Yep. I’m reviewing a Jazzercise DVD.

Shouldn’t I be snickering? I pictured Jazzercise as a workout from the eighties, more of a punchline than an actual workout. I had formed an opinion without ever having done a Jazzercise workout (either in person or on tape). But, one of the wonderful things about working out at home is trying new things without having to go public about it.

The new crop of Jazzercise videos seemed interesting enough, so while shopping one day, I purchased up Burlesque by Jazzercise. (A sticker on the outside of the case indicated that the DVD came with a subscription to Fitness magazine or a refund offer for the value of the subscription. I went with the refund, so the DVD ended up costing less than $5. Bargain! I’ve seen offers like this at Wal-mart and Target.)

I’ve done other burlesque workouts, including The Goddess Workout: Cardio Burlesque-Striptease, and they’ve been disappointing. They just didn’t feel like much of a workout.

Burlesque by Jazzercise was actually a decent cardio workout. The program consists of a 45-minute workout that includes a warm-up, aerobic dance workout, toning for the legs and abs, and a cooldown.

The workout is led by Jazzercise President Shanna Missett Nelson. The workout was well-cued. The music was familiar, including tracks like “Lady Marmalade,” “I’m a Slave 4 U,” “On the Floor,” and “Don’t Cha.” (Be forewarned–Nelson likes to interject a random song lyric into her instruction.)

The dance workout was simple but fun. The burlesque-inspired moves included shimmies, “sexy walks,” and bending over, but there were also more traditional aerobic moves like step touches and ball changes. It’s fairly easy to learn the routine. After a couple of times using the DVD, I felt like I hit my stride. The dance-toning sections were focused on the abs and legs. They were fairly easy.

The DVD features an option to do a short 21-minute workout or a 10-minute Abs & Booty Blast. These workouts are shortened segments lifted from the 45-minute workout.

Overall, this workout was fun and a legitimate workout.

My three-year-old walked in on me while I was doing this workout one afternoon. He asked, “What are you doing, Mommy?”

I responded, “
Working out.”

He laughed and said, “No you’re not. You’re dancing.”

So that’s why it’s so much fun…