Interessant artikel over fitness DVD's (Engels)

Digital Workout
Tired of the hassles at the gym? Use exercise DVDs to create a fitter you — at home
By CZERNE M. REID
czreid@thestate.com

Forget the three Rs, Annette Bethel is all about the three Fs. The FIRM, FitPrime and (Cathe) Friedrich are the backbones of her at-home exercise programs based on exercise videos.

Although she works out by herself, she’s not alone. Every day she chats online with fellow self-described “vidiots,” a term often used to describe people who are addicted to video games.

Bethel and virtual friends are part of a growing number of people who opt to exercise at home instead of at a commercial gym, because of better privacy, lower cost and greater convenience. The online buddies exchange advice, product reviews and videos, and chat about whatever comes to mind, from kids’ snacks, to newspaper stories, to “Desperate Housewives” to religion.

The 5-foot-6-inch Bethel (who describes herself as “perpetually 22” although she hasn’t been that age for 20 years) has lost 20 pounds over the year-and-a-half she’s been using her videos. She works out for 30 minutes to two hours a day, six days a week. But she’ll have to cut back if she finds a job. The Newberry College and Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary graduate has been sending out applications in hopes of landing a gig teaching history or working with a women’s empowerment program.

When Bethel started working out to videos at the end of 2004, she used to spend up to $200 a year on new videos and DVDs, but now she spends about $50. She gets her cheap video fix from the library, yard sales, online auctions and thrift stores. She splurges occasionally for items such as “The FIRM: Ballroom Aerobic” video, that is sought after by many collectors.

For aspiring video exercisers, Bethel offers the following tips:

Find out what others have to say about a video before you buy. Check out reviews on www.videofitness.com and www.amazon.com or other Web sites. You can also borrow videos from the library or look at online video clips.

Start small. Try “quick” workouts that let you work out a few minutes a day. Increase your time and intensity as you get fitter.

Be consistent. You’re not going to lose weight or reach your fitness goals after just two workout sessions.

Connect with a support group, whether it’s your friends or online buddies.

Have fun.

Reach Reid at (803) 771-8378.

Fit Profile

Name: Annette Bethel
Age: celebrating her 20th anniversary of being perpetually 22
Best fitness moment: Being able to "pyramid up" on her weights — increasing from three to five to eight to 10 to 15 pound weights in the year and a half she has been working out
Worst fitness moment: Falling off the stability ball. "It takes lots of practice."

Bethel' s web picks:

www.thefirmdirect.com; www.fitprime.com; www.videofitness.com; www.collagevideo.com;
www.annabenson.com

Personalize

Customize your exercise DVDs with the help of an online program called PUSH.TV.

You can create DVDs by choosing your own exercises and trainers. Elite trainers include Bob Harper from NBC’s “Biggest Loser,” Mike Monroe and Petra Kolber. For $25 a month, you’ll get a new DVD every month in the mail.

PUSH.TV was started by Crunch Fitness founder, Doug Levine. For more information, visit www.push.tv