Blast Away the Pounds - Indoor Walk

Firstly, let me get this out of the way. Denise is still Denise. She is still bubbly and has not toned down her 'effervescent mannerisms', so if this is what bothers you most about Denise, then shoo. Navigate away from this page right now. Don't go looking at the Denise Austin workouts if you don't like her. She is not going to go through a personality change for any of her workouts, and this one is not an exception.Right, now that's cleared up, here's what you get on this DVD.1. 15 min mile - Easy Walk2. 15 min mile - Fat Blasting Interval Walk3. 15 min mile - Power and Tone Walk4. 10 min StretchEASY WALK - This is fantastic for those just starting out exercise, or for those who have injuries. At the moment I am using this workout because I have very bad soreness in my lower body and cannot a high impact workout, but I am pleased to say that with a bit of effort on my part (in other words, responding when Denise says, "Pump it out!"), I do get a thin film of sweat over my hands and some parts of my face. Denise uses leg lifts and side steps to keep the workout interesting - it is not just marching in place for 15 minutes - she even does some tweaks to simulate uphill and downhill climbs.FAT BLASTING INTERVAL WALK - This walk alternates short bursts of intesnity with regular walking segments. She'll have you doing your regular marches, sidesteps, leg lifts, knee lifts and arm movements for a short while, and then she'll add a high(er) impact - burst of intensity. In cases where the transition between the walking and intensity intervals is very large, one of the exercises performs a low impact modification which you can follow if you have week knees or are building your fitness level (or heck, even if you're just feeling a bit lazy one day). There are no weights used in this routine, but if you want to increase the intensity, it might be a good idea to add ankle or hand weights if you like.POWER AND TONE WALK - This is my favourite walk, as it uses hand weights to make the routine efficient and effective. Of course you can choose not to use weights if it is difficult on your joints to do so, but for my liking it is the toning combined with the cardio that give this routine its own special flavour.STRETCH - If you have the "Shrink Your Female Fat Zones" book, or are currently subscribed to Denise's "Fit Forever" online plan, you will recognise a lot of these stretches. Denise takes you through stretches for the calves, hamstrings, the achilles, the hips, triceps, inner & outer thighs, quadriceps, and probably a few others in there that I can't remember at this moment. While I do not believe that this stretches you out as thoroughly as the Standing Segment on "Tamilee Webb's Total Body Stretch", it does a good job of stretching the areas of the body that you worked during the walks.The DVD is beautifully produced; filmed on set rather than on location. The walk takes place in what looks to be a ceramic courtyard with archways looking out onto a red sandy desert (well, more like looking out onto a big picture of a red sandy desert). The timing in the first workout is excellent, though in the second and third workouts it can get a bit off-beat here and there, but the advantage with walking over aerobics is that it doesn't really matter too much.I have no excuse for exercise now, I can do these when I am injured and when I am pressed for time. That, and when I hop back on the treadmill for a longer walk, or if I am going on an outdoor walk, I can use some of the toning arm movements that I have picked up from this workout to keep things interesting and boost heartrate and increase my calorie burning potential.I would, however, be very interested in any feedback from someone who can compare this with Leslie Sansone's 'Walk Away The Pounds' series. I cannot compare this with any of Leslie's workouts simply because I have never done them - and I have achieved great results with Denise and find her very motivating, which influenced this purchase more than looking for a perfect indoor walk DVD. Even then, I find myself incredibly pleased with this buy.Cheers!

This is my first walking DVD, I usually get my cardio from step, low impact aerobics or kickboxing but always kind of wanted a walking DVD. This is an excellent choice. Denise Austin and friends lead you through 3 one mile programs. You can choose the easy walk, fat blasting interval walk or power walk and tone where light weights are used for basic toning moves for the arms, each program running 15 minutes long. All three programs are simple but fun, there is no better exercise than walking! Plus you don't just stand there and walk in place, you will walk up and back, to the sides of the room, and do other simple low impact moves such as step touches, knee lifts, etc. The programs are short enough that you can do 2 or even all 3 at once if you want. I usually do my strength training before my cardio and find these are great as add ons.Denise does a good job here, she is pleasant and encouraging, she is still "Denise" but toned down a bit here. If you are looking for a walking DVD, and there are lots out there I would definitely recommend this one.

Great workout. Have lost several pounds in only a few weeks. Though, I can't help but question, at times, if Ms. Austin and Leslie Sansone have similar educational backgrounds, as both of them do not seem to grasp what "one more" means. Denise Austin does talk a bit more than I would like to fathom (thus the reason I could no longer tolerate Leslie Sansone workouts), but at least D.A. can move on to the next step while rambling on. Overall, this workout is not difficult while resulting in a decent sweat (when you do all 3 programs together). I like the combination of cardio with a little weight toning incorporated into it. After enduring numerous L.S. yacking, uncoordinated workouts through the years, this D.A. workout is my pick most days of the week.

Excellent as a low impact at home for the in between days when you don't go to the gym but want to get a nice stretch and toning in. I Have actually owned this DVD since it first came out and wore it out. I basically know it by heart... but bought a new one when my old copy finally wore out. I love that it is low impact but just enough to keep me feeling like I got a little at home work out in even when I didn't get down and dirty at the gym. It seems really simplistic compared to all the crazy things out there today, but I enjoy that it is not out to kill you --- I can tone it up by adding weights or keep it low key by just sticking to the regs. I am in excellent shape and learned a long time ago that you don't have to kill yourself to stay in really good form and good health. Those high impact fads wear on your body and become painful... this dvd is good for beginners or people like me who have already achieved excellent form and just want to maintain.!!!

I wanted to create a quick review of this workout even though I have had this dvd for years. Recently, I got injured pretty badly and have been unable to workout for weeks. During that time, I realized that my workouts were probably too intense and that I needed to slow things down a bit. Enter my old Denise Austin videos! I had forgotten how much fun Denise's workouts are and they are very safe and effective for losing weight and getting fit. I have to admit, after tackling some really intense workouts (TurboFire, Calorie Explosion), this workout seemed like a breath of fresh air, if not a bit silly for one at my advanced level. But you know what? It works. I felt refreshed and energized after doing this and the entire workout is equivalent to a 3 mile walk. That burns a significant amount of calories. I am definitely going to switch up my workouts and incorporate some easier, more fun routines. I'm so glad that I have rediscovered Denise Austin -- I know people complain about her perky attitude, But I love it. She has a new workout coming out and I am def. going to buy it.