Getting High on Low

People who read the old forum may remember a thread about Pam Archer's web page. On that page, Pam wrote an amusing and thought-provoking article about the difficulties involved in producing an exercise video.

When I read that article, my immediate thought, of course, was: Do I want her videos? I looked over her page, and decided to order Getting High on Low from Amazon.

Getting High on Low should appeal to fans of Fat Burning for Dummies. As with that video, you get 40 minutes of low impact aerobics with some high impact options, athletic moves put together in choreographed routines, a charismatic blonde instructor, and yes, a lot of TIFTT-ing.

What you don't get, of course, is the annoying Dummies icons. On the other hand, you don't get the Dummies crew's profes- sionalism, either. The microphones show. There's too much hand- clapping. There's one clumsy move that's a real space hog. There are two people who are supposed to do different intensities of low impact, but they both end up doing the same thing. And during the cooldown, it is annoying when Pam mentions her 800 number.

On yet a third hand, if I had my choice between the two videos, I might very well choose Pam's. I have a few quibbles about the Dummies mystique.. However, the main reason I prefer this video is Pam herself. With her Southern accent, real-world body, and infectious enthusiasm, Pam is quite endearing. Working out with her is like doing the best low-impact class at your health club, with the instructor who doesn't scare people off. Even her whoops don't bother me. I just think of them as rebel yells!

Lenore Levine