COPD DVD Selected # 1 Top Pick

Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews DVD for COPD/Asthma has been selected as the number one choice from About.com, a New York Times Company.

Voted Best COPD DVD

 

Deborah Leader, RN, COPD guide states,  “A COPD Forum favorite, Functional Fitness for COPD and Asthma is an original exercise video created by occupational therapist Suzanne Andrews that focuses on improving your breathing, relieving your stress and increasing your quality of life as you learn to live with COPD.”

Suzanne Andrews, host of Functional Fitness on PBS TV, has medically documented the results of specific fitness and breathing exercises that focus on improving functional lung capacity. Using a pulseoximeter, a device that measures oxygen saturation and heart rate, Andrews has medically documented how specific breathing and pulmonary fitness techniques in a COPD patient can increase oxygen and decrease shortness of breath. Through specific pulmonary rehabilitation techniques, she has successfully increased peoples oxygen to that of a healthy person, enabling the person to live a functional life with more energy.

Functional Fitness COPD DVD has also had successful reviews by

1.    Vlady Rozenbaum, PhD, COPD-ALERT.com. “This DVD helps persons with COPD - an incurable and progressively debilitating disease, which is the 4th major cause of death and 2nd of disability in the U.S. - to manage their lives more effectively by better breathing techniques and simple exercises."

2.   A medical review board including Mache Seibel, MD, professor of Massachusetts Medical School and  founder of HealthRock states, “Functional Fitness is a cost effective program people can do right at home and I highly recommend it.”  

3.   Dr. Larry Grouse, president of US Health Network, Inc and stated after reviewing, “International COPD coalition finds this a “sound and useful DVD that we recommend.”

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Functional Fitness Fat Burning

Hips and thighs and arms, oh my! It may not be as easy to stay slim these days as it used to be, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. PBS's Suzanne Andrews takes you though two 25- minute, fat blasting workouts specifically designed to help the 40--plus set slenderize tough-to-tone areas. You can choose to sit or stand, depending on your fitness and comfort level. The DVD includes a 30-minute segment in which a doctor and a registered dietician answer frequently asked questions about weight loss. Also plus size friendly.

($17.99, http://www.healthwiseexercise.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16172&category_id=103

JuggleFit Juggle Your Way to Fitness

(Beginner Level)

Bored by traditional exercise? You might be surprised to learn that juggling is an aerobic workout. Juggling challenges the body and mind, lubricates the joints in the arms and shoulders, boosts brain power, and helps with coordination and balance. This DVD, led by instructor Heather Wolf, includes nylon scarves, a balance and coordination workout with three levels of difficulty, a beach warm-up and cool-down, and practice tips to help you master the circus art. ($19.99, http://www.jugglefit.com)

T'ai Chi Chih Joy Thru Movement

Simpler than tai chi but with the same benefits, T'ai Chi Chih was created in the 1970's and consists of 19  movements and one pose. A University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse study found that older adults who practice T'ai Chi Chih for five weeks experience less stress and a greater sense of well being. "With the accumulation of chi through T'ai Chi Chih, permanent changes in the metabolism and the thinking process take place", says creator Justin F. Stone, now in his 90's. The DVD includes 45 minutes of instruction on the principles of the movements, followed by a 45-minute practice.  ($32.95, http://www.gkpub.com)

Homebody

This routine is low-impact hybrid of dance, Pilates and yoga that gets you moving while strengthening your core, improving your posture and stretching your limbs. The music will propel you through the workout, which makes use of common household items like a can of beans, ketchup bottle, throw pillows and a chair. Led by fitness instructor Jillian Hessel, the DVD includes a dance warm up, a chair workout, a mat sequence, a rise to standing end segment and a bonus tutorial to help insure correct posture.

 ($12.95, http:// www.jillianhessel.com) 

Walking for Fitness Kit with Kathy Smith DVD

 

It may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of exercise, but walking can help you burn calories, increse energy, manage stress, reduce the risk of heart attack and other diseases, lower body fat, and revitalize muscles. Fitness expert Kathy Smith takes walkers to the next level with this kit, which includes two 1.5 pound hand weights, a pedometer and the indoor walking DVD. The program is the equivalent of a two mile walk and is designed for all ages and abilities.  ($19.99, http://www.rejuvenationrehab.com)