Workout with Latin Flavor

WEB-EXCLUSIVE, DVD WORKOUT: Find out if 'Core Rhythms Dance Exercise Program' can spice up your routine.

"Core Rhythms Dance Exercise Program" – Four DVD Set

Price: $59.85-$79.95

Get it at: shopcorerhythms.com, amazon.com

Instructors: Jaana Kunitz and Julia Powers

Workout time: 20-40 minutes

Sweat factor: Light to moderate

Music: Latin-inspired dance music

Fitness level: Intermediate/advanced

I can’t deny that I felt a little ridiculous shaking my hips violently in front of my TV set the first time I did this workout (the quick workout to be exact, since I thought that was all I could handle at first attempt), but by the time the warm-up was over and we were on to the merengue, I was having a blast.

Though the program does tend to overdo it a little with tutorial, in the end, you really feel like you’ve just taken a Latin dance course, gained some great cardio and core workouts and had fun doing it.

While I didn’t experience too much burning during the workouts, I did feel some soreness in my core area and arms the next day, and was definitely worn out after quick and full workouts.

And, the perpetual image of the instructors’ impeccable abs is enough to motivate you to keep on going.

The one drawback to "Core Rhythms" is that you can’t purchase the DVDs separately, so it makes spending close to $80 for the set hard to justify. If you want to skip the tutorials and just want the workouts, I suggest you look for them individually on eBay.

"Quick Workout"

The 20-minute workout includes four sections: warm-up, the merengue, the samba, and cool down. I didn’t break a sweat until we got to the samba, but feeling my core tighten with each “figure eight” hip motion made me feel like I was working hard so I overlooked the light intensity.

Instructor Jaana Kunitz starts a three-minute warm-up with marching, basic box steps, squats, and stretching but not without wild hip thrusts and radical arm motions.

Next, the merengue, where the quick tempo continues but with pretty easy-to-follow instruction by Julia Powers. This section includes a lot of core-crunching, intense shoulder movements and butt-shaking.

Now that you’re beginning to sweat a little, you go right into the samba – back to Kunitz, whose energy definitely gets you working. My favorite move was “beating the drums,” where you mimic the beating of drums, high and low, bouncing from side to side.

During the cool down, you do some basic arm, hamstring and back stretches, but you’re still pretty engaged.

"Latin Dance Made Easy"

I suggest beginners and non-dancers start "Core Rhythms" with this 30-minute tutorial since it teaches newbies two combos in the Latin dances used in the workouts: merengue, samba and a third for fun, the rumba. Led by four instructors (Kunitz, Powers and their dance partners), you’re guided through each step, shown from back, side and front views, so you can see arm placement, footwork and everything in between.

This video is more a private dance lesson than a workout and I highly recommend finding a partner for it, though it can easily be done alone. It’s easy to follow and I actually was able to remember the dances.

Though I enjoyed this DVD, it isn’t vital to understanding the movements in the workouts.

"Kick Start"

A short amd basic 15-minute tutorial and introduction to the concepts integrated in the workout, this DVD offers a lot of options for the beginner. All the movements are first done in slow motion so participants can grasp the movements involved; a little overwhelming at first, because you want to make sure you're getting it all in.

First off, you can choose how to view the workouts: front, back, core, or split. I chose split so I could see the instructor’s footwork and core movements at the same time.

Second, you can choose from three different segments – get started, get moving and get dancing – each focusing on the different movements required to do the workout.

If you are DVD workout savvy, you probably don’t need this to move on to the workouts.

"Full Workout"

This DVD features 40 minutes of hip shaking and thrusting, basically an extended version of the "Quick Workout." With 10-minute sessions each of warm-up, merengue, samba, and cool down, and similar movements involving figure-eights, shoulder-shaking and footwork, it’s fun and more challenging than the condensed version of the workout. I didn’t notice too many new moves, but there were a few like ball-change shakes. The main difference is that more time is devoted to each move. The challenge of the workout is in trying to keep your core tightened throughout the entire video, and after the warm-up, I felt some cramps in my rib cage. Though I consistently kept my abs tight, I didn’t feel much, if any, soreness the next day. I definitely got a decent cardio workout though.

"Core Rhythms" adds a cool spin to getting in shape with its focus on dance and rhythmic exercise. I enjoyed the workouts, but felt I could have done without the "Kick Start" and "Latin Dance Made Easy" DVDs, or perhaps saved them for another day.