If you are looking to lose weight and get in shape, but don’t necessarily like the idea of joining a gym, then you might want to think about investing in a fitness DVD because these can be extremely effective at helping you achieve these goals.
Many of these workout videos are presented by female celebrities these days, but don’t let that put you off because you can rest assured that all of the workouts will have been devised by a professional trainer, and are designed to produce maximum results.
They are generally divided into a number of different sections, which will often target different parts of the body, and are usually performed to a high-tempo dance track so that you don’t get bored too easily and actually have a bit of fun performing these routines.
In addition, many of the modern ones are based on high intensity interval training, which a lot of women prefer because it involves short, intense bursts of exercise followed by rest periods in between.
So these DVDs will certainly help you burn lots of calories whilst working many different areas of your body, which makes them ideal for fitness, toning and weight loss.
Best Workout DVDs In The US
If you live in the United States, Jillian Michaels is probably the first name you think of when thinking about fitness DVDs because she has been producing a number of effective workout videos for a number of years now, and has helped lots of women lose weight over the years.
Indeed at the time of writing this article, Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred DVD from 2008 is still one of the top-selling workout DVDs even now in 2016, and titles that are available from the likes of Jane Fonda and Tracy Anderson are always very popular with women.
However it is the workouts from Chalene Johnson and Shaun T that are proving to be really popular right now, particularly as many men are choosing to perform Shaun T’s intense programs in order to get in shape.
Best Workout DVDs In The UK
In the UK, it is Davina McCall who is regarded as the queen of fitness DVDs because she has been releasing a new workout routine every single year for quite a few years now, and always seems to have one of the top-selling fitness DVDs in January and February, which is obviously the peak weight loss season.
That’s certainly the case this year because her 7 Minute Fit DVD has received lots of positive customer reviews and is one of the best-sellers right now, and in 2014 it was her Fit In 15 DVD that was proving to be very popular with a lot of women.
However more and more celebrities are starting to jump on the bandwagon because in the last 5 years or so we have seen lots of reality TV stars and TV presenters come out with their own DVD, usually after they have lost a large amount of weight.
Therefore at the current time it is Charlotte Crosby, who is one of the stars of the reality TV show Geordie Shore, who is topping the best-sellers list with her 3 Minute Belly Blitz DVD, with other reality TV stars, such as Vicky Pattison and Josie Gibson also having two of the most popular titles (Vicky Pattison’s 7 Day Slim and Josie Gibson’s 30 Second Slim respectively).
2016 Update:
As it always the case just after Christmas, there are a new set of fitness DVDs being released in time for the 2016 weight loss season, and this year sees some exciting new workout DVDs from the likes of Davina McCall, Lorraine Kelly, Lauren Goodger, Kym Marsh and Charlotte Crosby.
If you would like to find out more about any of these new releases, simply click on one of the links below to read a full review:
- Lauren’s OMG! Workout
- Lorraine Kelly: Living To The Max
- Charlotte’s 3 Minute Bum Blitz
- Davina: 5 Week Fit
- Kym Marsh: Power Sculpt
2017 Update:
This year seems to be a little quieter than previous years with regards to new fitness DVD releases in the UK, but there are still a few notable releases.
As always, Davina McCall has a new workout DVD coming out in time for the new fitness season – 30 Day Fat Burn – which features six brand new 10-minute workouts that will help you lose weight and get in shape. This includes three powerful fat-burning workouts, as well as two muscle-toning workouts and a ‘buddy workout’ that you can do with your partner.
However the one DVD that many people are excited about is the Body Coach Workout DVD from Joe Wicks because after writing some best-selling books and presenting his own TV program, he has now created a fitness DVD that has two and half hours worth of fat-burning HIIT workouts to help you successfully lose weight.
2018 Update:
There used to be a flurry of new fitness DVDs being released every year, but it would appear that there is not as much demand for these workout videos as there used to be. Maybe people are choosing to follow along to some of the workouts on YouTube instead because these are obviously free to watch.
This year Joe Wicks has released a follow-up DVD – Lean In 15 Workouts – which has three hours of new content, including eight 15-minute workouts that you can work your way through as you start to become fitter.
Davina McCall also released her latest DVD on 26 December 2017 – Toned In 10 – that is designed to tone, strengthen and develop muscle tone in your whole body, whilst also burning fat and improving stamina and flexibility. This is broken down into ten sections so that you can personalize your workouts and focus on the areas that you most want to improve.
2023 Update:
The decline in popularity of fitness DVDs has been well documented on this site, but if you need evidence that YouTube workouts have effectively destroyed this once booming market, you only need to look at the best-selling fitness DVDs on Amazon.
The list is still dominated by Davina McCall, with workouts featuring Joe Wicks (The Body Coach Workout) and Charlotte Crosby (3 Minute Belly Blitz) also remaining very popular, despite being released several years ago now. There are no exciting new titles.
This is a little sad, but with so many free workouts available from professional trainers on Instagram, YouTube and even Pinterest, it does seem pointless spending money on a celebrity workout routine, particularly as DVD players themselves are hardly being used nowadays either.
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