I just love Beyonce's Single Ladies video. And I'm not alone. The video has more than 30 million hits on YouTube, it's inspired an amazing number of home-videoed spoofs and one of the best ever Saturday Night Live skits, thanks to Justin Timberlake (who looks surprisingly good in a leotard).

If the song gets you moving, then you might as well learn to shake it like Beyonce. Dance instructor Michelle Hillier of fit2dance breaks down the six main moves in the video. Learn the steps and you can follow along with Beyonce and the Single Ladies.

Dancing is a great way to get fit while having fun. In the time it takes you to learn the moves, master the choreography and dance along with Beyonce, you'll have burned a lot of calories. And who knows? If you are a single lady, seeing your sexy moves might inspire your man to "put a ring on it" after all.

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The days before Christmas are winding down. If you're in need of a quick gift, a DVD is a good choice. While a couple of hours plopped on the couch certainly doesn't do anything for fitness, many sports-themed movies have an inspiring message. So, when picking out a flick for your favorite movie buffs, why not choose one that motivates them to become more fit? Check out the gallery for some ideas.

Ultimate Pilates Workouts is a helpful -- and free -- resource with a full library of Pilates videos for your use. The creators are twins Katherine and Kimberly Corp. Not only are they certified fitness instructors, they also happen to be former Rockettes. (Think perfect legs that go for miles.) The twins got into Pilates after leaving desk jobs to return to the world of dance. They credit Pilates for regaining their flexibility and pre-desk job bodies.

There are premium options available on the website because, hey, people have to make a living, right? But the Basic option (read: FREE) has seven different Pilates workouts to choose from. I wimped out and chose the 45-minute video dubbed "My First Pilates Workout."

It's quite slow in the beginning and I have to admit that I spent the first 10 minutes or so alternately talking myself out of fast-forwarding the video and laughing at the serene music and the twins' calm demeanor as sirens wailed past their studio window. But at the end of the workout I felt great, as if I had slowly and steadily worked every muscle in my body. Moreover, I felt thoroughly relaxed -- and considering the stressful day I had, that's really saying something. If you want more information on Pilates, check out AOL Health.

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In order to help their infants learns, many parents turn to DVDs and videos, such as the popular Baby Einstein series. However, a recent study finds that not only are these videos ineffective in helping children learn, they might actually be harmful to their language development.

And the more they watch, the worse it gets. Researchers found that for every hour a baby watched of these "educational" DVDs and videos, they understand 6 to 8 fewer words than those infants who weren't exposed to Baby Einstein, or other similar material.

While the study doesn't prove conclusively that the videos are harmful, it does show that they're not helping your baby learn. Experts say this is a reminder that a child's parents are far more engaging, stimulating and helpful teachers than any attention-grabbing DVD.

I have to agree. We tried a few of the Baby Einstein videos when my daughter was younger, and -- while she's turned out just fine -- it always made me uncomfortable that she'd stare off into the TV like a zombie whenever the DVDs were playing. We eventually stopped letting her watch them, figuring there was no way that could actually be good for her.

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If you need help in the kitchen and don't want to buy expensive cook books or plan your life around the Food Network's schedule, you're lucky to be living in this wonderful age of Internet. Not only are there an endless amount of recipe websites, you can now learn how to make some nifty new dishes online with Videojug. Start by checking out their summer recipes and spend the next few hours looking around at all the other inventions that are on there.

All I can say is: thanks, Internet. You just make cooking (and so much else) easier.

(via Dietblog)

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I just got hold of a cool new tool called the Bender Ball and a few of the videos that go with it. Cool tool! My clients and I have been working with it for the past week, and every last one of them, has been challenged. They all came back in the next day or so griping about abdominal soreness (in a good way!) I've experienced the same thing too.

Not only great for abs, the Bender Ball can be used for a total body workout.. The Bender videos are not the "woo-hoo fun" type, but they are the clear, concise instructional type and that's good enough for this sort of training. The videos are great for those who like to religiously work out at home, but they're also great for those who don't. Use the videos to learn how to use the ball and fill your head up with training ideas. Then, take the ball in your gym bag and use it at the health club. That's what I plan to do. The ball is small and light, and it will be easy to toss in the bag with my mp3 player, so I'll always have it with me.

Best news about the product is that it's DIRT CHEAP! The Bender Method Kit comes with a Bender Ball, the Bender manual, and the Bender Method of Core Training DVD. Only $12.98. Crazy inexpensive. Quite a few other videos are available on the website BenderBall.com as well. Oh! And what does Bender mean? Bender is the last name of the woman who invented the product and designed a training method for use of it. Leslee Bender has done a great job, and if you're in search of something new and challenging......give that Bender Ball a try.

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Want to shape and strengthen your thighs, but don't want to buy weights? Here's a helpful video I bumped into outlining a few exercises you can do at home without equipment. The site claims you can you get the desired effect by doing the exercises every day for one month. I've yet to try it myself, but if you work correctly, I imagine you'd see and feel a difference.

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