Do you want to start the new year undoing the excesses of the festive season, but can’t face the gym? There are enough DVDs and fitness products to ensure you don’t have to. These should help you get off your lazy butt.
Kim Kardashian, Fit In Your Jeans By Friday
WHAT: The reality TV star sports a onesie and weird knee-high trainers through a 55-minute “Butt Blasting Cardio Step” routine (you’ll need your own step – try a rolled-up rug). The choreography requires a degree of co-ordination. Without it, your heart rate still increases, but only through clumping frustratingly over the step.
VERDICT: If you can deal with the refrain “rock up, rock over” coursing through your mind for days, it’ll get you sweating. We also had a giggle when Kardashian urged, “don’t fuck up”.
amazon.co.uk £12.99
Jennifer Ellison, Fat Blaster Workout
WHAT: “This workout will blast off that fat”, the former soap actress Ellison promises. Having ballooned from a size eight to 18 during pregnancy, then reducing her hippo frame back to a svelte eight stone, this is the kind of woman you’d take a pep-talk from. Jen takes you through relentless interval training, with three different difficulty levels.
VERDICT: A 20-minute Ellison routine burns the same calories as an hour of jogging. It’s a no-brainer.
hmv.com £10.99
Ultimate Zumba DVD collection
WHAT: Can’t get to Zumba classes regularly? Then this seven-disc DVD collection is your fitness DIY. It goes through all the moves of the Latin-inspired dance workout, breaking them down into stages, then introducing rhythm. It comes with toning sticks that double as maracas, too.
VERDICT: Great for toning, and you’ll feel like you’re in your own music video.
zumbafitness.co.uk £59.99
The Only Way is Essex, The Essexercise Workout
WHAT: TOWIE beauties Lydia Bright and Sam and Bille Faiers are put through their paces by hunky Glen Ball in the girls’ first foray into workout DVD land. It’s in sections: ‘Totally Retro Reem’ – dancing to club classic tracks; “Burn those carbs before Marbs” – cardio combat moves put into dance-based fitness routines; and ‘Well Jel Workout’ – a faster-paced cardio with tone-up techniques. Variety is the spice of this baby. TOWIE fans will enjoy the added featurettes.
VERDICT: It feels like a fun, high-energy night out, with the girls constantly giggling behind Balls’ back. Be warned: they complain about their wedgies a lot.
thehut.com £11.95
App: 101 Yoga Poses
WHAT: The poses featured are from beginner to expert skill level, with soothing music that plays while you practice. There are also tips to help you perfect your pose.
VERDICT: This will totally help you find your inner zen.
itunes.apple.com 69p
App: British Military Fitness: My Fitness Instructor
WHAT: It’s like having a personal trainer in your pocket, barking instructions, just like the real outdoor BMF classes run by ex-servicemen. You can create your own programme – focusing on specific body areas – and intensity level.
VERDICT: Packed with features, it’s a genuine alternative to the gym, so worth the price.
itunes.apple.com £2.99