Step Star Miller and Oprah’s Green Man Help You Stay in Shape

If you’ve ever gotten frustrated in a step aerobics class at the gym or while trying to follow a step video at home, this video may be just what you need.

— “Everybody Steps, A Guide to Step Aerobics,” by instructor Gin Miller, features Miller demonstrating the most basic step movements and giving detailed information on how to do them correctly.

She even shows traditional warm-up moves that she says can be confusing for some. In addition to the step movements, the video includes a warm-up, cool down, information on how to be sure you’re working in the correct heart rate zone, and safety reminders such as keeping good posture and staying hydrated.

And who better to teach this video than Miller, who started the whole step craze more than 20 years ago? In those days there were some “beginner” vides and classes at fitness centers, but soon instructors let loose and workouts became fairly advanced. And for some, very intimidating.

The workout is still widely popular. With this workout she’s gone back to the basics. It’s divided into a six-week exercise “prescription” in which the novice (the brand-new exerciser) does the first segment for weeks one and two.

He or she then adds segment two in weeks three and four, then goes to segment three in weeks five and six.

Beginners (those who have been exercising for six weeks) go to segment two in their first two weeks, veering up to segment four.

Regular exercisers (those who have exercised for three months) work up to segment three in the first two weeks and end up finishing with segment five at the end of their six weeks.

When the novice first starts exercising, their workouts last just 10 minutes.

By the time they progress to being regular exercisers, they are stepping for up to 50 minutes. Yet it stays basic to the very end.

The video is available through Gin Miller Fitness ( www.ginmiller.com) and Collage Video ( www.collagevideo.com). The cost is $19.95 for DVD, $14.95 for VHS.

— Does the name Bob Green ring a bell? If your answer is no, then do you remember the trainer who helped point Oprah in the fitness direction? Since working with Oprah, Green has made quite a name for himself in the fitness industry with his no-nonsense and easy-to-understand approach to fitness.

“Bob Green’s Total Body Make Over, An Accelerated Program of Exercise and Nutrition for Maximum Results in Minimum Time” is his latest effort. The book is published by Simon & Schuster (2005, $25).

It’s a 12-week plan to “transform” your body inside and out.

Green addresses some issues behind poor exercise and eating habits, then gives you the “motivational tools” you’ll need to make the changes that will get and keep you fit. He even includes before and after photos (including Oprah) of individuals who have had success by using his program.

The book has illustrated workout guides for all fitness levels. They include cardiovascular and strength training segments and nutritional guidelines. To figure out your workout, select what week you’re in, look at the list of exercises then match them to a section with photos and information on how to do the movements correctly.

Green is an exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer who specializes in fitness, metabolism and weight loss.

Joanne Kempinger Demski highlights new exercise books and videos on the first Monday of each month.

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