brigitte_d
Member
Hello,
I am now 24 weeks pregnant, and everything is going along just fine (thank God)! I have been able to gain steadily and keep in good health thus far. I was an avid CTX user before pregnancy, but found that I could not keep up the intensity as things went along. I bought several pregnancy workouts and these are my favorites:
Kathy Smith's Pregnancy Workout (1989)
PROS:
--Makes you feel like you're doing *something* as you get farther along (other workouts a little slow/lame)
--Has weights and aerobics, lots of kegels
--Has "ab" section, which many prego DVDs don't have
--Lots of tips on modifiers, taking it easier, and increasing the intensity
--Some advice from doctors about exercising/nutrition
--Nice relaxation exercise at the end.
CONS:
--Kind of old; there's a goofy rap in the middle (it's an intensity meter: if you can rap along, you're doing okay)
--A *little bitty* bit of it has some outdated info (lying on back, etc.)
Overall, I like this workout very much. It's divided into several sections (warm-up, aerobics 1, aer 2, aer 3, leg work, arms, abs, stretch, guided relaxation), so you can skip/rearrange them as you like.
I'm also 31, so I am used to 1980s aerobics; used to do Jane Fonda's New Workout in high school. If you are younger, you might find this corny.
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Leisa Hart's Fit Mama
PROS:
--Has aerobics. Also has toning, in the form of yoga.
--Also divided into sections that you can rearrange/skip as you like.
--Very good cueing and easy transitions.
--Helps you feel like you're breaking a teeny sweat.
CONS:
--EXTREMELY repetitive. It starts with a salsa dance (20 min), then a yoga fat burn (20 min). Each section repeats the combinations like 5 or more times. After that, there are stretches, kegels, and a cool down.
--I find Leisa Hart annoying at times. She breathes loudly and says all kinds of dorky stuff, like "get a sexy little groove going" and "move those sexy hips". I don't feel that sexy right now.
--Not too much modification advice.
Overall, this is "okay, not great". The repetitiveness grates on my nerves at times, and at others I find it relaxing. I do this workout least often of the 3 I'm recommending.
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Pregnancy Yoga with Shiva Rea
I LOVE THIS DVD. IT IS ****VERY**** RELAXING.
PROS:
--Shiva has a VERY relaxing, soothing, calming voice. I just LOVE to listen to it.
--Very clear instruction.
--If you didn't do yoga before this, you'll wonder why you didn't.
--Really relieves my back/leg pain.
--Has exercises I do at work sometimes to relieve pain/edema.
--GREAT modifications, with one lady in each trimester.
--Makes you feel like you just got a massage when you are done.
--Divided and subdivided, so you can do all or just part of each section (meditation/pranayama, standing work, floor work, stretch, guided relaxation).
--The guided relaxation REALLY WORKS.
--Good core work. Great breathing exercises.
CONS:
--You sort of feel like you didn't do a "real" workout.
I never did yoga before I bought this DVD, but maybe I'll try it after the gestation is over. I just LOVE how relaxed and peaceful I feel when I've finished this workout. Shiva Rea is a soothing, calming presence, and her voice just makes you melt.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Good luck everyone! Let me know if you have some prego workouts that you like, too, because I'm hoping to have another baby someday.
See you around,
Brigitte
EDC 1/18/05
24 3/7 weeks
23 pounds heavier
PS Has anyone tried the new Cathe DVDs? I have not.
I am now 24 weeks pregnant, and everything is going along just fine (thank God)! I have been able to gain steadily and keep in good health thus far. I was an avid CTX user before pregnancy, but found that I could not keep up the intensity as things went along. I bought several pregnancy workouts and these are my favorites:
Kathy Smith's Pregnancy Workout (1989)
PROS:
--Makes you feel like you're doing *something* as you get farther along (other workouts a little slow/lame)
--Has weights and aerobics, lots of kegels
--Has "ab" section, which many prego DVDs don't have
--Lots of tips on modifiers, taking it easier, and increasing the intensity
--Some advice from doctors about exercising/nutrition
--Nice relaxation exercise at the end.
CONS:
--Kind of old; there's a goofy rap in the middle (it's an intensity meter: if you can rap along, you're doing okay)
--A *little bitty* bit of it has some outdated info (lying on back, etc.)
Overall, I like this workout very much. It's divided into several sections (warm-up, aerobics 1, aer 2, aer 3, leg work, arms, abs, stretch, guided relaxation), so you can skip/rearrange them as you like.
I'm also 31, so I am used to 1980s aerobics; used to do Jane Fonda's New Workout in high school. If you are younger, you might find this corny.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Leisa Hart's Fit Mama
PROS:
--Has aerobics. Also has toning, in the form of yoga.
--Also divided into sections that you can rearrange/skip as you like.
--Very good cueing and easy transitions.
--Helps you feel like you're breaking a teeny sweat.
CONS:
--EXTREMELY repetitive. It starts with a salsa dance (20 min), then a yoga fat burn (20 min). Each section repeats the combinations like 5 or more times. After that, there are stretches, kegels, and a cool down.
--I find Leisa Hart annoying at times. She breathes loudly and says all kinds of dorky stuff, like "get a sexy little groove going" and "move those sexy hips". I don't feel that sexy right now.
--Not too much modification advice.
Overall, this is "okay, not great". The repetitiveness grates on my nerves at times, and at others I find it relaxing. I do this workout least often of the 3 I'm recommending.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pregnancy Yoga with Shiva Rea
I LOVE THIS DVD. IT IS ****VERY**** RELAXING.
PROS:
--Shiva has a VERY relaxing, soothing, calming voice. I just LOVE to listen to it.
--Very clear instruction.
--If you didn't do yoga before this, you'll wonder why you didn't.
--Really relieves my back/leg pain.
--Has exercises I do at work sometimes to relieve pain/edema.
--GREAT modifications, with one lady in each trimester.
--Makes you feel like you just got a massage when you are done.
--Divided and subdivided, so you can do all or just part of each section (meditation/pranayama, standing work, floor work, stretch, guided relaxation).
--The guided relaxation REALLY WORKS.
--Good core work. Great breathing exercises.
CONS:
--You sort of feel like you didn't do a "real" workout.
I never did yoga before I bought this DVD, but maybe I'll try it after the gestation is over. I just LOVE how relaxed and peaceful I feel when I've finished this workout. Shiva Rea is a soothing, calming presence, and her voice just makes you melt.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Good luck everyone! Let me know if you have some prego workouts that you like, too, because I'm hoping to have another baby someday.
See you around,
Brigitte
EDC 1/18/05
24 3/7 weeks
23 pounds heavier
PS Has anyone tried the new Cathe DVDs? I have not.