Dr. Moreno recommends at least 17 minutes of exercise a day for those beginning the diet. He does, however, state that everyone is different, therefore you need to adjust the exercise based on the individual. The 1200 calories in Cycle 1 are quite low for most individuals (particularly for those that are already fairly active, such as myself) so I decided to slowly work in intense exercise into my routine and increase as I progress into later cycles of the diet.
I am a huge fan of barre workouts. The barre workout is a blend of ballet, Pilates and yoga, with a major emphasis on core stability and flexibility. Different methods offer barre workouts with a slightly unique approach, however I have found from experience a variety of barre methods that have provided tremendous results.
Because the barre workouts are intense yet low impact, I find them to be a perfect option to integrate while following this diet. I also add cardio 1x-2x a week, rotating the following barre workouts 3-4 times a week. I am a DVD workout junkie (I have over 60 workout DVD's at home!) and the following are my absolute top picks. The moves seem very simple- but be prepared to sweat!
NOTE: I purchase all of my workout DVD's on Amazon, and I have included a link to the product on the website. Amazon also provides detailed reviews that I have found quite helpful when deciding what products to purchase.
Top 4 Barre Workouts:
1. Tracey Mallett: Booty Barre: Beginners and Beyond
The perfect introduction to barre for beginners, with a booty-kicking workout to boot! Tracey Mallett is a tremendous instructor- she has incredible energy, and her timing is impeccable. Her DVD's are staples in my weekly routines as they score a perfect 10 on all my criteria: production quality, efficiency of the workout, fun factor, and quality of instructor. The short 35 minute workout is incredibly convenient for busy schedules.
2. Physique 57
Exactly a year ago, I decided it was time to discover for myself what the barre fuss was all about. I was also a bit fascinated (yet dubious) reading all of the glowing 5-star reviews on the Physique 57 DVD's, which are one of the top-rated barre workouts on the market. The reviews were right. One week of workouts, and I was hooked. One year later, and I have yet to do barre less than 3 times a week! While I do rotate through different barre workouts, Physique 57 still is a weekly go-to. The main workout is 57 minutes long, but I love the 30-minute Express workouts that I can squeeze in on my busiest days. The instructors are soothing yet encouraging, the workouts challenging, yet fun. And I won't lie- the lifted seat (booty in barre terms) arrived in less than a month of regular workouts! In fact, the long, lean figure and chiseled core is what you will get if you follow the workouts and a practical diet religiously. If only I had started the 17 Day Diet a year ago...!
3. Cathe Friedrich's Low Impact Series: Turbo Barre
A word of caution for barre newbies: this DVD may be low-impact, but it is a killer when it comes to intensity. I do this workout on my day off of work, as it is long (74 minutes) and I know I will be a sweaty mess once I have finished this DVD. The saying "hurts so good" is perfect for this grueling barre workout, but Cathe is engaging and it is hard not to be inspired by the perfectly chiseled bodies working out alongside Cathe. I find this DVD is the most challenging of the bunch I have listed, but even months later I have yet to tire of this workout. And I feel so fantastic after I'm finished!
4. Tracey Mallett: Total New Body
This is perhaps my favorite of all of Tracey Mallett's DVD's. It is a challenging, fun, unique workout, and I feel inspired and energized following. If you were to choose only one DVD out of the five listed here, I would say go with this one! It is 60 minutes long, but the title truly says it all, as it is a total body workout.
Top Cardio Workout
5. Zumba Exhilarate
I was looking forward to my barre workouts so much every week, but I realized my cardio time was slipping. I needed to find a way to integrate more cardio without having to make the trek to my gym, so I decided to give Zumba a try. I was pleasantly surprised at both the fun-factor and the sweat factor. Sure, it can be cheesy at times, but the feel-good energy it dispenses makes me appreciate the flashy productions and colorful attire. I only do this about once or twice a week, but I find it much more fun and effective than all of my other dance workout DVD's.
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