Shape Up & Shed Pounds by Lions Gate

Editorial Review

Workout queen Denise Austin knows that a low-impact cardio routine can be just as effective as a high-impact one. If it's structured and paced like the workout on Denise Austin: Shape Up & Shed Pounds, the routine can get your heart rate up and really help you push your limits. While this disc is targeted at beginners or those who might be easing back into a workout regimen–and it is ideal for those exercisers–even those who are fit and work out regularly will feel results by doing Austin's routine. Austin has created a series of moves with little to no break in the 30 minutes, mixing fun Latin dance moves with power walking and her favorite squats and lunges. There's also a great 20-minute toning and stretching routine (a mat or thick towel will be useful for the floor exercises). The two routines can be combined for a thorough one-hour workout, head to toe, or done on alternate days for those who want to take it a little more slowly. As always, Austin focuses on proper posture and form, and her bubbly encouragement helps cheer on her students. Those wanting a new workout to add to an existing exercise regimen, or those wanting something doable now but also one that can become more challenging as their fitness level grows, will really see results doing Denise Austin: Shape Up & Shed Pounds. Next stop, a more fit, toned you! —A.T. Hurley