How to Modify Tae-bo (beginners)

Today while I was doing my Taebo, I was thinking about how far I've come and how I've modified along the way. So I thought I'd write down my thoughts on this in hope that it might help other people who are struggling with it or feel like they could never do Taebo.

Beginners: Don't start with a boot camp DVD, or the celebrity results. Try a Basic Taebo DVD. Look at the number of minutes. The shorter ones are easier to sustain. Try aiming for around the 30 min mark and for ones that have multiple CD's and tracks to choose from. If you are unsure about buying a CD. Try your local library. That's how I tried it for the 1st time.

It certainly helps if you have gotten to some form of regular exercise each day. You will be hurting if this is the first thing you try. You'll need a little endurance and strength.

I started off walking every evening. At first it was a couple blocks. When I got around 1.5 miles a day I started Carmen Electra's "Fit to *****" Disk 2. Don't worry, there is no dancing at all on disk 2, it's floor exercises. You can buy disk 2 by it's self.

Once I built up some endurance and strength from that I started doing Denise Austin's "Shrink Your Female Fat zones" you'll need a balance ball and some light handweights. This gave me some extra strength and balance I needed.

Keep in mind though, you don't need all of that to do Taebo.. I didn't discover Taebo until after doing that. I just wanted to be honest in saying I didn't start off doing taebo and what I did.

On to the pointers. I am not coordinated. I can not remember too many steps in a row due to a memory disablity.

At first I have to modify the moves into less steps. The key is to work the larger muscles if you can't work the hands and the legs at the same time. Simplify the foot work. It's ok. You will get the whole thing at some point and your just starting out. No one is grading you, so who cares! =)

If the pace is too fast, slow it down. I had to or my limbs were flailing all over and I wasn't getting the move right. Learn the move. You don't want to hurt yourself. Speed comes later.

Some of the advanced DVD's have Jumping Jacks. I can not do those due to bad knees. I just move my arms up and down and march in place. That's plenty good enough. Some of the DVD's (boot camp series) has men's style push ups. Do girly ones, or press up against a wall while standing.

It also helps to have a bottle of water near by, with the cap off and ready to go. There isn't much time to drink between exercises, but if you need the water, you should drink it, it's good for you. =)

If you are too winded starting out and you can't keep up, march in place and swing your arms until the next excercise. Do not over due it. You will build up tolerance in no time. It's ok. =)

If you can not fully extend your leg because of injuries, then don't. Extend it to your point of comfort and NEVER snap it out in a ******* motion. Take kicking to your level of comfort, never more. Remember if you are doing a kick, to lift your knee before extending it. You should never do a ******* motion.

Also if you know you can't balance on one leg very well, have a chair nearby the first time or so that you try this.The chair will help with your stability until you develop the balance that you need.

Taebo has absolutely worked for me. I don't have big bulky muscles. They are long and lean. This has not caused me to bulk up at all. I have improved my balance, my coordination, my endurance, my strength, and my confidence doing Tae-bo and you can too. =)