Young Woman Tries Working Out With Old Jane Fonda Videos

[Terry]

https://www.wellandgood.com/jane-fon...ut-videos/amp/

[SEV]

Thanks for sharing!

[bubbles76]

What a lovely piece, though I could have done without some of that young lady's snark about my beautiful 80s (though I'm a 70's kid) How old is she anyway?

[Pat58]

That was a fun read, thanks for posting!

I remember Figurine bars.

[Rivercat]

I vividly remember doing the original with my mom and some friends in our living room in the 80s. We had the book as well, and it was a challenging workout!

I'd always struggled in PE classes which were very oriented toward team sports. Fitness videos offered an alternative that was self-paced and not hypercompetitive. I doubt I would have started running and eventually playing tennis if I hadn't been introduced to Jane Fonda.

[JENILU]

I was about to post this, so glad I looked first! She was respectful, yell still pointing out signs and stigmas of the times. For some reason I didn't do her workouts when very young. (Not all about article, just reminiscing, you do NOT have to read. I know I ramble)
My longtime first one, that I had friends come over and do with me was Denise Austin's non-aerobic workout (I think its called something else now) I could recite parts of it for years "no more shoulder pads, we'll make our own!!" Then I think a Kathy Smith, (hated it, way too hard for what I was used to), but did Gilad a lot on TV. (I was addicted as a kid because I got diabetes at maybe 12, & suddenly gained weight & got obsessed with losing it because I'd been an overweight kid and kids are mean, Jr high people were nicer, but my mind told me it was because i had been skinny for a while) At 19 or 20 I was married and working at a Kmart and the step with some of Jane Fonda's WO's came out and I had to try it. (Wasn't really a fan of her in general, at the time, and was in a tiny trailer then and couldn't step while hubby slept so it didn't work out). I think I tried Cindy Crawford (so hard at the time- I have never gotten past a beginner/ low interm. level for some reason) after that (I could be leaving out some, I know at some point I got a Gilad tape and just knew I was gonna get in shape lol). But in there was my short experience with her, it can't be the drama that made me never buy them, because Denise and Kathy had plenty of drama too. (Oh, at about 22, maybe, I did get 1 Firm tape- the buns and thighs one, don't remember name, maybe #5?, one noone liked at the time, and so innovative because you could rewind and do a certain section twice, lol. I used a concrete brick for that one- I could barely afford the tape, so was not paying a million for the step, altho I now know it helped a lot of people. (Have to insert here I had something called a Freestyle with workouts that made you do all kinds of lunges with stability I guess? got it on HSN, lol)Then I had my son and any working out was a blur for a long, long time. i think when I got back to it, i was looking for videos online (SLOWLY, lol) and found y'all the first time. i know I signed up but never could find password and I thought it was weird to have sort of a support group for video users, haha!! Then joined for sure in 2003, a girl that is not here now I do not believe, helped me get started at my level (I wish I could remember, she had kitten or kitty in her name I believe, but was so nice and pushed me in the right direction to get started again). Then a very physical job and wasn't here a lot, But after a LOT of changes in life and not being able to work, I just wanted to be able to move well again after a coma and y'all basically saved my life, and have done it over and over again. Bless y'all

Anyway, the article took me back. The writer talks about the "why" Jane Fonda gave for doing certain things. I realize, esp at that time, esthetics was very important motivation, but did they even know the other benefits of working out at that time? (just wondering), if people did know I guess they didn't take it seriously (like always eat the 4 food groups in the right amt, haha). While the talk non them is very outdated, atleast she opened doors for there being more than 1 way (muscle)

One thing I do miss about certain old workouts, atleast they were doable!! Sorry i rambled, and probably with very bad editing.
Thankyou for posting!!

PS: I kinda wish she had tried out a different 80's instructor daily or weekly to see thoughts.

[Joni O]

I liked the article. Maybe she should try the workouts that Jane released later to note any differences in a more modern time.

[kat999]

Originally Posted by Joni O

I liked the article. Maybe she should try the workouts that Jane released later to note any differences in a more modern time.

I can report, since I have at this point acquired all of Jane's workouts of all eras, including the ones she did more recently for older exercisers. In her newer ones, it's important to note that her audience is different, so all the d*et talk is gone, as is talk about calorie burning. She will still talk about a toning effect, but she's more discussing benefits in maintaining or strengthening your balance and muscles, as well as increasing your range of motion and flexibility, and the benefits she touts all have to do with staying healthy as you age, avoiding falls, avoiding injury if you DO fall, and even keeping your brain sharp. There's also discussion of heart health and stuff like that. They're still challenging in places (I'm only 47 and in honestly great endurance shape for my age), but overall they're generally too easy for me and I do them on active rest days only. She has walking workouts, fusion workouts that combine a little sculpting with Pilates-style moves, and yoga workouts.

All that said, I do prefer her older stuff mostly because it's just more to my current fitness level, but I'm glad I got all the newer ones to kind of grow into and keep me feeling great as I get older. I think she did this series not long after she'd had a knee replacement, which I think is why they're as gentle as they are. Ironically, I think she looks even better now than when she filmed these just before Grace & Frankie.

[Rivercat]

Originally Posted by JENILU

... Then I think a Kathy Smith, (hated it, way too hard for what I was used to)...

I had Kathy Smith's Fat Burning Workout and then picked up another one of hers--maybe Ultimate Stomach and Thighs--and was shocked at how hard it was. It wasn't until I saw a Collage catalog that I realized workout videos had different levels of difficulty

[Pat58]

I have and love all the "new" Janes.