This tape is supposed to be for beginners of all ages and for those recovering from injury. I’ve been exercising regularly for about 3 years now, and I’d say I’m at intermediate level; I use this tape during recovery periods. It would be okay for a beginner but I don’t think it would be a good idea for older beginners (it contains some moves which are no longer considered safe, and I feel that Jane sometimes goes a bit fast). I agree with the reviewer who says it seems more suitable for those who already exercise regularly.

Most of the background exercisers (all about 40+ I think) look reasonably fit and flexible. With the exception of Herb, the “token man”, the class is all female. The toning work is done without weights. The leg work isn’t strenuous. It leaves me with a pleasant firm feeling, like after a long walk, but never sore. The upper body work is pretty easy, and feels more like a good stretch. I like the fact that the standing leg work includes ankles, and the arm work includes wrists and fingers. My feet and hands feel nice and stretched after doing this workout.

After the aerobics, you go to the floor and Jane says we’re going to squeeze the muscles in between the legs. I must admit to being confused when I first heard this, but fortunately in a voice-over she tells us these are Kegel exercises.

There is some decent ab work (although I find that she starts to go too fast for my liking) and plenty of pelvic tilts. The background exercisers do not always use good form (there’s some bouncing around going on), so I watch Jane or her stepmother, Shirlee. The short aerobic section is high impact, which isn’t what you need if your “muscles and joints are more vulnerable and need a slower, gentler workout” (from the cover). If you’re a healthy beginner, then it’s still too short to be of much benefit.

People doing this tape with the aim of going easy on their joints can do one of three things with the aerobics: 1. Follow the low-impact version. However, 10 minutes of walking in place can be pretty tedious and isn’t likely to raise your heart rate. 2. Do your own low-impact thing. 3. Fast forward. The music, especially in the first part before the aerobics, reminds me of cinema intermission music. It gets a bit better from the aerobics on. Although I’m not sure when this tape was made (around 1985?), it shows its age a little with moves that are no longer recommended, and I find it necessary to modify a few things. Almost all of the stretches are pulsed; I just hold them for a really good, long stretch. The hamstring stretch (bent forward, head down) could make you dizzy, and I read that stretching this way is no longer advised as it can lead to injury. After the aerobics there’s a couple of minutes of this bent-over forward stretching, during which I stretch on the floor. There’s also a standing move in the upper body section (twisting from side to side to work the waist) that I’m not sure about. I think this is an okay tape for light toning and stretching. I only ever use it during recovery periods when I want to start back gently.

If I didn’t already like Jane Fonda’s workouts I don’t think I would really use it. Look for it in sales or on the Exchange if you like Fonda’s style and don’t mind modifying. When it was made it was probably the only one of its kind, but nowadays there is a wider choice of safe beginner/”gentler” tapes.

Instructor Comments:
Jane cues well (but she doesn’t mirror cue) and gives extra form pointers in voice-overs. In this tape she counts a lot (even during the stretches), which I found a bit annoying at first, but I can usually manage to ignore it.

Glynis van Uden