From cardio exercises to weight loss to Yoga, there are a host of home workout videos available for women. A quick search would reveal that there are a lot of titles available from a variety of categories: Dance, fitness workouts for women over 40, 60 or 60 and even workouts for the pregnant female.

With the wide selection of videos, choosing the best can be daunting for any woman. How do you choose which one is right for you?

For starters, go to workout DVD review sites where fitness videos are screened and honestly evaluated. Make sure you read reviews that highlight both the positive and negative points of any workout. Make sure that the reviews are honestly given and not just the plus points are highlighted because the review site earns a commission everytime a sale of a particular video is made. Online merchants like Amazon.com do not only have a great video collection, they also feature reviews from satisfied and dissatisfied users who have already sampled the product. Women are known to be detail-oriented so use this trait in reading reviews.

Blogs from fitness enthusiasts or fitness websites regularly feature newly-released home workout videos for women. Take advantage of the information they offer to help you decide on the best workout for you. Like-minded friends are also great resource persons for home workout DVDs. You can borrow, trade or swap with workouts that they've already done.

Of course, any video you chose must always come from a certified instructor. Reviews should include short but vital information on the background of the instructor. This is your assurance that the techniques or movements used in the video are scientifically sound and backed by modern findings on fitness research, and hence, safe.

Once you've already chosen your home workout, then make the most of it by following a practice schedule (it will usually tell you how many times a week you ought to work out). Where possible, set a particular time each day for your workout. It would be ideal if you can convert one room in your house as a "mini fitness studio" where you can do your exercises undisturbed. If you don't have this space, your living room will do.

Next, make the most of your exercise video by ensuring that you have the necessary equipment on hand. For most DVDs, nothing else is required except yourself and your dedication. But for others, especially Yoga and Pilates workouts, you might need to invest in a Yoga mat, a stability ball and some other necessary implements.

One final method of optimizing the use of your home workout video is to round up your friends for an exercise "class." Anyone who has followed a video regimen will tell you that it can get pretty lonely at times. You need to be very dedicated if you want to stick to your DVD regimen. However, you can perk things up by watching the video and doing the exercises together with your friends. This will not only make it fun but encouraging as well since you're all gathered with the same purpose in mind.