Review: Gaiam's Total Body Challenge Balance Ball workout

Considering all the snow that has been smothering New England lately, I've been forced to avoid hitting those roads--hence, the writing hiatus. But I've lived here all my life, and I've finally come to terms with the fact that snow dances and hoping for a warm spell usually produce the opposite effect. So rather than fighting Mother Nature, I've been doing a bit of cross-training to fill in the time. One product that's really been useful in getting me through what seems like another Ice Age is Gaiam's Total Body Challenge Balance Ball workout. It's surprising, because the DVD came with my balance ball as a freebie when I bought it, so I didn't expect it to be as good as it is. Tanja Djelevic, the instructor, is calming yet encouraging. She seems like someone you could be friends with, which is a breath of fresh air among a slew of annoying DVD instructors you'll find out there. And she keeps it active and interesting by combining muscle groups during sets--she'll add a lift at the end of a lunge to work the shoulders, or a leg extension during an overhead press to get those legs moving. I'm one of those people who needs to multitask in my workout in order to hold my attention, so her technique definitely does the trick.

FYI: I've been peeking around Gaiam's Web site as I write this, and it's fantastic, so I'll definitely be returning!

Available online at www.gaiam.com for $30, or at your favorite retail location. Mine came from Target.