Country Heat by Beachbody Review

Our Rating

Rating: 78/100. Country Heat is a Beachbody video workout set for the whole family. It makes the most of a natural, fun and easy form of exercise: country line dancing! Each main Country Heat fitness video is high-energy with low-impact movements set to country hits. And to help involve a wide range of ability levels, the instructor demonstrates exercise modifications (simpler versions of the movements).

This fun home workout series can help kids, parents and grandparents exercise their hearts and manage their weight. It can also help with balance, bone density and overall muscle tone. The odds are high that Country Heat workouts will boost your mood too… even if you aren’t a “country music person.” The tunes are catchy and the personal trainer, Autumn Calabrese, is likable and easy to follow.

Calabrese also leads the Beachbody video series 21 Day Fix. The Country Heat workout “Down and Dirty” doubles as the 12th workout in that collection.

The Country Heat DVD set sells for about $49 including shipping and handling. If you buy the DVDs, you get access to the videos online too. Another option is to stream Country Heat videos online with a subscription to Beachbody On Demand, which includes many additional workout video collections.

Pros:

• Fun to use. Country Heat motivates people to exercise, including those who tend to procrastinate about getting active.
• For all ages/strengths. These videos are meant for the general population. They include modifications for people with health concerns.
• Low impact. Country Heat is high-energy but easy on the knees, back and other common sore spots.
• No special equipment needed. Just like square dancing or line dancing, these exercises require no special workout gear.
• Available on DVDs and online. If you buy Country Heat DVDs, you’ll get online access to the videos as a bonus. You can also watch Country Heat videos as part of a subscription to Beachbody On Demand. Beachbody membership lets you stream dance exercise videos and hundreds of others.
• Online fitness support. With purchase of the dance exercise DVDs you’ll get 24/7 online support from Beachbody fitness professionals. You can contact coaches and customer support via online chat, email and telephone.
• Satisfaction guaranteed. Beachbody DVDs are returnable for refunds within 30 days and sometimes longer.
• Free trial for Beachbody On Demand subscribers. If you choose the streaming fitness videos without DVDs, you’ll have 14 days to try Beachbody On Demand before you are charged.

Cons:

• Not the best workout program for strength training. The Country Heat workout plan includes a dance video focused on bodyweight resistance, but country dancing is obviously more about cardio exercise and weight loss than strength training. If strength training is a primary fitness goal, then we recommend trying Beachbody On Demand to not only get Country Heat, but also stream yoga and pilates classes and mixed-methods strength training programs such as P90X.

Introduction

Country Heat is an easy-to-follow home workout series with a country music and line dancing theme. It’s presented by the certified personal trainer Autumn Calabrese for Beachbody and is meant for virtually all fitness levels. Each country dance exercise video is about 30 minutes long, except for the three-minute nighttime routine. The video collection is meant to be experienced over a 30-day period, though some customers are motivated to finish two workouts/day instead of one. (Time flies when you’re having fun!) A bonus DVD is included with another 30-minute workout and Country Heat Deluxe is another follow-up for fans.

How it Works

Country Heat dance workout videos can be played on DVDs or streamed over WiFi to computers, mobile devices and TVs. They’re filmed in a fitness studio that’s decorated to resemble a barn with a classic Dutch-slope ceiling and wooden walls. The celebrity personal trainer Autumn Calabrese presents country dance exercises in an easy-to-understand manner. She’s accompanied by a small group of men and women who either copy her example or demonstrate modified exercises for those with limited movement.

For the most benefit, any exercise plan should of course be paired with sensible eating. Whether you buy the DVDs or subscribe to Beachbody On Demand, you’ll get guidance about the amount of food to eat every day based on your body size and activity level. (Beachbody also sells nutritional drink mixes called Shakeology. Each shake counts as a serving of protein.) With purchase of Country Heat you’ll get access to 24/7 online support from fitness experts as well.