10 Favorite DVDs of 2006 at YourExerciseDVDs.com

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Our 10 Favorite DVDs of 2006 at YourExerciseDVDs.com

In 2006 we tried out almost 150 exercise DVDs — from sculpting and

toning to cardio to Yoga and more. You'll find reviews of most of

them here on the site (we decided that a very small percentage

weren't worth your while and haven't included them). Out of all

those workouts, a few stood out. Some were exercise DVDs that

remained in frequent rotation around here — DVDs that we'd work out

to on days when we weren't doing a review. Some were DVDs that we

thought were especially beginner-friendly. We even found an

instructor for you hard-to-please advanced exercisers. We picked out

10 of these DVDs as our favorites of 2006.

Keep in mind that this isn't a comprehensive list. 2006 was a great

year for exercise DVDs. There was a lot of innovation, both in

fitness and in DVD technology, resulting in workouts that were more

interesting and varied overall. It was hard picking just 10; we

could have easily chosen at least double that amount. But we wanted

to keep the list short and non-intimidating (like some of the

workouts we chose). So consider the below exercise DVDs just the

beginning of a good home exercise library. If you've made a New

Year's resolution to get fit (or fitter) in 2007, this is a good

place to start!

DVDs for those who are short on time (you'll be done in 20 minutes

or less):

* Tight on Time: Hot Spots

This toning and sculpting DVD is great for the time challenged. In

10 minutes, longtime fitness pro Tamilee Webb gives you a quick,

super-efficient workout. In addition to the 3 routines for abs,

upper body or full body, there's also a 10-minute " bonus " full body

toning session that uses exercise tubing, which is great for those

times you're on the road. You'll never say, " I don't have the time

to exercise " ever again!

* 10 Minute Solution: Rapid Results Pilates

There aren't many Pilates DVDs out there that can make you sore the

next day. Do all 5 10-minute segments of this one, however, and you

will definitely feel it! If you don't have the 50 minutes, take 10

and choose just one of these powerful mini workouts from Lara

Hudson. Each segment has its own theme — you work your lower body,

upper body, core and more.

* Crunch: Total Resculpt

We are huge fans of Kendell Hogan, and we are also huge fans

of this DVD. There are two 20-minute sessions, one focusing on the

upper body and one that zeroes in on your lower body. Both routines

give you a great sculpting workout, and Hogan's personality is

loaded with charisma and fun.

Excellent Starter DVDs for Beginners:

* Pick Your Level: Fat to Firm Fast

This is an excellent toning exercise DVD for beginners

because you can start off easy and change the difficulty level of

your workouts as you grow stronger. You are shown three different

levels of each exercise and you pick the one that's right for you,

so there's a lot of variety in just one routine. Dozois'

instruction is top notch.

* Fat-Burning Kickboxing Workout for Dummies

Newbie exercisers might be intimidated by the powerful

kickboxing-based routines by fitness pros like Blanks. But

anyone can learn how to kickbox with this beginner's DVD from Keli

. She includes a 15-minute segment to teach you the 10 moves

that make up the 35-minute routine. And even if you don't get

everything just right the first few times you try out the full

routine, you'll still get a real workout.

* Dance Off the Inches: Fat Burning Jam

This cardio dance routine is extremely easy to learn, so even

beginners who have some trouble with choreography will get a

satisfying workout with this DVD. Dozois (yes, she's one of

our favorite instructors) makes it even easier by including a

10-minute segment to break down the moves.

* Samba Party Workout 2: Brazilian " Carnival " Grooves

The problem with many cardio dance DVDs is that they're all

style and little sweat; they have choreography that's hard to learn;

and once you learn the steps, you still don't get much of a workout.

Isaac has solved all that with her fun and simple approach

to Brazilian dance. This Samba-inspired routine has moves you can

take to the dance floor, is easy enough for beginners to learn, and

will raise your heart rate.

Mind-Body Workouts That Will Challenge You:

* Tracey Mallett's Renew You: Cardio Fusion

Tracey Mallett is sort of the " boot camp " woman, so it's a

surprise (and a pleasant one) to see that she can put together an

excellent workout that is more mind-body oriented. Because of her

background, there's nothing wimpy about this routine, which combines

ballet, modern dance, Pilates and Yoga in a variety of innovative ways.

* Crunch: Super SlimDown Pilates Yoga Blend

Here is a combination of Yoga and Pilates that is actually

tougher once you hit the mat than it is when you're doing the

standing exercises. Usually we recommend Pilates or Yoga for your

" lighter " exercise days, but this one is a fairly intense routine

for those days where you want something a little different from

hefting weights.

The DVD to Kick Up Your Fitness Program:

* Get Ripped to the Core

Intermediate and advanced exercisers don't have as many DVDs

to choose from as the beginners. That's why there's Jari Love. Her

routines require a lot of equipment (inexpensive equipment, but more

than normal nonetheless), and they really challenge you. This

hour-long routine has just nine tough moves and thoroughly works all

your muscle groups from the core outwards. If you're a more advanced

exerciser, any of Jari's workouts are recommended!