Two, two, two workouts in one! Start slow and build up without changing DVD's

I am a big fan of Leslie Sansone. She has an easy, fun style and never pushes people beyond their limits. I have almost all of her DVD's and many are very similar but it's still fun to mix up the workouts as far as background, moves, and general banter.

I have been quite ill for two months and am just starting to come around. I have to exercise carefully and slowly until I get my full strength back. I pulled out Walk Away the Pounds with Leslie Sansone - Two Workouts On One DVD and started with the one mile walk and moved to the two mile one. I like having the choice if I am feeling weak to just get a quick mile in or do a brisk two mile walk without having to search for two different DVDs.

The Setting

Like most of Leslie's workouts, the set is very simple. It's just a hardwood floored studio. She has behind her a number of people of all ages and sizes. There is man there who is often in her videos and women ranging from young and slender to older and heavier. They are just wearing simple shorts and tops or sports bras and workout pants. Nothing fancy. And nothing intimidating.

The Workouts

Workout One is the same as the "Get Up and Get Started" workout. That is a simple one mile, 15 minute walk. It incorporates the basic steps of walking, side steps, front kicks, and kick backs, along with higher more marching-like moves. All of Leslie's walk workouts have the same types of steps so you won't be surprised when you do them.

The one mile walk starts with a quick warm up, a brisk but simple to follow one mile, 15 minute walk, and a quick cool down with stretches. Throughout, there is a slider at the bottom that lets you know how far into your walk you are.

Leslie is chatty and all smiles and talks a lot of about form, doing things at your own pace, and working muscles. This is a great beginner workout or one for people in a hurry. Do it twice, once in the morning and once at night and you have your 30 minutes of cardio in!

The second workout is the "High Calorie Burn" workout and is set in a similar place but the people have different outfits on. This one is a bit tougher and longer. You will walk briskly for about 30 minutes, the equivalent of two miles.

This workout focuses on walk boosters like small hand weights and weighted balls if you want to get more intense and also encourages more advanced exercises to squat more, to bend more, and do do other things to intensify the walk. There is a usual warm up and cool down. The second workout is about a half an hour long, give or take a few minutes. This one also has a slider on the screen that pops up to show you how far into the walk you are. It's a great motivator.

The music is there just for tempo and is boring. I don't even listen at all to it. I listen to the beat at times but, after doing the workouts so many times, I mute the DVD and listen to my own music as I follow along.

Although I have both of these workouts separately somewhere, I am glad I have both on one DVD. I am not good at finding stuff when I want it and I like that on one DVD, I have a choice of a quickie walk or a more intense one. Sometimes, I put the DVD in and decide to go for the longer workout even though I intended to do the shorter one. So, for me, having two workouts on one DVD is a plus in many ways.

Those who are starting to outgrow the second workout should add a booster such as the Leslie's Walk Belt, hand weights, Leslie's weighted balls, or a stretchie band. Those boosters can really make a simple walk intense and work the upper body as well as the lower body and the heart.

Buying Info

This DVD is selling for about $9.00 or less. It was made in 2002 but the workouts are just as relevant today. Walking is walking and I have the new Leslie Sansone walk DVD's and only her age, outfits, and intensity has changed. She is marketing higher intensity, longer workouts now. I personally enjoy a 30 minute brisk walk with boosters. It's just enough for me right now. Later, when I am back to 100%, I will move on. This DVD can be bought on and offline wherever exercise DVDs are sold. You may also be able to rent it.

Conclusion

Two workouts on one DVD works for me. I don't need more clutter and I like having the choice of doing a fairly simple one mile walk or a little bit more demanding two mile walk. I like Leslie's style and the workouts are so easy that no one can mess them up. The steps are simple and perfect for those who don't get into doing intricate steps and patterns and just want some good ole cardio. Beginners, this is the DVD for you. You can start out with Workout One and progress to Workout Two then add boosters then move on to longer and more intense workouts. But this DVD is always there for lazy or low energy days. 4 stars. It's not the coolest DVD with its generic music but it's one of the easiest to follow and one of the friendliest.

A great firming workout by Leslie Sansone to compliment her cardio workouts:

Walk Slim: Fast Firming