Product Plug

I don't usually like to plug merchandise on this blog, but I recently made a purchase that I am 110% satisfied with, and I thought I'd pass along the info for all of you who are working on your fitness this year.
I have always struggled with going to the gym because a: I am too lazy to get out of the house once I finally get home b: it is SOOOOOOOOOOO boring and c: I hate the way those gym rats look (okay for guys but too bulky and chunky for girls). On the other hand I have always, Always, ALWAYS wanted to learn how to dance. Therefore, in REevaluating (for like the 10 billionth time) my fitness needs and goals I decided that I was forever going to abandon the idea of me working out 5 days a week at the gym on the stationary bike and eliptical machine (yawn!) and I have officially changed my fitness routine to dance 5 days a week. It is the bomb dot com and I love it, mostly because I don't feel like a hamster and because I don't have to worry about schedules and cross-town drives. I still totally suck at dance, but everyone has to start somewhere, right?
Now here's the plug. In order to accomplish my goals I purchased 3 dance/cardio/workout dvd's about 2 weeks ago. I got DWTS Dance Body Tone, 5 Day Latin Dance System (with Lisa Nunziella), and Dance with Julianne Cardio Ballroom (That's Julianne Hough from DWTS). The first 2 are okay. I found that the DWTS is pretty good, but a little on the slow side. Some parts of it feel like old-school Jane Fonda Aerobics, done to dance music (although the section on Tango was fun). The 5 Day Latin Dance System was "dancy" enough for me but wow. It is hard. Definitely not for beginners unless you are totally motivated.
Cardio Ballroom was the best. It was fun, I felt like I was learning real dance steps, it had a good pace, and it was challenging but not impossible. I had to take it really slow the first few days and I was out of steam by the end of segment 1 (Cha Cha), but by day 3 I can rock my way through the Jive and the Paso Doble as well. I had so much fun that it felt more like 20 minutes instead of the 45+ billed on the box, and Julianne was surprisingly non-abrasive. For the $15 I spent (less than half of 1 month at the local gym) I have a workout that is fun, motivating, emphasizes flexibility over bulk, and that really worked up a sweat.
If you are in to the home workout video thing, I HIGHLY recommend it. Even if you are not a dancer, it's doable because there is a separate segment where she walks you through all the steps.
Anyway, that's my plug. Happy sweating!