Chair Dancing: Favorites (Greatest Hits)

Beginner: Just starting out, very overweight or haven't exercised in over six months.

Intermediate: Active in sports, dance or any regular exercise (2 to 3 times per week).

Advanced: Very active in sports or consistently work out four or more times per week.

Lower Impact: Both feet never leave the ground at the same time. This minimizes stress on your knees.

Higher Impact: Includes movements like jumps, hops and skips. Very high-impact is called plyometrics.

Mixed Impact: This alternates or combines the above styles.

Basic: The easiest to follow. It ranges from simple walking-style marches to sports and athletic movements.

Complex: More intricate combinations and patterns. They're ideal for people who like to dance.

Moderate: More interesting than Basic, less dancy than Complex.

Details:
There are various dances that make an appearance in this workout, including the samba, the limbo, the hand-jive, the mambo, and the cha-cha. Many routines also copy every day moves such as marching, swimming strokes, and even tai chi. These moves are all done from a chair and many use paper plates as a prop, which helps promote greater range of motion to the arms. The routines start right in with generally no breakdown however Jody’s use of repetition and excellent cueing promote quick learning. Slower songs with lesser moves are used in the warm up and cool down. There is even a relaxation ‘song’ with deep breathing and chest expansion. A yoga inspired section completes the DVD.

This workout really promotes fitness in those who are greatly challenged with everyday mobility activities. It moves all the extremities in all planes, thereby promoting greater ease with weightshifting, better balance, and better flexibility. There is a significant cardiovascular workout when doing the DVD in its entirety, particularly if arms are maintained above the heart, as is demonstrated in the various routines. Jody is a concise cuer. She often encourages those participating to say the moves as they go along which helps them better learn the muscle motor pattern for the moves. Jody leads the group of exercisers through the routines in various indoor studio settings (as this is a compilation of her greatest chair dancing hits).

Buyer’s Guide:
This collection of Chair Dancing Greatest Hits is ideal for those who have difficulty doing traditional impact exercise and it encourages movement of all extremities and torso as it moves along. While the DVD has some dated elements, I really love the concept. Many people with significantly decreased mobility need to have options that give them a place to get started. This workout accomplishes this goal. These exercises give you practice with the weight shifting that is necessary for movement while incorporating improved endurance and balance through simultaneous movement in the arms and legs. This type of workout may help seniors who have decreased mobility and are working to either improve or maintain their fitness level. Jody is enthusiastic and moves well throughout the workout. In several routines there are a few levels for beginner and more advanced chair dancing exercisers. - Warm up Song: ‘Say Yes’ 3:19 - Chair workout songs with greater intensity includes 9 songs for approximately 33 minutes (A Fantasy Trip through Caribbean Calypso) - Cool Down Songs (Tai Chi and Gorilla to Soldier) approximately 9 minutes - Relaxation (Yoga Type Song) 4:46