A Review of the Dance Workout DVD "10 Minute Solution: Dance Off Fat Fast"

I have become a fan of dance DVDs in the past few years, and I have started to compile quite a collection, with some I like a lot better than others. Because it can be difficult to know which dance DVD is right for you without trying it out first (believe me, I know, I've done some I just did not like), I have been writing reviews of the various ones I have to help people figure out which DVD would be best for them. While I do give my personal opinions in these reviews, I do try to be unbiased and consider everything from various standpoints. If you are interested, I have more reviews of dance DVDs on Associated Content to read. This particular review covers the DVD 10 Minute Solution: Dance Off Fat Fast. In addition to reading this review, you can watch a short preview of the disc on the website www.amazon.com.

10 Minute Solution: Dance Off Fat Fast is a dance DVD with 50 minutes of exercises, broken up into 5 sections of 10 minute dance segments. Because it's broken up into 5 different sections, you can choose to do one, all, or a mixture of any of the sections in any order, which is a great feature. That way, it allows you to squeeze a bit of exercise into your day, skip any sections you are not in the mood for or that you like less, or combine all of them in your preferred order. It's also much less intimidating to commit to a 10 minute dance segment, so it's easier to motivate yourself to get started, and once you get motivated, you may end up doing more exercising than you expected. That's why I really enjoy the set up of the 10 Minute Solution DVDs. After I did my first one, I liked it so much, I bought more from the same series.

You can tell right away when doing this DVD that the instructor's background is primarily in dance, as opposed to aerobics. I personally enjoy this, because the moves are more dance-y than aerobic, which is exactly why I get dance DVDs. I mean, if I just wanted to do aerobics, I would have bought an aerobic DVD, right? But some people prefer a more aerobic workout, with focus on stretching and strengthening, and this DVD really does have some of both (although dancing is more of the focus). So it's great for those who want to have fun learning some dance moves as well as those who want to work on toning their muscles. And the instructor is upbeat without being annoying, although she can get a little over the top sometimes. Then again, it's difficult to find dance DVD instructors who don't go over the top at least occasionally.

Anyway, I'll go over each dance section one at a time. The first one is called Simple Slim Down, and it's a basic and easy to learn dance, which makes it a good warm-up or place to start out if you have never done a dance video before. On the other hand, if you are a more accomplished dancer, this first dance can get a little repetitive. It does not give as good of a workout as the more faster paced dances, but it still gives a pretty good workout, if you are willing to put in the effort to make the moves large and intense. And it has a touch of ballet in it, which is kind of fun.

The second dance is called the Fat Blasting Flashback. This one is probably my least favorite on the disk, because the dance moves are largely disco inspired. It includes things like disco arms (you know, crossing the arms down, the bringing them up with the fingers pointing). I find the moves in this dance a little goofy, and I feel a bit silly doing them, but if you don't mind or even like disco dancing, you'll probably find this one a lot of fun. And it does pick up the pace for a more intense workout, which is good.

The third dance is my personal favorite. It's called the Flirty Fat Burner and it's made up of fun, sexy moves. A lot of hip action in this one (actually there's a lot of hip moves in most of them, but especially this one), and some fun dance steps. If you don't like a more sexy style of dancing this particular dance probably isn't for you, but it really can be a lot of fun and it does get your heart rate up.

The fourth dance is Cardio Swing Dance. This one is really cute. Great for those who love swing dancing, but not too difficult to pick up on for those who have never tried it. It seems to me that this dance section especially would have a pretty wide appeal. It's cute and fun, without being too sexy or goofy. It's not too difficult to learn and it's fun to do, as well as being a good cardio workout.

The final section is actually not really a dance, but rather a dancer's workout. It's called Dance Sculpt, and she takes you through various strengthening, toning, and stretching dancer exercises. Normally, I feel cheated when I expect 5 dances and get 4 and then a slower workout, but I actually quite like this workout. Not only can it be quite challenging--to do, not to learn; it's easy to follow her here--but I think it can make a good cool-down after going through some of the dances. She doesn't really cool down after each individual dance, just does a move slowly and then tells you to take a couple deep breaths, so this can be a good way to stretch your muscles after your cardio workout. However, if you want a dance DVD with just dances on it, this section will probably just frustrate you, because it definitely does not involve any actual dancing.

All in all, I really enjoy this DVD (if you couldn't already tell based on this review). I would give it 4.5 stars out of 5, and would recommend it to anyone who wants a workout that involves fun dances and a good toning/strengthening/stretching workout. It may be a little fast-paced for beginner dancers, but it's not difficult to learn if you're willing to keep working at it. And it may be a bit slow for advanced dancers, but if you've done just a little bit of dancing or a few dance DVDs already, this will definitely be at a good level for you. However, if you hate disco, swing dancing, and/or sexy moves, it's probably not the ideal DVD for you.