A few months ago I was looking for a new way to exercise. I liked my treadmill, but even with a great song blaring in my ears, every minute seemed like an hour. I thought there has to be something that can make this whole thing better. I then thought about those expensive machines in some gyms that allow you to ride a bike and look at a screen. As you pedal faster it seems as though you are actually moving on the screen down a road or other setting. This whole experience makes exercising interactive and it takes your mind off of the boring part of just being in one place for so long.
After a little research on the net, I found what I was looking for. They are called virtual walk DVD’s. Filmed with a state of the art camera that seems to glide through the scenery, these DVD’s are extremely high quality and filmed in beautiful places all over the world. After quickly ordering a few of videos, they arrived about a week later.
I chose eight videos filmed in Italy and England. I popped in the first video, “A Morning In Venice”, and jumped on the treadmill. The cameraman is invisible to the viewer, but he catches every aspect of Venice. You hear people speaking Italian and see little shop owners preparing for their business day. You weave down narrow streets and pass strangers who greet you with a caring look. As you pass by canals with small boats floating past you wonder how such a place exists where time seems to stand still.
Other videos include: “English Countryside” this is a great walk filled with green, rolling hills, “Amalfi Excursion” and “London Waterways”. One of the best videos is called, “The Four Seasons”. This hour long walk takes the viewer through a wooded area around a lake as winter, spring, summer and fall come and go. The trees are bare, grow leaves, flower and then turn brown all within a one hour span of time.
Each video is 30 to 60 minutes long and includes a section of documentary about the area it was filmed in. These DVD’s are great for anybody bored with exercise or anyone who has longed to see these truly magnificent places. They are about $15 a piece and can be found on ebay or by clicking on the following link.
