Review: Prevention's Towel Workout
Jan. 9th, 2010 01:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebWhile killing time at the public library yesterday, I found Prevention magazine's towel workout in their January 2010 issue. I have tried it and now declare it a good way to get your blood pumping quickly.
It consists of five strength-building exercises that involve using a towel to help you slide around on the floor. I'll warn you that it's not as fun as running and then sliding down the hallway in your socks. It might be as fun has helping Pippi Longstocking mop the floor, though. Here is a brief description.
* lunges - slide into and out of these from a standing position
* squats - do kind of a one-legged squat while sliding your other leg out to the side
* alternating leg extensions - while on your back with your knees up, lift your butt up, then slide one foot away and back.
* planks - start like you're going to do a push up, but put most of your forward weight on one hand while moving your other hand in a circle on the floor.
* mountain climber - while in push-up position, slide one foot at a time up under your hip and back.
They also recommend doing three minutes of cardio between each one, but I won't be doing that.
I tried to find it online but only found the video version of the towel workout. It's better at explaining things, but more annoying than reading the article because it has an ad and because each exercise has its own video. At least you only watch the ad once and the videos will play automatically in order. However, I recommend that when you hear her say "For best results, follow this move with a three-minute cardio burst" click on the next video's "play" button.
I like how the person on the video is totally panting even though she is trying to remain suave and chipper.
I do think the video version differs from the print version in two ways. First, on the lunging exercise, the video says to simplify it by doing only the part where you slide your leg forward, but the print version (and my leg muscles) say that the easier version is to do only the part where you slide your leg backward.
Then on the alternating leg extensions, I thought that on the hard version you were supposed to move both legs at the same time but they were still supposed to alternate. I might just be misremembering this, though. But for me that is both harder than the medium version and easier than the hard version on the video, so check it out if it's at the level you like.
One negative is that it only works on smooth floors, not carpeting or grass. You may be able to do it on carpeting with the right socks (or maybe bare feet that are not at all sticky and sweaty)--I haven't tried that yet. If so, it may be good for hotel use.
I was hoping it would be a quick way to get warm when it's cold inside, but it doesn't quite do that for me.
It consists of five strength-building exercises that involve using a towel to help you slide around on the floor. I'll warn you that it's not as fun as running and then sliding down the hallway in your socks. It might be as fun has helping Pippi Longstocking mop the floor, though. Here is a brief description.
* lunges - slide into and out of these from a standing position
* squats - do kind of a one-legged squat while sliding your other leg out to the side
* alternating leg extensions - while on your back with your knees up, lift your butt up, then slide one foot away and back.
* planks - start like you're going to do a push up, but put most of your forward weight on one hand while moving your other hand in a circle on the floor.
* mountain climber - while in push-up position, slide one foot at a time up under your hip and back.
They also recommend doing three minutes of cardio between each one, but I won't be doing that.
I tried to find it online but only found the video version of the towel workout. It's better at explaining things, but more annoying than reading the article because it has an ad and because each exercise has its own video. At least you only watch the ad once and the videos will play automatically in order. However, I recommend that when you hear her say "For best results, follow this move with a three-minute cardio burst" click on the next video's "play" button.
I like how the person on the video is totally panting even though she is trying to remain suave and chipper.
I do think the video version differs from the print version in two ways. First, on the lunging exercise, the video says to simplify it by doing only the part where you slide your leg forward, but the print version (and my leg muscles) say that the easier version is to do only the part where you slide your leg backward.
Then on the alternating leg extensions, I thought that on the hard version you were supposed to move both legs at the same time but they were still supposed to alternate. I might just be misremembering this, though. But for me that is both harder than the medium version and easier than the hard version on the video, so check it out if it's at the level you like.
One negative is that it only works on smooth floors, not carpeting or grass. You may be able to do it on carpeting with the right socks (or maybe bare feet that are not at all sticky and sweaty)--I haven't tried that yet. If so, it may be good for hotel use.
I was hoping it would be a quick way to get warm when it's cold inside, but it doesn't quite do that for me.
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no subject
on 2010-01-09 07:50 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2010-01-10 03:34 am (UTC)(To my friends who travel a lot: although paper plates are not generally available in hotel rooms, they do pack well.)