Test Your Getting-Back-in-Shape IQ!

By Valerie Watson

For somebody who works at a company that focuses on fitness, I am alarmingly unfit. So I know how tough it can be when you're feeling like an out-of-shape pink monkey stuck in the middle of a . . . flock? Herd? Pack? What's a bunch of brown monkeys called, anyway? No matter; I work in an office where everybody else uses their lunch hour to Bring It!^® by doing a P90X^® workout while I surf the Web or work on writing the next great American screenplay—both noble pursuits, but they're not making my tummy any flatter.

So I decided to look into which Beachbody^® workout program would be best for someone who's just dipping her toe back into the pool of fitness after an exteeeeeeeended dry spell. And how do y'all get to participate? Why, by deciding which of the following statements are true and which are false.

1. True AND False: Slim in 6^® is a super-easy way to get started. Slim in 6 is an excellent way to reimmerse yourself in regular physical exercise after you've been away from it for a while, but the compound adjective "super-easy" should be sending up some red flags for the thinking person. Make no mistake: even though Slim in 6 is listed in the Getting Started section of Beachbody.com, YOU ARE GOING TO FEEL IT. Always remember that returning to physical activity after a long layoff is going to require some work, and it's best to consult with your doctor to make sure you're up to the rigors of what's going to be asked of you. Then once you get the all-clear, go ahead and take the plunge—you'll be glad you did!
2. True: P90X should be reserved for those who've already built up some strength and stamina. While some daring souls have plunged straight into P90X—and had some amazing results doing it—folks who've been sedentary for a considerable amount of time (like yours truly) might want to start a little lower on the Beachbody workout food chain. Tony's Power 90^® is a good way to prepare for P90X. So are Slim in 6, Turbo Jam^®, and Shaun T's Rockin' Body^®.
3. False: Yoga Booty Ballet^® Pure & Simple Yoga is so easy, it feels almost like cheating. Don't let the soothing music or yoga's reputation as the prime road to relaxation fool you—yoga works all your major muscle groups and helps strengthen your core. So while it's a great way to get started, stretching your muscles and increasing your lung capacity, remember that it has three different levels of difficulty so you can keep challenging yourself as you learn and grow stronger.
4. False: Beachbody programs created by women, like Debbie Siebers and Chalene Johnson, are much easier than ones created by men, like Tony Horton and Shaun T. While most people rightfully think of programs like Tony's P90X Plus and Shaun T's INSANITY^® as being among the toughest we offer, you'd be foolish to sell the female contingent short. Chalene's Turbo Jam^® Fat Burning Elite and Debbie's Slim Series^® Express will both kick your butt six ways from Sunday.