Why do a lot of women prefer exercise DVDs?

BerryH

Because of the farty noise my bare, sweaty midriff makes on my exercise mat.

deksgrl

almost every single female I talk to says it has to do with the sheer intimidation of getting into weight lifting and not knowing anything...

they all consider that area of the gym the "man section"

and in all honesty, i was in the exact same boat a few months ago.

i would go to the gym at 5am because i was uncomfortable doing it otherwise.
i thought if i was doing my lifts, starting with minimum weights, people would mock me

pathetic, but true.
lol

in retrospect, i wish i threw my hesitation out the door and started earlier. it was a silly fear to have - most people at the gym are more focused on themselves and their own workout then to be focusing on someone else.

they are just happy to see girls working out in the first place :P

I did DVD's at home, then I bought weights and do that at home too. I don't prefer going to a gym. Saves money, time and it is more convenient for me.

Selunca

Time managment, being poor, easly bored, and not sure what to do at a Gym.

I have a 1 yr old I'm not comfortable leaving in day cares for gyms, so I wait till she goes for a nap, or bed, and work out then. I don't have the money for a gym membership, but I can afford $10 here or there for different DVDs to keep it intresting.

Plus I'm lazy and don't want to drive anywhere to work out.

glenette1

One common reason is they can be done at home while the kids are entertained. It's a great alternative to packing the kids up to head to the gym on rainy days. I personally do them from time to time WITH my kids because it's a fun way to get them to exercise as well and they're attention span is roughly 15-20 min, which makes Jillian Michael's series perfect. My husband will also do them with heavier weights if he needs to squeeze in a quick workout. A workout is a workout.

MinnieM83

For me, It's easier and more cost friendly to go the dvd route. A lot of women are too busy with family life to go to a gym and the memberships can get expensive. Who wants to pay a ton of money and then never go to the gym? And I'm sure for a lot of women, dvds are better as far as veriety and to help with self conscioness.

toaster6

Well, when I started out I wasn't sure what a good workout routine (outside of just some running, swimming, or lifting) would be so I followed some DVDs. Just to break things up a bit & not have have things feel repetitive. Now that I have some idea, I don't really use them though.

ms_leanne

Because of the farty noise my bare, sweaty midriff makes on my exercise mat.

Epic reason!

AmyP619

Privacy, time management and more economical.

This.
I love Turbo Fire. I think it's geared more toward women anyway with the music/moves/etc. I save so much time being able to work out at home. I don't have to worry about travel time or waiting for machines. If I can get my exercise right at home why not? The only thing I DO miss about the gym is the strength training piece. I just find DVDs to be more convenient. OR I prefer to be outside running! I'm trying to do strength through the P90X DVDs. Just need to invest in more weights!

clur85

Because I can do it ( DVD, cardio, elliptical, weights) at home when it's convenient for me. I don't want to pay for a gym membership, and be lucky to make it there once a month.

This

Jesseca118

along with most of the other reasons, kids, doing it alone etc. I definitely need to be told what to do the whole time. There are plenty of weight lifting dvds and same thing applies if I try to think of what to do next its over.

nilbogger

Personally I like them because I'm not able to drive to a gym.

In general I think women's appearance is seen as more important than men's, particularly weight. Therefore diet and fitness products including DVDs seem to be made for and marketed more towards women. Many of the DVDs are led by woman trainers, models, celebrities... and even a lot of the videos led by men are distinctly woman-oriented.

In addition to that I think many gyms are still seen as more "manly" places and can be intimidating for women. If you're a woman at the gym you have more people (men) approaching you about what you're doing, what you look like, etc than you do as a male gym-goer.

ETA: It seems like there are more men using DVDs now that there are more options geared towards them: Insanity, P90X, Body Beast, etc.

bcattoes

For me it's convenience. It allows me to spend all my workout time working out, instead of driving to a gym.

I often exercise outside when the weather is nice, but nothing beats the convenience of just popping in a DVD when the weather is not nice or I'm short on time.

CAS317

I do them because I can roll right out of bed and be to my basement and working out in 30 seconds. I don't want to have to drive to the gym. I like being able to crank my stereo and wear whatever I want. My basement is clean...much cleaner than the nasty machines at gyms that everybody and their mother sweats all over.

Jesseca118

but mainly because i feel more comfortable sweating like a pig and huffing and puffing in the privacy of my own home
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this too lmao

RunnerElizabeth

I don't think it's intimidation or being self conscious for most women

Women need to be at home to take care of the babies.

All kidding aside, I do think women are more likely to fit their workouts in at home so they are taking less time away from their familial responsibilities. That's why I workout at home. I'm a single mom, I'd feel extremely guilty about hiring a baby sityer 3 times a week so I can go lift heavy objects. We only get an hour together after we get home in the evening before it's bedtime.

That being said, I don't actually use dvds myself. I watch old television shows on streampix and do my strength workout from You Are Your Own Gym. I hate dvds, just the whole process of dealing with the dvd player and watching something I already daw before really irks me.

TeachTheGirl

Kids.

It's difficult for me to find time within my day to day routine to make time for working out. 10 minutes here, half an hour there. Having the opportunity to turn on the TV/Computer and do a workout when my kid is napping is easier than me trying to get a gym membership with childcare covered.

Quilled

I think the at home dvd market has exploded marketing towards women more than men. A lot of it is because these dvds are just specifically targeted at women. Most of the Jillian Michaels stuff is clearly targeted for females, she almost always has women on the dvd. Same with many other weightloss programs.

But there are also ones targeted at guys, p90x, insanity, etc, are marketed more for men. Not that men cant do women dvds or vice versa, just that they are targeted at specific genders.

I have seen some gender nuetral dvds like the biggest loser dvds, they seem to be aimed more towards people who are obese or overweight trying to get into work out routines more so than a specific gender.

I work out at the gym 4-5 days a week and at home/somewhere else 1-2 days a week. Yes, the weight room intimidates me, not because I feel its the 'man space' or because there are a ton of men in there. But because its always full of people. I hate having to wait on things or feel pressured if someone wants the equipment I am using. The weight room is stressful for me because of that. The cardio machines seem to be in surplus, never waiting on them or someone waiting for me to get off. So 3 of my days at the gym are just pure cardio days, then I have maybe 1 day of weights at the gym, and I will do weights at home, cant do weights as well at home because I only have hand weights but it beats dealing with the weight room at the gym.

At my gym there are probably 5 pieces of cardio equipment to every 1 piece of weight lifting equipment and I work out in a military gym so the weight equipment is by far the most popular in the gym.

On the flip side, the girls seem to be more self conscious than the guys. I see lots of overweight guys working out at the gym, most of the girls arent. There are a few overweight women I see on occasion but I can tell they feel really awkward about working out in front of other people

LosingMyMarbles

Because I'm a stay-at-home mom on a limited budget who lives in the country. No sidewalks here. It's easy to do the videos.

kckBxer396

For me it's convenience. It allows me to spend all my workout time working out, instead of driving to a gym.

I often exercise outside when the weather is nice, but nothing beats the convenience of just popping in a DVD when the weather is not nice or I'm short on time.

Pretty much this ^. I love the gym,and I usually do something outdoors whether I go to the gym or follow a video. Honestly, I would rather go to the gym,but sometimes it's just not a possibility for the day. Also, nobody can see me being all sweaty and pathetic when I do dvds at home. That's kind of nice. haha

Kristy7418

For me it's mainly money. I can't afford a gym membership. I rent my videos from my local library (that I walk to on nice days since it's close :happy: ) On top of that I'm short on time. I work full time and have two kids. And at this point while I'm a bit heavier I don't care for people to see me work out. I closed the door blinds yesterday to work out and my bf laughed and said hey you might be an inspiration to someone if they see you. I said well maybe after I drop 50 # I'll leave them open lol
I used to have a Y membership and loved doing the weights. More so than the cardio. Just can't afford it at this time. Maybe someday.

LassoOfTruth

Mostly privacy. I don't like going to a gym.

janebshaw

Exercise DVDS are good when you don't have time to go the gym, can't afford to join a gym, live too far away, etc.

But I like doing group classes at the gym because it gives me a reason to get away from everything else that's going on.

laineybz

I'm quite self conscious, i work crappy hours and i enjoy them.

tapirfrog

Privacy, time management and more economical.

Yes.

tcpwade

I have a lot of the same reasons already listed- I'm a work from home mom- so DVD's or at home workouts allow me to fit into my schedule and my day whenever I want. It's a lot less expensive than a gym membership or paying for a class- though I do occasionally like to mix things up by attending an instructed class every once in awhile. In addition to dvds, online videos, and do any workouts like cross fit or just walking- I also have a treadmill and a home gym machine with lots of different weight options for strength training. It's easier to just do it at home. I also like the added benefit of not having to feel self conscious in a gym setting.

klp1017

I prefer them because I can wake up and work out right away, in the clothes I slept in, and only worry about getting ready once for the day. If I went to the gym, I would have to get ready twice, once before the workout and once after, which seems like a waste of time to me.

ThatSoundsHard

Lots of reasons: I'm a stay at home mom, I hate people looking at me when I work out, I don't like talking to people, can't afford the gym, I can find them for free or cheap online or borrow from a friend, I can workout whenever I find time.

Amyy1982

Privacy, time management and more economical.

^^ this

anemoneprose

nvm

MisterDerpington

I'm glad there are a lot of genuine and thoughtful replies. Apparently somebody took offense to me asking. Whatever. Was just curious. I'm guessing women tend to be marketed to harder in some parts of the fitness industry too.