Bellydance Fitness for Beginners: Slim Down

I love this DVD for a fun bellydance workout that keeps my heart rate up and burns calories. Other than during the warm-up and cool down, you are almost constantly bouncing, traveling or shimmying. I use a heart rate monitor when I exercise and the main part of this workout easily keeps my heart rate in zone 2 (70%-80%) and occasionally gets up to zone 3 (80%+). The moves are simple and easy to follow. There is no floor work to take away from the cardio, and the few isolations are done quickly in between bouncing so your heart rate stays up throughout. At about 30 minutes, it's easy to fit the workout in even when you're pressed for time. Sometimes it would be nice if the workout was longer, but you can easily go back to just after the warm-up and repeat the main workout again before doing the cool down. If you're looking for bellydance instruction, this is not the DVD for you. This workout doesn't teach you bellydance, and it isn't designed to do so. It's definitely not a routine that you'll want to perform as a dance. In fact, some of the moves are pretty silly, but it's fun to just let go and enjoy bouncing around. (Think of Phoebe running on Friends, if that helps!) The verbal cues are sometimes a little off, but the workout is easy enough to follow without them. The twins don't speak directly, and the narration comes from a voiceover. Sometimes they seem on the verge of laughing, which always makes me smile. Some reviews say that there's too much bouncing in barefeet. That doesn't bother me (or my knees), but you could easily wear tennis shoes if you wanted some more support. And yes, a sports bra is a good idea (but I tend to think that's a given).

I have been wanting to try bellydancing on and off for a couple of years, but kept pushing it to the back burner. I finally ordered this DVD and got it the other day and I have to say I'm so sad I waited so long to try it!!! I had so much fun working out!!! Neena and Veena are so graceful and beautiful to watch! I'm a true beginner when it comes to dancing and I found it very easy to follow along. Like some of the other reviewers had mentioned, there are a couple of short sections where they're showing you the dancer's face and not their feet. However, that's very short and within a couple of seconds you can see the full body shot. My only downfall about this DVD is that it's only 30 minutes!! The 30 minutes is great for a quick workout and it definitley does the trick, but I was sad it was over so quickly. So, to solve that problem I've already ordered a new, longer dvd. In the end..if you're in a workout run (like I was), this is a great pick me up..it adds an element of fun, it doesn't feel like working out and you feel great while you're doing it!

I started looking at belly dancing as a viable exercise alternative after watching the amazing Hafsia Herzi dance for what seemed forever in the final minutes of the film " The Secret of the Grain (La Graine et le Mulet) (Subtitled in English) (Region 1 DVD, USA/Canada Edition) ." The energy and passion that she exerted during this session sold me; with each sustained shimmy I felt myself drawn to this mysterious expression of sultry womanhood. The fact that Hafsia (I do not know whether or not this Cesar Award winning actress actually performed the dance herself or had a body double) perspired profusely convinced me that belly dancing was not for the meek in spirit; all those exotic gyrations and erotically expressive undulations required fit muscles that worked within a tight frame and were controlled by a disciplined brain. I could not wait to begin. I purchased Bellydance Fitness for Beginners - Basic Moves & Fat Burning by the Belly Dancing Twins, Veena & Neena. It wasn't tough, but it wasn't easy either. The twins know their stuff--the routine required multiple viewings and practice sessions to become familiar enough with what was coming next to feel comfortable enough to just let go and enjoy the process. After working out at least five times with this DVD, I decided that Veena and Neena were worthwhile instructors and thereby purchased their Slim Down workout. Now I am not a dancer by any means. My workout routine consists of running on the levee for about 60 to 90 minutes. I break this up with some strength training using the method of lifting heavier weights with less repetition, Tae Bo when the weather prevents me from going outdoors and Pilates to concentrate on moving from my core. The exuberant flexible movements of belly dance do not exactly emulate my usual workout routine; so the idea of incorporating smaller quicker moves within a larger framework alone for me was a challenge. The Slim Down DVD does not waste time on Basic Moves. If you are an Uber beginner you must acquaint yourself with the terminology and the correlated moves by either purchasing a fundamental DVD ( Amira's Belly Dance 101 Dvd, a 5-Star Instructional Video of Belly Dancing Basics for Beginners ) or taking a beginner's class. Of course, if you are a dancer, you need not worry. This DVD probably will not be challenging enough to give you the workout you require. In fact, it did not give me the workout I desire. The twins start off with about a five minute warm-up (neck rolls, arm and leg stretches) and introduce what they call the genie bounce (side to side motion with alternating arms) which they activate to a jump once the music accelerates and the 20 minute cardio portion of the session is in full swing. The genie bounce is used as a transition move throughout the session as the voice over (neither Veena nor Neena speak during the workout; however they do perpetually smile) announces what is to come about 5 seconds before the twins actually execute on the screen. More belly dancing moves--shoulder and hip shimmies, hip drops and lifts--are used in Slim Down than in the Fat Burning DVD. Fat Burning's cardio relies mainly on rocking back and forth, skipping and hopping but not for any great length of time. In fact one of the most difficult moves for me to complete in the Slim Down is the shoulder shimmy while I move up and down. It was tough to incorporate the small fast movement while making a larger overall movement. No wonder belly dancing is an art. In the same respect, some of the hopping and twisting motions the twins employ may be too intense for someone who either has hip or knee problems or has just re-entered the exercising world from a coach-potato coma. However if you are accustomed to high-impact running or kickboxing, don't expect the same type of rush that larger moves will give you in terms of fitness when performing Slim Down. Despite the rocking horse motions, skipping and hopping, the low intensity nature of the belly dancing itself means that a mere 20 minutes isn't going to give you the cardio benefit that you crave. Therefore, I would recommend this presentation as an alternative to be used on days where an intense workout is not required. The twins finish up with a five-minute cool down for an overall workout of thirty minutes. Included on the DVD is a Flexibility Training Workout which is very basic--I used this to complete my cool-down. However, I would not recommend this session at all. Bottom Line: Although Veena and Neena rely on a voice over to instruct participants of their Slim Down Belly Dancing Workout, they both are attractively supple and slim with lovely attainable bodies. Personally, I liked their Fat Burning workout better than this one, but only because I felt it gave me more intense cardio due to the high impact jumping. Slim Down does incorporated more Belly dancing moves--however, these are not really explained--the DVD contains no fundamental moves section. Belly dancing is an art that encourages expression through the rounded feminine form and makes a good alternative workout option that will round out your exercise possibilities. The music and costumes contribute to the overall exotic feeling that belly dance promotes. Do wear a coin scarf around your hips to add weight--the sound of the coins swaying will put you in a sensual mood. Otherwise don't expect the full cardio benefit of running or kickboxing but look at this as a fun introduction to something truly beautiful and exhilarting. Diana Faillace Von Behren "reneofc"

I LOVED "Slim Down". Although I started out with Basic Dance, Beyond Basic Dance, and Mystic Dance by Veena & Neena - I found Slim Down to be the most effective in getting heart rate up to burn calories and to tone my arms & waist. Mind you, I love all of their DVDs, as they teach you step by step all of the moves, however, Slim Down was not only clear in narration but also effective in me losing 8lbs in 2 weeks. (I started 3 weeks ago) Five days a week, every morning I do the full 30 minutes of "Slim Down" followed by another 30 minutes of yet another Veena & Neena DVD: "Arms, Abs and Hips, Buns & Thighs". Totaling a full-hour of cardio, and muscle toning and strengthening. Pair that with a healthy diet and tons of water, the pounds fell off fast! My shoulders look amazing, and my 'bat wings' are tighter and slimmer. I feel great now wearing strapless tops and summer dresses. Every two weeks I plan to step it up to avoid plateauing. Now in addition to the full-hour of Neena and Veena, I do 30-minutes of various minor weight lifting prior. But keeping with the review of "Slim Down", I find it motivating and active. After youre done, you'll be sweating buckets like myself. If you keep up with it, and maintain a proper diet, you'll begin to see weight loss and increased muscle strength!

So, I am know for being voluptuous but I could need a little toning, slimming and sculpting. I was very intrigued with bellydancing because of the gracious dance moves and I know this is not a far cry from doing yoga only you're burning more calories. I tried the basic dance first and started enjoying Bellydancing so I loaned the Slim Down from the library and before I returned the dvd, I was already done ordering it on Amazon. You will definitely do a cardio, sweat profusely and become very flexible. I have maintained losing 1-2 lbs.(a week) apart from watching my food intake. I have noticed my body became more shapely, clothes are less tighter and people are noticing my usual scrub uniform getting loser. I am not trying to be model androgynous thin, I want to keep my womanly curves with just cutting inches. Plus: Improves your gait, equilibrium, stance and posture. Like other reviews, allow a few minutes to wind down with the Bonus Felixibility Training of Rania. Ten minutes of another extra time is good to loosen up the muscles.

Let me first start by saying that if you haven't bought Bellydance Fitness for beginners, I recommend buying that one FIRST, and getting used to those two workouts, before attempting this one. This one melds those two workouts into an actual DANCE routine. That being said. I have done Fitness for beginners, and break a light sweat. I did Fatburn, and broke a heavy sweat... I did this one, and I was mopping buckets of sweat off my floor! The best part is, is I didn't even feel like I was working out, this felt like you were dancing along with the two ladies. What really got me into the DVD is in this one, they actually look like their having a blast. At one point they start laughing when you 'bounce'. Is also so fun to actually dance, instead of just doing the moves :) Thanks to these DVD's, I've lost 10lbs so far on my weight loss journey, and they've kept me super motivated because their fun!

I've been doing this routine somewhat inconsistantly for almost a year, and I still love it! It's a little cheesy sometimes ("how are you doing? ... you're doing good." I just say it along with her and laugh now), and could really use better instruction- there are times when the girls will be doing two things at once and the camera really only shows the one part, and the voice over lady is either counting or not saying anything at all, and all of a sudden you realize, "wait... are they moving up and down right now too?" and THEN the camera zooms out so you see that they are, and voice over lady tells you to bend your knees and move up and down. Thanks. That's helpful now that we're moving on to something else. So the first couple of times through, it can be a little frustrating, but hang in there because once you get it, it's a LOT of fun! It keeps me smiling the whole way through, and I really work up a sweat! All in all, a great purchase! When I get on my little kicks and start doing it a few times a week, I can really tell the difference! I have more energy, my shirts loosen up around my mid section, my whole body feels stronger and leaner, and when I alternate days with their Arms, Abs, Hips, Buns & Thighs dvd... WOW!

short version: Product works if you use it. The music is wonderful and even you, yes you, the one that has no rhythm. Even you will start to intuitively/instinctively move to the music. It'll take a few times, but you'll be a natural in no time. Buy Basic Moves + Fat Burning if you want to get moving with bellydance moves and are completely new to the idea of dancing to lose weight. Buy Arms, Abs, Hips, Buns, Thighs if you are a little more familiar to the concept. Buy both if you want some variety. Do not buy any if you are respectably in shape or you not a beginner to bellydance. Do not buy Slim Down. Long version: When I bought this, weighed at least 298 pounds (135 kilos). I had seen a late-night infomercial for some sort of dancing for fitness thing. Anyways, since then I've lost 50 pounds so far and I have another 100 to go (23 kilos lost, 46 to go). I want to share that with you to brag a little bit, but also more importantly show that when you eat right and use this DVD, you WILL LOSE WEIGHT. I was extremely out of shape from desk jobs and I wanted to do something fun and not feel embarrassed at a gym like Curves, but also low-intensity so I didn't feel like dying after two minutes. My very first time following Slim Down was about the 20th time with the twins' video (I had been using BM+FB and AAHBT up to that point). I sort of followed along, but the narrator was very different than the other two videos and it really killed it for me. She makes the workout a horrible chore instead of a fun dance session. I've owned this DVD for three years, and I've used it about five times. 'Slow Down' is medium/high-intensity exercises based off of bellydance for your whole body. There is plenty of bouncing. My fat rolls can't handle it and neither can my ears. Obviously, you should know that this is for more healthy-ish people who need to shake up either routine but also aren't in super shape either. You will not learn how to bellydance, per se, but you will definitely feel like you are. The narrator's voice is irritating and it is not either of the twins. You can turn it off if you want. The narrator is extremely 'exercise-y' about it compared to the other videos. By that, I mean she is continuously repeating the numbers of the reps and things like that. Since the twins do not speak throughout the video to explain moves or motivate you, you will either love or hate this. Basically, the narrator is there is keep you motivated to complete the workout but she's really bad about it. I did find that about my sixth time of working out (different video), I then had some muscles and those muscles realized I had been doing half the workout in a bad/lazy way and then I really felt the burn one I self-learned the right way to do it. If you have a full-length mirror you could pause and compare I guess. I lost weight (~20 pounds) and built muscle over two months with this through exercise alone (totally was still eating garbage food). Girly muscle is great, being ripped is not! I stopped caring though and gained it all back. About two years passed and then I renewed my determination to be healthy. This time I've lost about 50 pounds and I'm still not tired of BM+FB and AAHBT bellydance videos. Since I own all three, this next part is to compare this one to the other two. I do not use this one (SD) at all. The moves are still too fast-paced for me and I can't stay motivated without that mellow voice like on the other videos. It falls into the 'too fat for it' like Fat Burning of BM+FB. I've tried to follow along because I paid for it, but it's too much. I only played Slim Down with her voice turned off and unfortunately, without a mellow voice to keep me going, I quit before I'm tired. I do Arms, Abs, Hips, Buns, Thighs 2-4 times a week and it is a little more 'workout'. It has some more focused exercises compared to Basic Moves. In other words, BM+FB is closer to actual bellydancing than the AAHBT video. I still have been unable to complete Fat Burning of BM+FB; I'm still 100lbs. overweight and there's some intense jumping/bobbing moves in it and my fat rolls just can't handle it. So in my opinion, I'm only got half a video with content I can't use yet. I do Basic Moves 2-4 times a week. You can search for these videos on YouTube and they have been uploaded in ten-minute intervals. I am unsure though if Slim Down is still available. If you like what you see, consider the purchase. I am grateful that I purchased BM+FB and AAHBT. I do recommend them (but not this one) to others. However, you might find this easy or boring if you are doing fast-pased workouts like calisthenics.

Exactly as described, arrived on time. Works well. Enjoying dancing along.

This is part of the Bellydance Fitness for Beginners series, which also includes, Basic Moves, Fat Burning, Arms and Abs, & Hips, Buns and Thighs. This program is a nice alternative to mainstream aerobics, and I really like the fact that these twins are 'real women' and not the stick insects that you see so often on mainstream fitness videos. This workout is all cardiovascular and it does involve bouncing. You can, however, bounce as intensely or as mildly as you like. It is a very effective heart rate booster, and you will feel like you did a low impact aerobics class. Some reviews I have read on the American site, people think it's too much impact for doing the workout barefoot. As I said, you can tailor it to your needs. If you like high impact, put your shoes on and bounce to your heart's content. If you like low impact, you can bounce without your feet leaving the floor. I like the program, and find it to be an effective workout, but then every one of their programs that I have (Basic Moves, Fat Burning, Arms & Abs, and Hips, Buns & Thighs) all get the heart rate up. I even have their Discover Bellydance Series (also sold as Sensual Art of Bellydance). This series (Discover Bellydance) is bascially like a dance class and you learn step by step choreography and then put it together at the end. That also gets the heart rate up. So if you are looking for a fitness DVD with Bellydance moves in it, this is for you. If you want to learn Bellydance as a dance and perform it, then try their Discover Bellydance series.

双子ベリーダンスで有名なNeena & Veenaによるベリーダンスの動きを使った 30分の燃焼ワークアウトです。飛び跳ねるような動きが入っているので 階下への騒音が気になる方は要注意。柔軟性を高めるためのBonus Workoutが入っています。 特典映像にはMarinaのパフォーマンス。英語音声のみ。 リージョンオールなので日本の普通のＤＶＤプレーヤーで視聴可能。 このシリーズのBasic movesを持っている人には、かぶっている動きが多いので必要ないかも。

I've been attending some belly dancing classes locally but I find that it's hard to practice at home as I tend to forget the steps. The beautiful twins Neena and Veena makes the lesson so fun and easy.

Neena and Veena are fun to watch and follow along with.I look forward to my two days a week that I use this DVD in my exercise regime.