Idiot or Addict?

You may wonder what I am referring to. I am talking about something that increases my heart rate instantly at the site of it or the thought of it. Sounds interesting I'm sure. What could it be?

Well the thought of my favorite meal can get me excited but not enough to raise my heart rate. Sometimes driving to work in the morning raises my heart rate but the thought of driving to work does not, except lately with problems at the border but that is another issue.

Could it be my favorite TV show? Well, there are some shows that do get my heart rate going especially watching Jack Bauer run from certain terrorists on the show 24, but that is not the subject of my story either. Although I have always maintained that I get an excellent cardio workout just watching that show.

What is it that I am talking about? Remember that this is not a "for adults only" blog so clean up your thoughts right now:). And I really am not into any sort of chemical substances except for a glass of wine with dinner so we can rule that out too.

Since this blog focuses on exercise that would my first thought although the thought of exercise alone does not always thrill although my heart rate does increase while doing it.

So what is it that really gets my adrenalin going when I see it? I'll give you a hint. I walk into my favorite store and head over to the section that contains CDs and DVDs. CDs are actually part of the same problem but my focus today is on fitness DVD/videos. I think I do possess more music CDs than fitness DVDs, only because I have been collecting them for much longer.

My collection of fitness DVDs far surpasses that of any DVD store. Throughout the years I have been acquiring various workout videos from various instructors. It began in the 80s with the advent of the Jane Fonda Workout. I never owned her first video which was the original Jane Fonda Workout because I had heard some negative reviews about it's safety. This was the early years form of being a fitness instructor and safety was a big focus in my classes. The first video that I ever owned was Jane Fonda's New Workout. She listened to the public and produced a workout that had safer moves. I have since acquired several Jane Fonda workouts which improved throughout the years as she started having fitness leaders, such as Keli Roberts and Michelle LeMay, lead her videos. She no longer produces new workouts but she has released some of the old ones on DVD.

Kathy Smith has always been one of my fitness gurus and I have owned several of her books. When I discovered she also had fitness videos, I began to purchase her workouts. I have most of her older videos and I have almost all of her newer workouts. In fact, I have recently started replacing my old videos with DVD versions of the same workouts as they are released.

My next obsession, was with the Firm. The workouts really do show visible results in 10 workouts! I became a Firmee very quickly after doing my first Firm video. I started with Low Impact Aerobics and Aerobic Interval Training. My collection gradually grew and I have several of the Firm Body Sculpting System DVDs now. I do think that the older Firms were much more effective and I am also trying to find them on DVD as they are released.

In more recent years, I became a fan of Denise Austin's workouts. I had a problem with her voice at first but after reading several of books, I gained a new respect for her and I purchased Sizzler. I found this to be a fun, effective and motivating workout. So gradually, as I found more of her workouts, my collection grew.

I also found some of the Crunch workouts to be quite motivating. They are excellent workouts and are usually between 30 to 40 minutes, which is good if you are short on time like I often am. In the last few years Ellen Barrett has lead several of the Crunch pilates workouts which is a real positive move on the part of the Crunch group. They always do have excellent instructors.

I have talked about love for kickbox workouts in other articles. This obviously started with the arrival of Billy Blanks Tae Bo workouts. I became the proud owner of the original Tae Bo set when they appeared on Canada's "The Shopping Channel". I did move on to some other kickbox workouts but in the last year I have purchased Billy's more recent releases, including Billy's Bootcamp and Bootcamp Elite. He is releasing Billy Blanks Favorite Moves in September which I just preordered last night.

My main workout lately, has been Chalene Johnson's Turbo Jam by Beachbody. I have all of the workout sets. She has released 3 in the past year and I have heard of another to be released possilby this fall. This is another kickbox workout but done to hip hop music with a few dance moves thrown in for fun. The moves are not difficult and the music makes the workouts so much fun that they just fly by.

I am embarrassed to mention any more but believe me there are more. Does this make me a video addict or just an idiot? I get excited at the prospect of ordering a new workout online. Or, when I see a new workout in the store that interests me, my adrenalin starts to flow. It is really exciting when I see a workout that is a real bargain. Last year I saw Jeannette Jenkins Hollywood Trainer set at Music World for $33.00 with an additional 15% off on sale. I was thrilled!

With all these videos, I should be in better shape than anyone, correct? Well, sometimes I get my workout clothes and shoes on, and go to find a workout. It can be so overwhelming, that I just stare at them. Which one should I do? This one is too long but that one is too short. I don't feel like dragging my step out for that one but I am really not in the mood for this one. What do I do? By the time I find something that moves me, I realize I only have a half an hour so, of course, I have to do one that is only 20 to 30 minutes long.

Does this make me an addict or just an idiot? I guess I'm a bit of both. But if there is any type of addiction I would rather be accused of being, it is an addiction to something that will ultimately keep me healthy in the long run. And if I am an idiot, I would much rather be an idiot in this area than in something else much more idiotic.

Idiot or addict? Who cares:)