and feet so that you don’t slip during the poses.

You can usually rent a mat from your studio, but they will be used by lots of other students and you don’t know how often they are washed; it’s surprising how sweaty hands and feet become during yoga practice.

You can buy a yoga mat for as little as $20 from a sports store or an online yoga specialist. Your yoga mat is the most important piece of yoga equipment so beware cheap yoga mats as they can be slippy which can lead to injuries. Most studios will happily store your mat for you if you become a regular which saves you carrying it to class each time.

3. Blankets

When you start out you will probably not be too flexible so a folded blanket is useful as a prop for seated postures. They also come in handy in the relaxation time at the end of class if it is chilly in the studio. You don’t need to buy your own mat unless you wish to practice at home as most studios will have a supply for you to borrow during class.

4. Blocks

Blocks are also useful for beginners, especially for the bending poses where you have trouble touching the floor with your hands. Again these should be available for you to borrow during class, but if you want to practice at home can be purchased from the yoga specialist store.

5. Straps

A yoga strap will help you to reach your feet in seated postures. Like blocks they are inexpensive and can be purchased for practice at home or borrowed during class if required.

You don’t need to buy expensive equipment to start practicing yoga, just some comfortable clothes and a sticky mat will set you on your way. Items like blankets, blocks and straps are useful for beginners and can be either purchased or borrowed from the yoga studio.

I decided that it was finally time to do something about it and started researching desk chairs that would help my posture and do away with the ache. I was quite surprised to find a chair that will do that, and also help strengthen my tummy muscles. A chair that can help melt belly fat just by sitting in it? That’s right, it’s a balance ball chair!

Gaiam ergonomic balance ball chair review

The Gaiam Balance Ball Chair was developed under the watchful eye of a chiropractic pioneer called Dr. Randy Weinzoff. And the chair has been carefully designed to alleviate the aching back, legs and arms syndrome that comes from sitting at a desk for hours.

It’s designed for people who are between 5-feet and 5-feet 11-inches tall, and uses the same balance ball that you would use in a workout routine. But you don’t have to worry about it rolling away every time you stand up because you also get an adjustable support bar and easy-glide casters which turn your balance ball, into a balance ball chair!

What’s in the box?

• Gaiam Balance Ball chair
• Air pump
• Desktop guide

How big is the chair?

You don’t have to worry about a huge unwieldy chair that will fill your office, the back of the Gaiam Balance Ball Chair is 2.5 feet tall, and the base measures 20 inches wide from one side of the wheels to the other. The chair comes with 2 locking casters and 2 regular ones. The locking casters go on the back of the chair.

Now as you might expect it doesn’t come delivered fully assembled, and you’ll need to pump air into the Balance Ball, but there is a pump in the box.

The chair measures 21 x 31 x 22 inches (W x H x D) and weighs 13 pounds. It has a 300-pound weight capacity.

The balance ball chair benefits

Using a balance ball chair is great for your posture and can help to relieve and even prevent back problems.

The back support on the Gaiam chair is detachable so once you get used to balancing on the chair you can remove it.

You will tighten your abs naturally to maintain your balance on the chair helping melt that belly fat while you sit and your posture will improve over time.

The downsides of using a balance ball chair

The height of the chair can only be adjusted by varying the amount of air in the ball, so you might need to change the height of your desk.

If you’re used to an arm rest or head rest on your existing chair then you might experience some discomfort in the early days as you get used to this new way of sitting.

The company state that the chair can be used by anyone taller than five foot, but I have heard that if you’re shorter than five foot eight you might struggle to keep your legs at the recommended 90 degree angle.

I’ve also read complaints that the back-rest of this chair isn’t particularly sturdy and that they worried if they leaned back on it too often it might snap, although to be honest if you’re leaning on the back rest then you’re not sitting up straight so I think this is more user error than chair error!

What do other people think about the Gaiam Ergonomic Balance Ball Chair?

There are more than 300 customer reviews on amazon.com for this Balance Ball Chair and more than 150 of them award it five stars.

You can read more of the 300 plus reviews here.

Features of the Gaiam Balance Ball Chair

Should I use an exercise/balance ball instead of an office chair?

I think if you spend more than three or four hours a day sitting in an office chair and you find that you are slouching or that you have pain in your back, legs or arms then it is definitely worth trying a balance ball chair instead.

I’m a massive fan of the Biggest Loser. There is just something so inspiring about the contestants and watching them on their journey as they lose weight and regain a healthy lifestyle is extremely motivating.

If you’re trying to lose weight and melt belly fat then there are hundreds of different products you could buy to help you along the way, from diet supplements to exercise equipment, fitness DVDs to measuring scales. In fact there are so many products to choose from that I think some people are so confused by everything on offer that they just never get started!

If you’re a fan of the Biggest Loser tv show then you probably know that they have a number of weight loss products themselves, so I decided to review those products to try and find the best weight loss package as voted for by the people actually trying to lose weight. 

Best Biggest Loser Fitness DVD

The first thing you’ll want to do to melt that belly fat and lose weight is start to exercise. There are several Biggest Loser workout videos to choose from including the Last Chance Workout, Cardio Max and Power Sculpt. But the most poplar Biggest Loser Fitness DVD as voted for by the people is The Biggest Loser Workout: Volume 1.

This fitness DVD has been rated 5 stars by more than 270 reviewers, with more than 100 awarding it with 4 stars.

The Biggest Loser Workout: Volume 1 features Bob Harper’s routines (Jillian Michaels didn’t get a look in here!) In each of the routines Bob puts some of the Biggest Loser contestants through their paces and you can follow along at home.

This DVD is most suited to people who have worked out before as some of the routines are quite advanced, although they do show you modified versions of the exercises if you are just starting out.

One of the great things about The Biggest Loser Workout: Volume 1 is that it has an option to just have the music only. So once you have worked through the routines a few times and you know what you’re doing you can “switch Bob off”.

There are six routines to choose from on The Biggest Loser Workout: Volume 1, and you can mix and match them as you wish:

• Warm-up (5 minutes) – These are basic stretching moves to get you ready to go.
• Low Intensity Cardio (25 minutes) – There are some jumping jacks, some kicking and punching, and a lot of core strengthening exercises perfect for the beginner.
• High-Intensity Cardio (20 minutes) – This is a more aggressive cardio routine designed for people who have been working out for at least a month. The moves are quick, and there’s a lot more jumping. You will be in constant motion and there are boxing and kicking moves.
• Strength and Sculpt (20 minutes) – In this routine you use hand weights and a mat or towel to go through a circuit training routine designed to build muscle and sculpt.
• Boot Camp (20 minutes) – A combination of cardio and sculpting that can be done with or without hand weights. This is for people who need a quick workout, and do not have time for both a cardio and sculpting routine.
• Cool Down (20 minutes) – This is a Yoga style stretching session to get you back to normal after an intense workout.

You can either select one of the pre-determined combinations or you can choose your own. Being able to mix the routines up like this is a great way to maintain your interest so that you don’t get bored of the DVD too quickly.

The Biggest Loser Workout: Volume 1 also has some special features including a six week suggested fitness plan, a cast and trainer introduction and Suzy and Matt’s story as a bit of inspiration.

If you haven’t got time to go to the gym and you want to work out at home then The Biggest Loser Workout: Volume 1 is a great place to start!

Best Biggest Loser Cookbook

Now that you’re up and moving about you’ll need to think about your diet and the food that you’re eating. If you want to lose weight and get healthy then you need to be sensible about your food options, there’s no point cutting too many calories while you’re trying to work out, your body needs fuel!

Again there are a number of different Biggest Loser cook books on offer but the most popular by far is titled: “The Biggest Loser Cookbook: More Than 125 Healthy, Delicious Recipes Adapted from NBC’s Hit Show“.

More than 170 people have reviewed this cookbook over at Amazon and more than 107 rate it 5 stars.

Inside the cover you’ll find:

• 125 recipes from The Biggest Loser cast, trainers, and fans
• motivational before-and-after photographs of the cast
• 50 beautiful 4-color food shots
• dozens of trainer tips from The Biggest Loser trainers
• inspiring stories of how the contestants lost their weight
• at-a-glance guides to The Biggest Loser Diet and The Biggest Loser Exercise plan

You won’t be spoilt for choice with this Biggest Loser cookbook as it contains more than 100 recipes for all of your meals from breakfast through to dinner and even some tasty snacks.

And unlike most cookbooks each recipe shows you exactly how many calories, fat grams, protein grams, carb grams, fiber grams, sodium, and cholesterol it contains. This is a welcome addition not just to those of us trying to lose weight but also for people with health issues such as heart disease and diabetes where diet is so important.

If you’re not at home in the kitchen they you don’t have to worry about over complicated recipes, these meals and snacks are quick and simple to prepare, and taste great too!

Best Biggest Loser Kitchen Scales

Of course you’ll be needing some accurate kitchen scales to help you make all those tasty meals from the cookbook. Inspired by the hit TV show, The Biggest Loser, the Taylor company has produced the Biggest Loser kitchen scale. If you are determined to eat right as part of your new healthy lifestyle then you need precise portion control, and this digital scale is the perfect addition to your kitchen.

The scale measures up to 6.6 pounds (3 kilograms) in increments of 1/8 ounce or 1 gram and a convenient Add-And-Weigh Tare feature resets the scales back to zero with each item or ingredient added.

A large LCD readout reduces squinting and guesswork, and the clean glass platform is removable for easy cleaning.

The scale is powered by long-life Lithium batteries which are included with the scale. An auto-off feature helps preserve battery life.

19 people have reviewed the Biggest Loser Kitchen Scales over at Amazon.com and they like the fact that the scale is accurate, light weight and easy to clean. A couple of people have complained that their scale appears to be possessed because it switches on and off when least expected.

If you want to know just how much turkey you should put in that sandwich then you should click here to order your Biggest Loser Kitchen Scales from Amazon.

Best Biggest Loser Bathroom Scales

If you want to lose weight and melt belly fat Biggest Loser style then you’ll need some scales for your weekly weigh in. There are a number of Biggest Loser scales available but the reviews are disappointing, with people saying that they are difficult to set up, or add 5 pounds to your weight (not very motivating!). So I searched a little harder and discovered that the best bathroom scales as voted for by Amazon customers are the EatSmart™ Precision Digital Bathroom Scale with Extra Large Backlit 3.5″ Display and “Step-On” Technology.

These scales have been awarded 5 stars by more than 1730 people!

The EatSmart “Step-On” technology allows you to simply step on the scale and get your weight so there is no more tapping to activate the scale.

It will weight people of up to 400 pounds, and you don’t find many scales that will do that accurately and reliably.

The oversized 3.5″ LCD display makes checking those numbers easy, and there’s a cool-blue backlight so you can always see the numbers even in the low light area of the bathroom.

The scale comes with easy to follow instructions and 4AAA batteries so you can start your weekly weigh in as soon as it’s out of the box.

One reviewer put the scale through it’s paces by stepping on and off it no less than 6 times, and it returned the same weight every time. She even put her bathroom hamper on to check it wasn’t remembering her weight!

The Best Biggest Loser Weight Loss Package

There you have it. Everything you need to loser weight with the Biggest Loser. A fitness DVD to get your muscles pumping, a cookbook so you know what to eat for that healthy diet, some kitchen scales to help your portion control and some super-accurate bathroom scales for the weekly weigh in.

If you are serious about losing weight and getting fit then there is one more Biggest Loser product you might be interested in. If you’ve seen the shows then you will have noticed the contestants wearing a black armband with a gadget attached, And that gadget is a BodyBugg…

The Biggest Loser bodybugg ® System

The revolutionary new bodybugg® makes it easy to manage the calories you consume and burn so you always stay in control of your weight.

You get started with a personal phone coach and then you manage your results daily on the user-friendly web based nutrition program.

The bodybugg monitors how much you exercise, and helps you to manage how many calories you eat, then track if you are burning more calories that you are consuming.

• It’s flexible so you can eat what you want, when you want, and then workout on your own terms.
• It’s customized so your program is based on your age, weight, height and personal goals
• It’s personalized as you start with a phone coach session with your personal phone coach

You can then track your progress with a 12-month subscription to the web based nutrition program and personal calorie management system which is included with the initial purchase of the new bodybugg®.

Online subscription renewal fees are: $9.95 for month to month, $49.95 for 6 months and $79.95 for 12 months.

The great thing about the bodybugg is that it doesn’t just track the calories you burn while working out, it also tracks those you burn when you take your baby upstairs for a nap, pick up the kid’s toys, cook dinner and even sleep!

Getting fit and losing weight is high on my to do list but I really don’t have the time or the inclination to go to the gym. I have some space available in the guest room so I decided that I’d invest in some home gym equipment.

One of my friends swears by running on a treadmill to keep fit and to pump out the stress of the day so I thought that I’d start there. Of course I still need to be able to welcome guests into the guest room so I decided to investigate folding treadmills, that way I can just tuck it out of the way when the room is needed for sleeping.

I looked at quite a few folding treadmills and the number one, most popular treadmill, as voted for by the people was the Bowflex Series 7 Treadmill.

Here’s why it’s so popular…

Intense cardio-workout

If you want to get fit and lose weight then you need a cardio workout to get your heart pumping and the powerful 3.0 horsepower motor in this folding treadmill is just what you need to achieve that.

Plenty of programmes to avoid boredom

I have to admit that the thought of running on the spot for hours on end didn’t really appeal to me at first, until I discovered that the Bowflex 7 has no less than 15 workout programmes! This means I can vary my workout every single day; the options include: manual, cardio, fat burn, speed interval jogger, hill intervals, heart strength/recovery test, calorie goal, distance goal, cardio heart rate calculation, body mass index (BMI) test, and two custom programs to truly personalize your workouts. You certainly don’t get this much choice with many of the other folding treadmills!

The treadmill has a speed range up to 11 miles per hour and an incline grade up to 12%, so you can customize your workout pace and program every time.

There’s also a grip and telemetric heart rate monitoring so you can track your heart rate and metrics as you exercise (always good to know how hard you’re pushing your heart so you don’t push it too far!) A few people have said that the grip monitor takes a long time to measure your heat rate, but that the remote telemetric unit works a treat.

A comfortable running experience

There are cheaper folding treadmills out there but they didn’t look too sturdy and the last thing I want is for my treadmill to collapse while I’m running on it! The Bowflex 7 has a generous running surface that measures 20 by 60 inches so there’s plenty of space to walk or run on. It also features Bowflex’s unique Strike Zone deck cushioning system for ultimate support, stability, and comfort during lift-off and landing motions.

Keep cool and hydrated while running

The Bowflex 7 has a built-in three-speed fan and two bottle holders so you can keep cool and hydrated while working out. Two bottle holders might sound excessive but I think I could get through that much water

Easy to put together

Self-assembly home fitness equipment can be a nightmare to put together and I worried the same would be true of folding treadmills, so I was relieved to read several reviews from people stating that the Bowflex 7 was easy to put together and could be built in under an hour. The only thing you’ll need to keep in mind is that the unit is heavy so you might need to enlist some help to get it into the right room in your house.

Easy storage is crucial for folding treadmills

And of course one of the critical requirements for folding treadmills is that you need to be able to fold them up and stow them away, and the Bowflex 7 allows you to do just that!

Is there anything wrong with this folding treadmill?

I found a lot of great information and positive reviews on this treadmill but I thought that it couldn’t all be good so I looked for negative reviews and bad points. Here’s what I found…

Only 18 people rated this one star on Amazon and the common complaint seems to be that if you don’t use the treadmill for many months when you blow the dust off the electronic panel stops working. I suppose there is a simple way to avoid that problem, only invest in this treadmill if you plan to use it regularly!

The other complaint seemed to be that the fan only blows a gentle breeze across your face while you’re jogging, so it looks like you’ll need to invest in a proper fan if you can’t open a window

What do other people say about these folding treadmills?

Click here to read more reviews of the Bowflex 7 folding treadmills

Here’s the techie bit

Feature Detail:

 
3.0 continuous-duty horsepower motor
Speed range is 0.5-11 miles per hour/0.8-17.7 kilometers per hour
0-12% incline range
Quick incline and quick-speed keys offer easy access to desired settings
Fifteen workout programs: Manual, cardio, running, fat burn, speed interval jogger, hill intervals, 5K run with 12 intervals, heart strength/recovery test, calorie goal, distance goal, fat burn heart rate calculation, cardio heart rate calculation, body mass index (BMI) test, two custom programs
Grip and telemetric heart rate monitors help measure your fitness level
Skylight backlit LCD computer display
Product Dimensions: 83 by 35 by 55.25 inches/211 by 89 by 140 centimeters
Folded Product Dimensions: 40.87 by 35 by 65.5 inches/104 by 89 by 166 centimeters
Machine Weight: 298 pounds/135 kilograms
Maximum User Weight: 300 pounds/136 kilograms
Power Requirements: 120VAC 15A non-GFI grounded outlet
Strike Zone deck cushioning provides soft landing and firm lift-off
Two-ply belt
Rollers measure 2.5 inches/6.4 centimeters
Walking/running surface area measures 20 inches wide by 60 inches long/51 by 152 centimeters
Built-in three-speed fan
Two bottle/cup holders

Click here to read more treadmill reviews…