Well, not especially being a fan of exercise or Tracy Shaw (she of Coronation Street fame), I approached this Salsacise dvd with some trepidation. I'm naturally a slim person with a raging metabolic rate and have luckily never really had any need to exercise to keep in shape. However a couple of years or so ago (around the time of my mid-twenties crisis!), age began to take its sorry toll and I have to admit to falling victim to a bit of tummy-spread and bottom-drop! Also, having taken my slimness for granted for so many years, my general fitness is not good as it could be. So, being in the midst of a bit of a lifestyle sort-out, I decided I'd take up an exercise regime to try and put back in place the bits that have strayed a little and attempt to improve my general health.

So why Tracy Shaw's Salsacise for Hips and Thighs as opposed to any of the other hundreds of exercise videos/dvds on the market? Well, hips and thighs (and bottom) were the areas I was keen to target, whilst I knew that a plain old aerobics workout wouldn't hold my interest for long. I like Latin music (well I watched and enjoyed Buena Vista Social Club!) and also enjoy dancing. I thought that this combination might make exercising a little more enjoyable. I also thought I might pick up some slinky mambo moves to expand my dancefloor repertoire on nights out!

The workout session features Tracy Shaw (obviously) and 'Salsa Maestro' Michael Betts. Having conducted a little bit of research into Michael Betts, it would appear he is less of a 'Salsa Maestro' and more of a general fitness instructor with (admirably) 19 years of experience in the business. He is ACE (American Council on Exercise) qualified and a Level 2 fitness instructor. He has also appeared in numerous fitness videos and presentations across the globe and in 1995 won the Queensland Fitness Instructor of the Year Award. It all sounds very impressive and at least there is the comfort of knowing he is a qualified instructor. However, I can find nothing of his salsa experience or expertise, which would probably explain why this dvd doesn't actually include that many salsa moves! Admittedly I was expecting a work-out that was dance based without emphasis on fitness moves. Not unreasonable considering the title of the dvd. After all, I didn't want to feel like I was doing an aerobic work-out, but just dancing myself fit and toned. So that would be my first criticism of this dvd: it masquardes as something it really isn't.

My second criticism would be the endorsement of Tracy Shaw to this fitness programme. There she is on the screen working her way through the exercises in a latin-esque tassled shorts and bikini top affair, making the 'oohs' and 'ouchs' in all the right places, but that sadly (or gladly depending on your view of her) seems to be her only imput! This work-out is most definitely conducted by and focused on Michael Betts. Once you get into the work-out this ceases to matter, but it does leave a bit of a bitter taste that celebrities make money by endorsing these products, without having very much input. I didn't expect Tracy Shaw to suddenly be a fitness expert, but I certainly expected her to contribute a bit more than she does. But as I stated in the intro to this piece, I'm not particularly a fan of hers anyway (she seems like a lovely girl, but there was that Darren Day incident. Unforgiveable!) so maybe it was for the best.

And so to the work-out itself. Set in a sultry-lit dance-studio (decorated with the odd plastic palm tree!) the programme is split into 7 sections. Each section (with the exception of the warm-up and cool-down) forms a complete mini-workout in its own right, focusing on a specific part of the lower body. Each section is in the region of 5/6 minutes long. These two features combined make this a very accessible programme as it is easy to just do the parts of the work-out you find most effective or necessary without having to do the whole thing. It also means that if you are short on time, you can easily 'dip' into this programme and do just the warm-up and cool-down (I'd never recommend that you skip these sections of course!) with one of the other workouts in between. This would only take 20 minutes of so of your time and done regularly, would, I'm sure still give you results.

Workout 1: The Warm Up -

Usually I would expect this to be the 'boring but necessary' part of a workout, but in this programme the warm-up is both enjoyable and highly effective. I often repeat the warm-up twice as a) it gets me very hot and sweaty (which means it's getting the blood pumping and burning calories) and b) I find I can really feel it working my leg muscles and gluteus (that's my bottom in case you're wondering!). The key move in the warm-up, and the most salsa-esque step to feature in the whole workout is the mambo. This is a bouncy step forward, step back move which when combined with a 'cha cha cha' move in between really gets the legs working and the blood pumping. It took me a little while to master the technique (my co-ordination is rubbish, but I hope I give a bit of hope to anyone worried about this when I say I quickly mastered the routine and now don't look like I'm convusling or severly drunk when completing it!) but, once I did, I found it enjoyable and effective. The warm-up is also littered with various stretches and marches just to get the muscles nicely warm and ready for the rest of the work-out. I'd score this section 9/10 for ease, enjoyment and effectiveness.

Workout 2: Salsa Split -

Now don't worry, this doesn't involve jumping in the air and landing on the ground legs akimbo! The 'Salsa Split' is a move in which you rise on your tip-toes, turn your knees outwards, and then skew them back inwards again before dropping your feet back to the floor. When done quickly this looks like the fancy moves you see male salsa dancers throwing that seem to defy human ability! However it's not too hard to master and is combined with some side-stepping grapesvines and leg-kicks which get you nice and hot and make you feel like you're working out. However, I'm yet to be convinced of the effectiveness of this workout as I don't feel my muscles aching quite like I do in the other programmes. As they say, you have to feel the 'burn' to get results, right? I'd rate this workout 4/10 for the lack of evidence that it tones the inner thighs as it is designed to, but for the fact that it does get you a bit warm and therefore must have fat burning qualities.

Workout 3: Latin Lunge -

As the name suggests this workout comprises a series of lunges, the 'Latin Lunge' being a nice shimmying affair that involves a bit of hip shaking and thrusting! All the dipping up and down really works the leg muscles, but you can also feel the effects on your bottom too. Again, keeps the blood pumping and is a fairly enjoyable little programme. I'd rate this section 6/10 for the fact that it makes my thighs ache, but I'm not sure it works the hips as well as it could and this is the area it is supposed to target.

Workout 4: Booty Burner -

This part of the workout can be a real killer, but it's probably the part I feel I have achieved the best results from doing. The programme involves a series of sideward leg lifts that really get the gluteus working and have definitely provided some lift in a fairly short period of time. The leg lifts are intercepted by some side-stepping, with a low dip down tagged on either end of the two steps forward and back. This works the bottom and the inner thighs. The programme also sees the return of the 'mambo/cha cha cha' move and it is in doing this that you really start to feel the burn in your bottom as the muscles are re-oxygenated. I'd rate this workout 8/10 as I think it achieves noticeable results. Again I often carry out this part of the programme twice as I think it is effective.

Workout 5: Side Slimmer -

Now if the 'Booty Burner' is a killer, this has extra torture thrown in for good measure! It involves lying on you side, legs bent upwards towards your body, knees together, in line with the hips and then resting on your elbow, lifting your hips up off the floor pushing up through your side. Once you've mastered this bit, there are some leg-lifts brought into the regime (and regime it is! It's ruthless!) to intensify the torture further! This section really hurts! However, it is likely to get results as you can feel the muscles working like nowhere else in the whole programme. Unfortunately I don't yet seem strong enough or quite fit enough to fully complete this part of the work-out. I usually end up collapsed in a heap yelping in pain! If you are a slave to the burn though, this section will probably give great satisafaction and for that reason I'd rate it 7/10.

Workout 6: Tum Tightner -

I hate sit-ups and crunches and have long been on the lookout for an exercise move that will tone my stomach without too much pain or discomfort. The 'Tum Tightner' is possibly the answer. It involves getting down on the floor resting on your elbows and knees to form a postion called 'the plank'. Holding your abs in tight, you outstretch one arm, then the other for a count of 8 each side. Then this is swapped to stretching out one leg, then the other, and then an arm and a leg together. In between, the programme is broken up by lying flat on your tummy and doing a series of lower back lifts and stretching out of the arms and legs in this lowered position. Now you wouldn't imagine that gently stretching out your arms and legs would tone your tummy, but amazingly if you hold your abs in very tight as you go through the exercises, you do start to feel the pull in the muscles. I suspect you would have to repeat these exercises a

great many times to see strong results, but if the 500 sit-ups a night option doesn't appeal, this is a far less sadistic toner. I've yet to see much definition, but I can feel that the ab muscles have been worked after this part of the programme, so I believe that I will be getting there gradually. I'd rate this 6/10 for the ease and enjoyment factor, but for the fact that results are not rapidly noticeable.

Workout 7: Cool Down -

Designed to relax and stretch out the muscles, this part of the workout does just that and in only about 4 short minutes. I've not ached once the next day after having done the exercises on this dvd, and I attribute that to the fact that the cool-down quickly and effectively stretches out the muscles groups that have been used. It leaves you feeling very relaxed and quite satisfied that you made it that far! I'd rate the cool-down exercises 7/10 as they are effective, easy and relaxing.

And so concludes the exercise programme. I should add at this point that I have been using the dvd for about 4 times a week for 3 weeks and already feel much fitter than I did starting out. I have found my energy levels have improved, but then they would as a result of any regular exercise. I can also however, see an improvement in my lower thighs (actually they're rock solid, but then they weren't that out of shape to begin with) calves, and I definitely think my bottom has been lifted ever so slightly. I've also managed to shift some stubborn weight from my hips which is quite impressive, and so I'm already looking a bit more slim-lined in this area. I can't claim this dvd achieves miracle results, but if like me, you're not as fit as you could be and are a bit of a stranger to exercise, it is a gentle enough programme to be starting out with. I suspect that in a few weeks or so I will be looking for something that works the muscles harder, but for now this has got me nicely into the swing of exercising regularly without causing the pain that usually ends up putting me off again! I've not tired of the programme yet, probably because I can select the bits I enjoy and find effective, and because I find I can fit it into my lifestyle quite neatly.

I would recommend this dvd to anyone looking for a moderate introduction to exercise, or someone looking to get back into exercise following a break (in my case, about 26 years or so!). If you can forgive the misleading title and excuse the fact that this workout doesn't involve much 'salsa-ing', then it is a fun light-aerobic programme that will eventually achieve moderate results. Michael Bett's is also a fairly encouraging instructor, without being too 'cheesy' or over-enthusiastic, whilst it is reassuring to hear Tracy complain that her muscles are aching from time to time, as it at least shows she empathises with you as you work through the programme!

Tracy Shaw's (or Michael Bett's depending on which way you look at it) Salsacise for Hips and Thighs runs for approx. 41mins and is available on Region 2 dvd. I bought my copy from play.com for only £5.99 delivered (one of the appeals of this dvd over others I saw) which so far remains the cheapest place I've found it available on the net.

Altogether now - 'Mambo! Cha cha cha!

Thanks for reading :o)

12/06/05 - Update!

I've been using this dvd for 6/7 weeks now and the results are really starting to show! I've not tired of the programme yet, and although I feel the muscles do now need to be worked harder, I am still feeling the benefit of doing the exercises regularly. I'm probably going to use some hand and leg weights while performing the programme to increase the difficulty a bit. I've lost about 6/7lbs in weight (I didn't have that much to lose, but it has come off the problem areas of tummy and thighs, so I'm quite impressed), my legs are beginning to look very toned, and my bottom is most definitely firmer! And the tummy exercises do eventually work! The definition is not spectacular, but there is tone there, and that's good enough for me as it means I can continue to avoid the dreaded sit-ups! I can see a definite and positive change in my shape, and on a recent trip away received some very complimentary comments from my friends when I ventured out in a bikini! So the recommendation still stands! It's 'Mambotastic'!