Five 10-minute hip-hop cardio workouts. Kristin Jacobs instructs.

Beginning to advanced beginning exercisers. Keep in mind that you'll need a little flair for dance (although the choreography's not too complicated). It also helps if you can groove to some funky beats, as opposed to your usual straight ahead 4/4 counts. Use a little caution if you're working out on carpet.

I confess: I am not the hip-hop dancing queen. I enjoy it, but it does not come naturally to me, so when I try out a new cardio DVD that's hip-hop inspired, I always anticipate a learning curve. But I was pleasantly surprised with this disc — I was able to do all five mini-routines with no rewinds the very first time. I won't say that I mastered each step — that took time — but I got in a good, light cardio workout without having to stop and go over complicated steps. And I had a blast! There are two reasons this DVD is fun and easy to learn: instructor Kristin Jacobs and choreographer Juliane Arney. Arney put together these fresh, funky routines — there are two five-minute step combinations to each 10-minute workout, which breaks down the learning curve even more. Jacobs gives you a good time and cues lightly but well. She looks like she is enjoying herself as much as you are. Keep in mind that there's a lot of hip, shoulder and booty-shaking going on, and that you need to get a groove on to get these steps right. Also, be careful if you're on carpet — your knees will thank you if you modify some of the slides. This isn't a sweat-'til-you-drop type of workout. You will break a sweat, but you won't kill yourself. And you'll have such a great time you probably won't even feel you're working out at all. Highly recommended for lighter cardio days.