Product Details

• Actors: Susan Elkind
• Directors: Andrea Ambandos
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
• DVD Release Date: April 27, 2004
• Run Time: 45 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (165 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0001LJCSO
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,240 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Crunch, a New York-based gym, keeps bringing innovative and hip exercise videos to VCRs across the country. You don't have to be in a metropolitan area to experience cutting-edge fitness trends and formats because Crunch: Yoga Mama delivers an effective (and chic) pre-natal workout that can be done in the comfort of your living room. Instructor (and pregnant woman) Sue Elkind leads this 40-minute workout with concise descriptions and a healthy knowledge of yoga as it relates to pregnancy. The content here provides a workout that is both safe and efficient, with great attention to participants' individual fitness levels. This session is presented with a backdrop class (consisting of women in various stages of their pregnancies) that demonstrates modified and more challenging options to each pose. Pregnant participants may find it more appropriate (and less annoying) to take direction from another pregnant woman rather than an ultra flexible, ultra thin (non-pregnant) instructor. Basic postures within yoga are taught with intensive focus on breathing, flexibility, and the constant connection between mind/body (and mother/child). Some poses are altered to accommodate the roundness of the midsection with constant awareness of spine alignment. Elkind gives special attention to balance as she slowly increases the intensity of postures. After a series of basic poses are performed, Kegels are practiced (which strengthen the pelvic floor), and meditation closes out the workout. This basic format is friendly for beginners, pre- and post-natal women, or anyone who requires modifications. This safety-conscious video offers a simple, straightforward workout with real potential for increased strength and flexibility. Props needed: a blanket or pillow, a mat, and (especially if you are expecting) a chair. --Olivia Voigts

Product Description

Welcome to CRUNCH Fitness!

Expand your mind along with your body. During pregnancy is an incredible time to practice yoga to keep your body healthy, your mind stress-free, and to connect to your growing baby. This gentle and effective program is designed to keep you toned as well as get you ready for the big day. Appropriate for any trimester, you'll move through a series of poses that focus on breathing as well as strengthening and stretching muscles that will prepare you for the challenge of labor and birth. Yoga can also improve your circulation and digestion plus relieve common tensions related to pregnancy.

Pregnancy is a beautiful time to enjoy, and yoga can help you make the most of it.

The CRUNCH Philosophy:

The CRUNCH fitness program welcomes people from all walks of life regardless of shape, size or ability. We created a workout environment that not competitive or judgmental. Enjoy these favorite classes with imaginative instructors in an atmosphere that makes working out fun.

Meet the instructor:

Sue Elkind, Los Angeles. Yoga instructor, and new mom. Fitness philosophy: live fully, laugh fully, and love fully. Pregnancy can be such an amazing time if you can slow down and enjoy the process. Favorite splurge food: vegan chocolate chips cookies when not pregnant; when pregnant... the REAL thing!!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

160 of 162 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars one of the better prenatal yoga videos September 16, 2003

By Laura Hamilton

Format:VHS Tape|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am 20 weeks pregnant and have been doing yoga for about 3 years, although I haven't been doing it since about week 9 of my pregnancy. I wanted to find a good video that would help me get back into my practice, stretch me out, and strengthen my muscles.

I bought Shiva Rea's Prenatal Yoga video and was annoyed by it. Although I am very familiar with common yoga postures, I couldn't understand what I was supposed to be doing from listening to her, and I had to keep looking at the screen to figure out what she was talking about. Then, as soon as I got into the pose, she would quickly shift to something else, so I never got to hold any pose for more than a few seconds. Annoying. She also drones on at the beginning of the video for a few minutes, which is minimally boring when you want to get started the first time, but REALLY boring when you are doing the tape on a regular basis and you have to fast forward through it every time. Lastly, I felt like I got no workout whatsoever from Shiva Rea's tape, and barely a stretch. Maybe if I had been able to hold the poses a little longer than the split second she allowed... The woman in her third trimester hardly did anything at all.

Crunch Mama was MUCH better. I really liked the teacher. She was straightforward, and best of all, she was actually pregnant! She gave a better selection of poses, a bit more challenging, but still very easy, and I hardly had to even look at what she was doing...she was very descriptive when telling us what moves to do next. I liked the variety of pregnant women in her "class". She had women in all different stages, and they were all doing pretty much the same moves, except for one woman who was demonstrating modified moves for women who wanted to take it really slow. My only complaint was that I would have liked to hold the poses a bit longer, especially at the end, when she guided us into a closing relaxation/meditation poses that you normally allow at least 10 minutes for in a typical yoga class...in the video we got about a minute to relax and clear our minds before being told to get back up again.

80 of 80 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ease that aching back and breathe easier December 25, 2000

By A Customer

Format:VHS Tape|Amazon Verified Purchase

I should start by saying I'm a beginner and never really did any yoga before now. I started this in my 7th month of pregnancy and I found the tape easy to follow, sometimes even when I am not looking at the TV screen (the head is down and the neck relaxed in several poses). The poses certainly helped me create more room in my midsection so I could breathe easier. They also distributed the weight more evenly along my spine and that helped ease lower back pain. Although this is not an aerobic workout, I felt energized and more clearheaded after doing the tape. The instructor is very friendly. She leads a class of several pregnant women at various stages (from slight belly bulge to just-about-ready-to-pop) and one student shows modifications for those who may not be limber enough to do the poses as shown. There is quiet, soothing background music -- not at all distracting, but just enough to help keep things flowing. I'm really glad I bought this tape. I may hang onto it even after I have the baby!

56 of 56 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent prenatal yoga practice November 18, 2003

By "writer73"

Format:VHS Tape

Although I wouldn't call this the perfect prenatal yoga practice, it has some distinct strengths over other prenatal yoga videos I've seen. Visibly pregnant Sue Elkind leads a class of about a dozen women of in all stages of pregnancy through a well-chosen series of yoga poses. One woman demonstrates modifications for the less flexible, but most of the women do the program without modification, even in late pregnancy. The instructor talks through each pose, giving special attention to the balance and posture changes of pregnancy and emphasizing the connections between body and mind and mother and baby-to-be. This constant commentary makes the poses easy to follow even when not watching the screen, but may distract from the meditative quality of yoga practice.

Yoga Mama is most appropriate for women with no or limited yoga experience and no exercise constraints. It may also be helpful for intermediate level women in late stages of pregnancy, for tired days, or as the easy part of a rotation of practices. Advanced yoga students, however might find this video frustratingly basic and prefer to develop a personalized yoga practice using books (try Preparing for Birth With Yoga by Janet Balaskas). Women who need greater modification might want to try the Shiva Rea Prenatal Yoga program instead. Props: sticky mat (or carpet), folded blanket, folded towel (for wrist pain), chair (for modifications)

Personal Experience: I used prenatal yoga videos several times a week in addition to prenatal classes in a yoga studio once or twice a week. Although no video can equal a live class, this one captures some of the spirit of practicing yoga in a room full of pregnant women of all shapes and sizes. For home practice, I could choose between Yoga Mama and Shiva Rea's Prenatal Yoga video. Although Shiva Rea's video is longer and has better production values, I plunked this video in the VCR more than twice as often. I preferred the selection of poses in Yoga Mama (though I wish each pose lasted longer) and I preferred following Yoga Mama's visibly pregnant instructor (skinny Shiva Rea demonstrates first trimester poses with no hint of a belly). In addition, I found it much more motivating to see the whole class perform without modifications in contrast to the extreme modifications in Shiva Rea's program (the third trimester woman does most of the poses seated on a chair). To my surprise, I was able to comfortably and safely perform Yoga Mama without modification up until a few days before delivery. Practicing prenatal yoga helped minimize back pain, leg cramps, and other pregnancy discomforts.