BELLYDANCE FITNESS:FOR BEGINNERS - DVD Movie

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Sometimes the camera does closeups at inopportune moments -- this causes you to see only the hip movements, but not the foot placement, for example. That can get annoying.

I was a little dissapointed that the "trailers" did not have videos from Neena and Veena's series. Instead it was for some other woman. Also, they weren't really trailers but segments from those workouts. This was sort of nice because it gives you an idea what the "flavor" of the workout will be, I assume.

In short, after trying this video, I definately intend on buying other Neena and Veena workouts to spice up my usual work out home routine!

By the way... I don't mean to be crass, but I suggest wearing a heavy duty sports bra for the well endowed. The workout requires a lot of bouncing.

87 of 91 found the following review helpful:

I AM THIN AND BELLY BEAUTIFUL!Aug 08, 2003

I HIGHLY recomend Veena and Neena's "slim down". When I started this program it was in December of 2002. I was 60 pounds overweight and becoming deeply depressed because of it. I actually picked up Veena and Neena's "fat burning" VHS tape and having enjoyed the tape so much I bought "slim down" soon after. As soon as I started "slim down" I enjoyed it even more than "fat burning" and stuck with it. At first I started out small and did the tape once or twice a week. Febuary I started doing it at least three times a week. I lost 15 pounds before April. Starting in May I switched to a Low carb diet, cut out sugar drinks and drank LOTS of water. I kept up my workout ritual with the belly-twins and did the video four to five times a week. Between April and August I've lost about 35 pounds. A total of 50 lbs! I've gained beautiful muscle, I'm toned and I've only got a short way to go till I reach my goal weight! Veena and Neena's program has inspired me to take bellydancing classes. This DVD is a work out video (not a dance instruction video) and it will take a little time to learn the moves. Learning the moves doesn't take away from the intensity of the workout though. As soon as you familiarize yourself with the moves I promise you'll love it! If you want to learn the dance itself I suggest Veena and Neena's other DVD's and tapes "Mystic Dance" "basic dance" and "beyond basic dance". The workout videos do however use bellydance moves for the workout. I own all their programs and out of all of them "slim down" has helped me the most.

31 of 32 found the following review helpful:

Solid start for beginner weight loss..Jul 07, 2005
By Jennifer Giangrande "twentysomethingreader"
I was initially interested in purchasing this video because I wanted to try some type of Eastern dance technique and burn fat/calories at the same time (which this DVD claims to do). I had high expectations for it because I know the two dancers, Veena and Neena have had international belly dance training and have acclaim in the Eastern dancing world...I was not disappointed at all.

The workout is of moderate intensity- starting out slower, gradually getting more intense, and then a short cool down at the end. After 30 minutes of this tape, (i'm a young person, a little on the chunky side but not out of shape) I was sweating PROFUSELY...after about 2 weeks of doing this every day, I can definitely feel that my stamina has risen, I have lost at least 2 inches on my waist, and, complimented with a sensible diet, I've lost somewhere between 5 and 7 pounds. The moves are generally easy to follow, except for some of the step movements, but after a few times you'll have it down. The only one complaint I have about this video is that the constant use of arms will make one tired after about 15-20 minutes, so I just bring my arms down lower to make up for the tiredness, and still keep them moving.

One piece of advice if you do this workout, and I hope you do: there is a chapter on this DVD called Flexibility training, which provides you with an extra stretch routine before you start Veena and Neena's workout- DO IT! Its indispensable in making sure you aren't sore after the bellydance workout, and stretches all the main muscles in the body, so it can be used if you are just looking for a basic stretch routine before any workout, like running or bicycling.

I definitely plan on buying more of Veena and Neena's workout tapes, once my endurance is high and I can do the workout without the voiceover (another great addition to this DVD is the removal of the voiceover, so you can practice with just Veena, Neena, and the music)

Lose that stubborn weight with this DVD...you won't regret it =)

16 of 17 found the following review helpful:

A refreshing change from other workoutsJan 13, 2004

I used to be a competitive runner, but over the past few years I've grown less active, and am kept quite busy with work. So I picked up this video to keep me motivated to work out when I'm at home and don't have that much time. It definitely made me break a sweat (and I'm still in decently good shape), and the rhythm and music made the workout a lot more fun than tae bo and other workout videos I have in my collection-- I actually did this work out for a few days in a row without having to cycle it with other routines because it was fun to do. So I give it four stars. I would not give it five stars, however, because I felt it was rather short (around twenty minutes) and I did not find it as strenuous as I had hoped-- and since I don't have much time to spend on working out, I think every minute counts! This dance would be challenging for someone who is just starting to get back into shape, or someone who is in decent shape, but I would not recommend it for athletes or those who are experienced exercisers (I suppose that's why it says bellydance fitness for beginners), because it's moderately difficult but nowhere near as strenuous as tae bo advanced or even a quick jog around the park.

12 of 12 found the following review helpful:

Great workout!Jan 09, 2004

This is a great workout. I am someone who is basically quite lazy and it takes a lot for me to stick to a program-and i normally hate exercise videos. I have bought numerous ones (about 45 videos in all) but end up using these ones which i find the most enjoyable togather with african healing dance (with wyoma). I actually find myself looking forward to the next exercise session with the twins one day and with wyoma the other. The reason for the 4 stars is the lack of proper warmup (which i borrow from the wyoma video) and cooldown streches (which i do from a book). This workout is quite a challenge to the calf muscles- and they need to be properly streched before and after and the warmup is best done by yourself- running in spot or skipping or whatever gets you thoroughly warmed up.
not recommedned for people with any joint injury in the legs or ankles. however if they are simply weak- this will challenge and strengthen them. Just listen to your body and know when to ease down.

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