Flat Belly Workout - Walk Off Belly Fat

I've done this workout twice. I got this because it's always good to have walking workouts on the days that you need them, and because I pretty much have everything else Ellen has done--that I can get my hands on at least.

This was a companion to a diet book from Prevention. Ellen does mention it, but only in passing. There is no hard sell, nor is there dead air while they pitch the book instead of doing the workout.

This is short for a walking workout, only a little over 30 minutes. There is a short abs segment at the end, chaptered separately I believe. I've only done it on days when I'm exhausted but have to do something to put a tick mark in my workout column. Ah, obsession. Where would I be without you? Calmer and more centered you say? Ok, fine.

I do think this is a fun walking workout. There is lots of lateral movement and some directional changes. There is some balance work and standing ab work as well-if you've done other Ellen workouts, this is very much in her style but overall easier. She works out with two background exercisers. There is a small amount of high impact introduced later in the workout, but it's an optional add-on to the base move, so you won't have to worry about modifying if you wish to stay low.

This isn't either of Ellen's typical sets, nor does it look familiar compared to other Prevention workouts I've done. It looks more like a living room.

If you need to do a low impact workout and are short on time, this is a fine option. I think it's a perfectly good choice for beginners: the choreography is fun (you aren't just marching in place begging for it to end), but isn't difficult. You'll also work in some light toning. For anyone else, this is a great add-on or light day selection.

I've recently been getting back into walking workouts to relieve stress. This one by Ellen Barrett is quite nice. I'd say advanced beginner/intermediate walking due to some of the choreography, but low intensity.

The warm up and walking portion of the workout is about 30 minutes and includes side steps, "crosswalks" (basically a grapevine except with the leg front instead of behind), a few leg patterns and various arm movements.

Then it's down to the floor for about 8 minutes of ab work. Only a couple of "crunch" type movements (this in spite of the fact that the cover explicitly claims "No Crunches!"). Some pilates flavored movements and a couple of plank movements....all very doable due to the limited amount of reps.

Then back up on your feet for the cooldown stretch, which is about 5 minutes (so a total of approximately 43 minutes if you choose to do the ab work).

All in all a very enjoyable walking workout.

This workout and its companion, Walk Off Belly Fat, are meant to accompany the Flat Belly Diet book from Prevention/Rodale Press. I purchased the videos solely because they are led by Ellen Barrett, and may be a little biased in my review because Ellen is one of my top three instructors.

Of the two Flat Belly programs, this one falls more into the walking category. The "walking" is not the most fun or exciting routine Ellen has choreographed, but it is effective. When I've had a stressful day at work want to give my brain a rest yet move my body, this is a good workout to reach for because the steps are very easy to follow (arguably, somewhat tedious in repetition). Ellen leads two fellow exercisers through the 30 minute walking program, which features "Stop n Tone" intervals of standing core work.

Segments consist of Play All, Walk Off Belly Fat, The Belly Routine and Bonus! (the bonus is just a mini-infomercial for the Flat Belly Diet). Walk Off Belly Fat lasts approximately 32 minutes; with the 8 minute Belly Routine, your total is just over 45 minutes. This could be my computer - but the DVD otherwise seems not to be chaptered. Thankfully, the music in this DVD is much better - or at least less annoying - than the music in Express Belly Blast.

The main workout starts with marching in place with some arm patterns, a brief plie series to the side with arms sweeps and option to twist the plie into a lunge, and flat back spine stretch warmup. The music picks up and you're into the main workout with fairly simple patterns of marches and taps with some forward and back traveling, knee lifts and kicks; turn the corners with variations on marching in between (in and out, gallops); crosswalks (grapevine with foot crossing in front) with varying arm patterns. The crosswalks and marches turn into a rectangle around your workout area, then evolve to shuffles to increase heart rate. There is a final mambo segment before the cool down.

Stop n Tone segments include side knee to elbow pull downs, center punching, opposite knee to elbow crunches with side stretches, squats with side leg raises, squats with alternate knee to elbow crunch rotations, and a little balletic foot circle while balancing on one leg. Even though you've stopped the walk, these moves keep the heart rate up (the side leg raises had me breathing harder than the walking blocks!).

Those who opted for just the walking routine will be lead into a nice cool down of standing backstrokes, thigh stretches and spine rolling from a standing position. The full routine will take you to the Belly Routine, for which you'll need a mat. This consists of some Pilates exercises shown at several levels including rollups, criss cross or bicycle as Ellen calls it, knee drops side to side with knees squeezing together, a very gentle version of the ab pike with option to corkscrew, side bends shown from a gentle elbow modification to full side plank, one full plank, the back strengthener from table top position with alternate arm and leg stretched up, and one final plank. The stretch follows.

I purchased this video while recovering from bilateral arm injuries to keep from going nuts, and had the unique experience of utilizing it as someone in dire need of a gentle workout, and as someone who is almost fully functioning. I was able to modify quite handily while the arms were painful and grow with this video during the recuperation. Of course being able to do the arm movements and put more oomph into increases your return. All in all I think this is an adaptable and effective workout, and I feel it in my core, hips and thighs. It's also a mood lifter, I find it returns energy for anyone in the market for a "less is more" type workout.