THE STEP

What is it? Literally a riser, but so much more. The Step is a sturdy plastic board used in cardio routines as well as with pulleys and dumbbells for strength training.

Does it work? For those who have the discipline to keep up the pace, the step can be a great way to get the heart rate up, says Eustis, who first used an egg crate when he began his business, Fearless Fitness Personal Training, more than 10 years ago. “(And with) a pair of dumbbells, you can do a full-body workout.”

Because stepping up and down on a raised platform is bound to get boring when it’s done without the aid of a class or a personal trainer, Stevens recommends checking out step aerobics videos or inviting a friend to join you in your routine.

Verdict: Keep it

JANE FONDA AND BILLY BLANKS WORKOUT VIDEOS

What are they? Lots of celebrities and celebrity trainers have made exercise videos; actress Jane Fonda and fitness guru/Tae Bo innovator Billy Blanks are two of the more famous. Fonda’s original video, released in 1982, included beginner and advanced sections. Both had segments concentrating on arms, abs, buttocks, waists and legs. The franchise now has over 23 workouts, including step and stretch programs and yoga. Blanks, whose first infomercial ran in 1998, is most famous for Tae Bo — a high-cardio programme with elements of martial arts, boxing and dance.

Do they work? “For the basics (such as step and low-impact classes), Jane Fonda did some stuff we still do today,” Comana says. But as a general rule,workout videos over 10 years old should be discarded, because fitness research has come a long way since . “A lot of the older videos have some moves that have become antiquated” — for example, traditional high-impact routines are no longer in fashion, he says, as they risk causing joint injuries. Our experts also caution against jumping into Blanks’ Tae Bo tapes unsystematically.

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