Women: Can you recommend an in-home effective exercise workout? (Details)

I don’t know if they make a female version, but P90X is intense. If you want a workout, try that!

I use a trampoline to mix things up and even though it involves jumping, it’s easy on the joints and you can do a variety of moves on it – great for working on cardio and balance

I would get a weight bench and some free weights.

Pilates is awesome add cardio like fast walking, runnikng not jogging or fast biking….keep a brisk pace and you will shed pounds like crazy!

I’ve been using a stationary bike for a couple of months now, and it seems to be working well. My stamina has increased like mad, and the pounds are starting to melt away :)

The SO bought me a Wii Fit Plus for Christmas, based upon my request. He lives in a part of England where it is cold and rainy just about every day. Like you, I like the ease of working out at home.

This program offers aerobics, yoga, balance and strength training exercises. Some go up in skill level as they are mastered. It also allows a person to build their own workout plan. It measures and tracks weight and BMI. Multiple people can use the same program. Several of my friends have lost weight using theirs.

Another benefit of a Wii is that there are so many different programs out there. I bought a _Biggest Loser” program, which is similar to the Wii Fit one, but much more intense. I’m sure there are others, and possibly even a Pilates workout program. If you know of someone who has a Wii, you might ask if you can go over and check it out.

Calculate your Target Heart Rate and do aerobic exercises that keep your heart rate elevated for sustained periods of time. This is a useful article. It doesn’t need to be done on a fancy piece of equipment, it could be swimming, power walking, biking, rowing (some of these activities are friendlier on the joints than others).

You should also consider lifting weights. As a woman, you really don’t have to worry about “bulking up” like those female body builders (they’re pretty much all abusing steroids to get to that point). Weight lifting doesn’t burn as many calories per hour as aerobic exercise, but it elevates your metabolism all day and night while it’s repairing your muscles and making you stronger. The net result is great for losing weight, keeping your bones healthy and empowering you.

Don’t stop the pilates altogether, and activities that keep you flexible/limber—It’s all important for overall fitness.

I got a weight set but then went to the gym to receive the proper training for them so I wouldn’t hurt myself and I put together a running schedule to augment the whole routine.

You can definitely work out successfully at home.

I would get a jumprope and some taebo dvds. Now those are intense!

Jillian Michael’s 30-day shred is a good one.

Power 90—> Power 90x workouts. That’s what I go back and forth between. There is no need for a female version, the version is for you.

Denise Austen’s Power Kickboxing along with toning exercises (lunges and 5 lb arm weights) put me in the best shape of my life in my late 20s, early 30s (before I had my daughter). The sad thing is it’s a VHS, so not sure if you can get it in DVD. if anyone finds it, please let me know. I want to get back in this routine. It really worked well for me

Her Boot Camp Total Body Blast might be worth looking into.

I also have a mini stair stepper that provides a good workout for the legs.

I really love my Gazelle Glider thingy. I’ve had it for about 8 years I think. Never had an issue with it; however, I could not use it for most of that time because of health issues (when I did use it, in increments, I used it excessively though – I put that thing through a lot). I absolutely despise running so this is great for that. I used it alot, after my brain tumors were pretty much in the clear, to lose a bunch of “sit around” weight last year.

I recently bought a medicine ball (have yet to try it) and would like to get some kettle bells at some point. I love swimming and cycling too. I haven’t been able to do much of that yet this summer though.

My most recent awesome exercise fun is with the Kinect for Xbox 360 though! There are fitness games (it actually grades how your body moves and helps you do better), dance (like Zumba and hip hop/pop) and sports. A UFC one is coming out soon I think. I’m hoping they come out with Billy’s Bootcamp or Taebo type stuff at some point (like the dvd’s). Of course, this only works if you have an Xbox 360 and the Kinect for it ..but it’s so worth it! I freaking love it…yes, I really do. I can’t say enough about it.

I like Gaiam’s Kickboxing Yoga Fusion video a lot. Many of the trainers annoy me on the workout DVD’s but Patricia Moreno is not bubbly and seems very quietly confident throughout the video. Plus, it is challenging, but not so quickly paced that you are confused or lost. It is easy to follow, and gets more intense as the video goes on. And if you don’t like yoga, don’t worry. The only yoga going on is a few calm breathing exercises at the beginning and end.

(Sorry, I seem like a salesman. I promise I’m not.)

@athenasgriffin You’re a good salesman. I think I may have to give that video a try. I really enjoy kickboxing workouts.

@jonsblond So do I, but I find so many of the videos to be rather annoying with all the high pitched “You’re doing a great job!” and “Just ten more reps, ladies. You can do it!” chirping. Encouragement is good and great, but it comes off as very disingenuous to me. And thank you.

Crunches,push ups,exercise bike and i would at least try to get out to jog every now and then. and elliptical machines but i go to the gym for that.