AllMovie

Health experts recommend exercising three to five days a week, for at least 30 minutes. That said, it can be difficult to find the time or motivation for such bursts of fitness. Kathy Smith delivers a nicely packaged athletic program meant for the working viewer in her Instant Workout. The tape features short 20-minute segments designed to get the heart rate up and tone the body. However, the most often praised part of Instant Workout is the final stretching class. Viewers find the last 20 minutes very relaxing, even rivaling some yoga equivalents. The cardio movements are best for beginners and the toning is a shortened version of a full lesson. Smith did promise a "mini-workout." With that in mind, the tape best serves as a bridge to a more challenging routine.