Whooom. There you go – a little Vaseline on the teeth and you’ve got yourself a workout video model. How easy was that? But wait, there’s more!

After blowing this up, this reviewer has had more than enough of a workout...

The Dummies people really have done something right along the way – you can get books, videos and DVDs for Dummies for nearly every topic under the sun. The Stability Ball Workout for Dummies is a great introduction to the use of an exercise ball, especially in light of the fact that the Reebok ball given to yours truly for Christmas didn’t come with any form of instructions - quite dangerous, eh? Now that’s just asking for a lawsuit, but that’s another story.

Vaseline - gives that smooth smile every time!

For this workout, we are guided by Liz Gillies who has had 15 years experience in Pilates and stability ball training. Exercises are described briefly and clearly performed, allowing you to pick up them up before getting heavily into repetitions. A big plus for the Dummies range is the inclusion of different icons throughout the program. There are warnings, myths and challenges presented throughout, informing you of the implications of incorrect exercise, challenging some myths and also supplying a range of ideas to make these exercises more demanding on particular muscle groups. These pieces of information are well-suited to beginners, and are relatively interesting to see pop up occasionally.

Each of the exercises is pretty easy to mimic along with Gillies, however the 'side lunge' is just ludicrous and a game of Twister makes more sense than this. The remainder of the workout is, honestly, a lot of fun, and gives your body a really neat workout as well as reminding you of correct posture. The packaging recommends the use of one or two sets of three to ten pound dumbbells which are actually necessary for four of the exercises, so when you’re purchasing your ball, grab some dumbbells too. Humorously, throughout the workout we are egged on by Gillies – “you’re doing so well!� But scarily, how does she know what we’re doing? Ah, an easy explanation here comrade - Big Brother strikes again!

Exercises covered:

The video is presented in a full frame aspect, so is obviously not anamorphically enhanced. This transfer is quite serviceable, with no major flaws. Edge definition is sharp, and colours realistic, providing a healthy image to watch. The clarity is nice, with a TV-quality image throughout and really nothing to whine about. Even the chapters are nicely placed, dividing the workout into individual exercises, making it easy to skip one or search for a specific area.

Audio-wise we’re presented with a Dolby Digital 2.0 effort in English. This track is sufficient for the purpose of the disc, nothing groundbreaking but realistically, it’s not supposed to be either. The workout is filled with a slightly psychotic repetitive MIDI-type score, and is credited to a group known as Muscle Mixes. No chart toppers there. Dialogue is clear throughout, with her verbal instructions audible for the entire workout. Now because this is a workout, there is barely anything with respect to front left and right separation, and obviously no surround channel action.

Who's still a dummy?

For those in need of a good toning workout, go no further than a stability ball. Setting you back around $40 for a quality ball, and $30 for some quality dumbbells, this workout is definitely cheaper than a $600 gym membership. Succinctly targeting and toning particular muscle groups, the Dummies guide is great for beginners. If you’re looking for a way to get into some regular exercise, give this a shot – it’s a good start at least.