Fitness DVD Review and Giveaway - Kenn Kihiu’s danceX: Everybody’s Workout

By Kristina | January 8, 2008

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(Giveaway information is at the end of this post)

The danceX - Everybody’s Workout DVD, featuring the creator of the danceX program, fitness expert and former dancer Kenn Kihiu, features a total body cardio workout that offers a “fun and high energy dance exercise” as well as great bonus features. From beginning to end, danceX is chock full of upbeat, make-ya-wanna-shake-it music; the selection of which runs the gamut from Latin to Bhangra to Disco to Irish… with a dash of Classical and even more genres to tickle your multicultural musical fancy.

I have to say, I was surprised at how much I really did enjoy the workout. Kihiu’s energy and enthusiasm is utterly infectious, even through the DVD, and I feel that he would probably be genuinely friendly in person. The movements, though done in sets, are far from repetitious, and I think it would definitely be rather difficult to become bored with this workout. The moves are not difficult - even if you usually trip all over yourself during every attempt to dance, that’s fine, because the moves are simple, but effective in getting your heart rate going and getting you to break out into a healthy sweat. Your 6 year old can do the workout with you too, and Kihiu even has a workout DVD just for kids and pre-teens.

While the moves aren’t what you’d call So You Think You Can Dance audition material, the modified steps really are based on dance moves, and a little improvisation on your part can add some snazz and pizzazz to the workout. It’s low-impact, so danceX is perfect if you’re like me and just getting back to exercising, or if you’d just like a workout that doesn’t require high kicks and super jumps and things like that. The cool-down of the workout is nice and thorough, with stretches and balance exercises that end it nicely. Even if you prefer going to the gym, for days when that isn’t an option and you want to do some cardio but you want to do something a little more exciting than going for a walk or job around the track, danceX will fulfill your needs.

My favorite sections of the workout were “the Twist” and the Laila (A popular Bhangra song by Shahin Badar) section. Actually, the workout is divided into chapters, and once you get familiar with the different sections and the music and moves that each one is comprised of, you’ll be able to skip directly to the section you want to do. I think it’s great this DVD was created in this way, because it enables people who really are crunched for time to just get that 10, 15 or 20 minutes of cardio in during the day.

The DVD also includes a bonus 8 minute ab workout, which was doable, and not nearly as will-killing as some of the other (ridiculously painful) ab workouts out there. Eh, I’m not partial to ab workouts, but they’re necessary for proper toning of your body (you want your body to be all even in all its fit and healthy glory!).

The other bonus features of the danceX DVD include nutrition tips from Kihiu as well as a section entitled “Move Your Body, Move Your Life.” The nutrition tips are definitely helpful, and educational. Much of it is common sense, but then again, what is common sense or easily gotten knowledge to one may be completely foreign and new to another. The “Move Your Body, Move Your Life” section is very motivational, and, well, moving. Kihiu effectively delivers his message that movement, exercise, healthy eating and an overall healthy lifestyle is really something that we should all work for to make ourselves look, feel and be better.

One thing that I would have liked to see (and was kind of hoping for) are some simple dance-aerobic routines, however I guess that would kinda shift the target demographic from anyone who has a pulse to anyone who likes to dance and has the patience to learn a little routine.

Overall, I think that danceX is a great workout, primarily because I truly did find it enjoyable, but also because I believe that their claim that everyone can do the workout is definitely valid. The music is fun, the moves are easy but effective, and neither the music nor the moves alienates anyone. What I mean to say is…. danceX isn’t just for women, it is a good cardio workout for men as well… provided that man is into aerobics workouts. You’d be hard-pressed to get my husband to do it, he might if nobody has to see him shaking his buns. (He’s more of a jogger than an aerobics kind of guy.)

(For more information on the danceX Everybody’s Workout DVD and Kenn Kihiu, check out www.danceXfitness.com.)

I’m giving away my review copy of danceX Everybody’s Workout. To enter, leave a comment on this post. Make sure to use a VALID email address (it will NOT be shared with any third parties, of course)! If you mention this contest on your own blog (with a link back to this post), you will earn another entry, and you will be mentioned in the post announcing the winner of this giveaway. Sooo to recap, you can enter by leaving a comment on this post and by mentioning this contest on your own blog, for a maximum of TWO entries total. You can enter by midnight EST (Eastern Standard Time) on January 15, 2008. I will only ship within the United States and Canada, so if you’re from a country other than the US and Canada, make sure you have a friend or relative in the US whom I can ship the DVD to! Good luck