#FridayFind Feel the Burn!

Look what I found at Barnes and Nobles! There's a reason they say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," and Jane Fonda's Original Workout is a prime example. Back by very popular demand, and still selling well, by all reports! There's a reason this once VHS tape (I think I may have once owned it on Beta!) sold some 17 million copies, more than ANY video of all time. And there's a reason this exercise diva's book on fitness caused the book industry to create a new genre called Health and Fitness so it wouldn't be so obvious a fitness book was outselling the more literary works. So what was all the fuss about then, and why all the attention again, you ask?

It just so happens, I know this one! Back in the 80’s, one of my best friends, who happened to live next door to me, owned an aerobics studio and I was her workout buddy. Since she taught aerobic classes nearly every day, she was in great shape, but she felt challenged to be in fantastic physical condition through cross-training. Of course this meant that “we” ran, biked, worked out with weights at the gym, and did the Jane Fonda workout tapes at my house, since I owned the tapes. We usually did the “challenge” tape, the one designed for dancers, because it was 1 ½ hours long so the 1 hour class she taught would be relatively easy for her to both teach and “count out” repetitions. Ah the good ole days, when we could run, jump and play all day! Needless to say, I was in the best shape of my life, too! And, just when Jane helped me get a solid six-pack, I found out I was pregnant for my second child! Oh, the things we give up for our children! LOL!

Okay, so now a decade or two (or, hey, stop counting on your fingers before I cyber-stalk you!) later, I have started to hit the gym again, and jog (now that one I actually love to do), in an effort to get back in shape—a nonstop struggle for writers who spend so much time sitting in front of a keyboard. So what did I find as I happily skipped through my happiest place on earth, the local bookstore? JANE FONDA! And not just any JANE FONDA WORKOUT. It was THE ORIGINAL WORKOUT! So yes, I did snap this remake up, happy that it is now on DVD rather than packed away in a box somewhere. Having now done the workout, here’s my review:

Jane herself gives a great intro to the remake of the video, which is fun. She talks about why they remade it, and what she’s been doing since her first jewel. It’s a fun walk down memory lane for those of us who knew her back in the day! Unless you are already in fantastic shape, you are unlikely to make it all the way through the advanced workout, so you may want to stick to the ½ hour Beginners workout provided. For those of us who are daring and/or crazy, the full hour advanced workout is easy to play.

One thing you have to remember about the 80’s aerobics is that they had no problem with high-impact moves, so if you are pampering your knees (like this “you will probably never be able to run again after this knee surgery” runner) you can easily alter the very short aerobic romping to keep one foot on the floor at all times and still get your heart rate up. After that, there isn’t much undo stress on the knees—but plenty of stretching that done with care will greatly strengthen the muscles around your knees and help those of you with joint concerns like me.

What I realize about Jane’s workouts years later, after having experienced all sorts of other workout hit-and-miss experiments, is that she was way ahead of her time. Her workouts were full of Pilates-like stretches, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) moves, and the time-tested “weeble-woobles” (inner thigh) leg lifts I actually once heard a modern Pilates instructor call “an old exercise move from the 80’s that still works,” as do all Jane’s moves. This is the ONLY exercise workout I do where I truly FEEL THE BURN, and that still makes me have sore abs and buns the next day, letting me know I have truly worked targeted muscles I wanted to work! Woohoo! Welcome back, Jane Fonda! I’ve missed you.

FANTASTIC FRIDAY FIND!