ChickSpeak

Glancing over rows of DVDs, my roommate with her hands full asks if she could borrow those selected few. Without any hesitation and much thought, I agreed to lend them to her barely looking up from my desk to see what she had. Not many minutes passed before I heard a familiar sound of bongos wafting in from the living room. I peaked my head around the corner to see what she was watching, only to realize that she had borrowed a stack of work-out DVDs and was trying out one of my particular favorites, Yoga Booty Ballet.

This work-out program is a product of Beach Body and was originally started by two fitness gurus, Teigh McDonough and Gillian Marloth. Yoga Booty Ballet or YBB for short combines the finessed stretches of yoga with fun and energetic dancing and aerobics.

When I purchased YBB, the package included three DVDs, a small squishy ball for leg and ab exercises, and “The 7-Day Rapid Results Diet.” The first DVD, “Total Toning Basics” is 45 minutes long and consists of a warm-up routine, followed by some upbeat fat burning yoga, and topped off with sculpting moves done by using small hand weights. This workout is great to do in the morning when you need a quick boost of energy. It is always best to do yoga on an empty stomach, so I enjoy doing it as soon as I get out of bed. Even if I do not have time to do the whole routine, I can select a particular section that I want to do and still feel the benefits of a full body work-out.

The other two DVDs are part of the “Advanced Abs and Booty” portion of YBB. The first “Hip Hop Abs,” incorporates exciting dance moves that engage the core muscles. The squishy ball is used in this DVD to provide resistance to the inner thighs while doing the ab exercises on the floor. The second “Cardio Cabaret,” provides enticing chorography and really puts the booty in Yoga Booty Ballet. McDonough and Marloth breakdown each set of steps, and build a routine that is very easy to follow, amusing to perform, and is an excellent way to break a sweat.

I love to dance, and I love the lean muscles that are produced by the elongated movements.  McDonough and Marloth have carefully pieced together moves that are assessable no matter what your dance back ground may be. Personally I love this work-out because it can be done in tennis shoes or barefooted, and can be embellished to fit your personal work-out style.

Like any other work-out regimen, you will only see physical results if you stick with it. The website says you can see results in as little as two weeks, especially if you follow “The 7-Day Rapid Results Diet.” In it you will find possible low calorie meal options, with encouraging words to take care of your mind, body, and soul. It is of course always important to check with your physician before trying out any new fitness program.

YBB is mostly targeted at women, but it can be done without any shame by men too. If you are interested in trying YBB, you can purchase it from the website for about $40, but be prepared with a pair of light weight dumbbells, a yoga mat, and a big bottle of water!

There are other DVDs offered by YBB, but these that I have a basic set that are designed to do all over light toning and mostly focuses on the tummy and the toosh. Out of all the fitness DVDs in my extensive collection, my roommate agrees with me that YBB is by far the most entertaining to do. “It is a great way to forget you’re exercising.” She says.

Fatima Meadows attends Appalachian State University. She enjoys all things involving health and wellness. Since a very young age she has had a passion for fitness, and has a large and ever growing work-out DVD collection.