Walking Away the Pounds

Ach. Bad day. Too many deadlines. Skipped my workout class. Grog.

I'll likely pop in a workout tape at the end of the day to counteract the sort of fanny spread I can just feel when I've spent 18 hours in a chair, writing, writing, writing.

Luckily, I have a nice library of tapes. There are ones for stretching, ones for Tae Bo-ing, ones for ballet barre and hard core aerobicizing, and even one just for sitting still and breathing really deeply. But the one I'll yank off the shelf today is one of Leslie Sansone's tapes.

I kind of see Leslie's tapes as the comfort food of the exercise world. You know?

1. I know I can do this no matter how brain dead I feel, because she lays out a program simple enough for even a befuddled, brain-dead, preoccupied person to follow.
2. It will do the job. These tapes are very deceptive. Though they're easy to do, they are great aerobic workouts. You actually sweat, certainly work your heart, but without overdoing it, while having fun.
3. They don't hurt. These tapes are especially popular with very overweight people because they're low-impact, easy on the knees, and allow you to start easy and work harder depending on how your body feels.
4. They are addictive. Nobody I know has just one Leslie Sansone tape.

Awhile ago, reader Sandi wrote to me about the Sansone tapes after I posted a column about walking outside. She reminded me that not everybody likes to exercise outside or in gyms. She's had great success using these tapes, so I asked her to tell us about it. Here's Sandi:

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"Juju..I was at my all time high weight of 190 (I am only 5'1..and 56 years old). I had done other exercise tapes but never stuck to them. The steps were too hard, and I was never one to do a lot of bouncing and jumping.

I don't care for walking outdoors, so I decided to purchase Leslie Sansone's tapes. They work the entire body, and I can do them in front of my TV.

The first ones I purchased were, "Walk Away The Pounds," the 3- tape set. It includes "Get Up and Get Started 1 mile," "High Calorie Burn 2 mile," and "Super Fat Burner 3 mile." The steps are so easy. You kick back, step side to side, do knee lifts and leg kicks. You use your arms a lot also. The tapes include a warm up and cool down, and also use weight resistance.

I started in July of last year with the 2-mile tape and was amazed at how easy the steps were. I was hooked. I exercised without the weights for a while, but within a month I was using 2-lb. dumbbells. They sure make a difference in the workout. I felt as if I had more energy, and my aches and pains started to disappear. The most amazing thing was the difference in my legs.

I have saddlebag thighs, and they are disappearing. My arms are toning up. I have gone on to using the 3 mile tape with 3-lb. weights. This is my favorite. I would alternate between the 2 mile and the 3 mile with weights.

I just purchased "Walk the Walk," a 3 DVD set including a Miracle Mile walk, with 5 minutes of body toning, the 2 mile walk and the Weight Loss Walk - 4 miles. Now this is a workout. You walk one mile first, and then two 1.5 mile segments.

Leslie doesn't use weights for these, but for the 4-mile, you don't need them. It is a workout in itself. She uses dance steps like the box step, cha-cha, and double knee lifts. They are all easy.

I have others tapes, and I just ordered one more. It's called "Walk Away The Pounds Express... Walk Strong." This is a 2 mile program and uses a resistance band. I have heard it's great.

I have lost 31 lbs. since last July, thanks to Leslie and Weight Watchers. I have 29 more to go."

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Well, there. You couldn't ask for a better sales pitch. But Sandi's not alone. I hear from people constantly -- beginning exercisers and veterans -- who rely on Leslie's tapes and DVDs. And I recommend them wholeheartedly for many reasons.

One is her philosophy: "Exercise shouldn't be intimidating." No, it shouldn't. But it often is. You only have to be heckled once as a fat person to want to stay home to work out. Her tapes are friendly, upbeat, never preachy, always helpful.

A personal reason: Leslie's from New Castle, Pennsylvania. This is a region of the world that breeds people of good heart. I don't know what's in the water there, but I've rarely met anyone from that whole Western PA territory I didn't like. She has that wonderful girlfriend-let-me-tell-you-about-my-day Pennsylvanian diction. Very friendly. Cheerful without being annoying. I can face her no matter how I'm feeling or what mood I'm in.

And, well, those tapes are always there for me. Predictable, cheerful, rain or shine, right there where I can see them, grab them, toss them in for a few minutes of head-clearing, deep breathing, fast-acting exercise.

Highly recommended, especially if you haven't yet figured out how to work exercise into your routine.

JuJu

Leslie Sansone's Site
Great video shopping, with short clips of many of Sansone's tapes

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