For those of you who use the Walking Off the Pounds tapes, please educate me:

Do you love them? (From your posts, it seems like you do! )
Are they difficult? Why? Is it just walking, or is there more incorporated that makes them more difficult?

I am always on the lookout for something new to add to make exercising interesting and varied, but don't want to shell out the money until I know it's a good thing.

Thanks for your help/advice!

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Mada
221.6/193.8 <--- ONEderland! /sz 8

Leslie Sansone's WATP tapes/DVDs are a great way to get some exercise while you're indoors.

They come in different increments (1,2,3 and 4 mile) and the speed of the walking increases as you go.

For the most part, she incorporates 3 different steps along with walking - stepping side to side, knee lifts, and kick backs.

I did really enjoy mine (I had about 15 at one time) and you can do as much as you can take.

I actually have given all of mine away (including 3 to a LCE member in Italy). I loved the workouts; however, I played them into the ground, and got to the point where I could recite the dialogue with her

Overall, definitely a plus

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Tina

Mada I LOVE the WATP tapes. I NEVER excercised and needed to find something easy and enjoyable that still gave me a good workout. I bought the WATP w/abs pack and started with the 1 mile. It was TERRIFIC. No dance moves, no fancy steps, simple and basic which for someone like me without ANY kind of rhythm (picture Steve Martin in The Jerk ) it was perfect. After a week I started with the two mile and I have progressed from there. She has a TON of videos including Walk and Jog and Walk and Kick for when you need to move on to something more advanced. Here is a link to a site that has most of her videos so you can get an idea of what she has:
http://www.activevideos.com/instruct...liesansone.htm

I just ordered her "You Can DO Yoga" tape and her "Shortcut for Abs" tape. I'll let you know what I think when I get them

She also has a new video out called the walkblaster that is her version of "ramping" a sort of modified step workout. Here is a link to this:
http://www.walkblaster.com/homepage....slie%20sansone

I am currently saving my pennies so I can buy that

I think one of the best things about her workouts is that they can grow with you. For those who NEVER excercised like me, it was a GREAT way to get up and get started, and as you gain more endurance and strength, you can incorporate her other videos that are at a higher difficulty.

Hope this helps!

P.S. You may want to check out your local library to see if you can check one of her videos out to try. If you think you might want to buy one, I have found amazon.com to be fairly inexpensive.

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Shimmer
my blog

OK, if you've read my posts you know that obviously I'm a WATP freak.

I generally always do the 2 mile WATP Express but have recently added doing an extra mile either by doing the 1 mile as well or backing up the DVD and doing another section of the 2 mile. The walking is at a higher pace than I ever would do in outdoor walking. They also have kicks, knee lifts, moving side to side and kickbacks (which you have your feet about shoulder width apart and lift your calf back like you are kicking yourself in the butt). The kickbacks are what get to me the most and they gave me the most trouble in the beginning. But when they did I would just go back to a brisk walk. It is challenging though. Not as easy as you'd think. But it also doesn't require a huge amount of coordination like aerobics. That way I think it's easier to concentrate on your intensity and not worry so much about complicated movements. I'm looking forward to gettin the 4 mile. Rob does that one. I want to get it just so I can have something to work up to.

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Noël


Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strengths.

Noel,
The four mile challenge is a great video! And it IS a challenge! I also think its one of her more "fun" videos. She does a few different moves (like the grapevine) which is fun, but of course always leaves you the option of just walking or sticking to the regular routine. The pace gets VERY brisk between the 2 and 3 mile.

You know what part always is a challenge for me? The 3 mile tape I have she has us do knee lifts, while walking forward two beats and then back two beats. OUCH! Those are killers!

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Shimmer
my blog

Do I love my WATP dvd?
Well, no. But I don't hate it either. And I HATE exercise.

For some people, the WATP 1-mile dvd may be simple. It's walking in place, side stepping, kicking a foot in front and kicking a foot in back. Simple, right? Well, it is. But when I add in the arm movements...also very simple reach for the sky, reach to the side, reach out in front... my heart gets pumping and I get a tiny bit winded.

I'm very, very out of shape. So, for me, the WATP 1-mile dvd is a good starting place.

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Melissa

My only Leslie Sansone tape is Power Walk 3 Miles. I use it a lot, usually one mile at a time as a warm-up or cooldown for other workouts.

For lots and lots of video workout ideas, and reviews, here's a site to check out: www.videofitness.com (link to a great Forum, too)

This page lists many video sources, bargain opportunities, etc.

I have ordered many workouts from www.collagevideo.com, a great company specializing in workout tapes and DVD. Their catalog provides very informative descriptions and reviews. You can see streaming video online at their site.

Thanks to home video workouts, I've made exercise a long-time habit. Couldn't live without it!

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Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

I use to do the WATP tapes all the time.
I truly loved them. They kept my energy level up, wasn't real streneous. I highly reccomend them.

Mada - the more recent watp dvds add moves - it gives more variety but since I'm new at it I feel it on my calves. I am walking in the neighborhood every day the weather permits and doing watp every other day. Right now I am just doing the warm up because my calves hurt so much from it - but I'll get used to it and increase soon. Its a great beginning workout.

I recently bought my dvd at WalMart for under $12.
Karen

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Recieved the You can do Yoga tape today....was just what I had hoped it would be, A VERY begginer introduction to YOGA. I have another YOGA tape I used for the first time last week and quickly realized even tho it was supposed to be for begginers, it was way too advanced for me. This tape Ms. Sansone has done will help me progress to the point I can use the other tape soon

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Shimmer
my blog

Sshimmer, on WATP Express 2 mile she does the moving knee lifts as well, but up 4 and back 4. That was another hard thing for me to do at first. Now I can really lift my knees a lot further. But the kickbacks still get to me by the end. It's funny because the first couple sets I'm all into it but by the last set of them at the end I can barely lift my feet back.

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Noël


Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strengths.

Isnt it nice to see and feel progress with excercise Noel? I'm like you, now I can lift my knees ALOT higher, and the kicks and knee lifts have really helped to tone up my tummy too (still a LONG way to go on that particular part of my anatomy! )

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Shimmer
my blog

they are pretty easy to do, but they do actually do some good. you're moving major muscle groups and you use 1 pound weights for example, for the arm work. plus if it starts to get too easy, you can up your weights and add ankle weights.

the downside is that you hear the same chitchat banter seeing it over and over, although it's not a ton of it, you know.

leslie is very upbeat and positive, though, and it made me feel like i couldn't do it wrong. so that was cool.

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uh... and shimmy... who ya gonna SELL that yoga beginners tape to when you move on to the NEXT BEGINNERS tape... yes.. thats RIGHT! ME! good answer! good answer!
and now for the BONUS round... *L*

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kims SECOND journal is HERE
kims new blog
KIMS BLOG !!
SUGARFREE BLOG

LOL! You guys crack me up!

Thanks for ALL the info!! I'm going to have to check out my library or Walmart and try these out. Sounds like a great thing to have for this "arctic front" that is bearing down upon us as I type. REALLY don't want to be outdoors when that hits.

I was thinking as I was reading some of your posts... if you get tired of hearing her and can narrate the tape, could you just turn off the volume and turn on some of your own music? ... Just a thought...

Thanks again!

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Mada
221.6/193.8 <--- ONEderland! /sz 8