Customer Reviews

Jennifer Gianni's Fusion Pilates - Exercise with Baby

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you like pilates and/or yoga, this is for you. It's quick (only 25 minutes) and fun to do. My baby is now 7 months old so it's getting difficult to do the exercices with him (he moves to much) so don't hesitate to start 6 weeks after giving birth (recommended by the DVD). I do some of the exercises without him.

If you never did pilates or yoga, you might find it difficult to follow because she does not take a lot of time to explain the exercises.

I like this video because it gives a decent workout and it's easy to find the time to do it. The way the exercises are structured, I don't feel like I'm cheating if I have to stop in the middle to tend to something else--when I start again I'm still getting the full benefits of the movements. I didn't buy/start this workout until my son was about 8 months old. The first section he really enjoys doing with me (the armwork is quite challenging with an older baby), but the second part where you are on your back he begins to lose interest, and by the end where baby is on the floor he's already off on his own. Still, I am almost always able to get through the whole workout start to finish before he gets bored enough to get into trouble! I do wish there was more than one workout--25 minutes isn't much for a DVD and I'm sure they could have fit one or two more workouts on there.

This workout DVD was OK, but not great. I have done yoga for years, but not pilates, and was looking for a workout to do with my four-month-old son. The baby thought it was a hoot, but I was less excited about this DVD. Ms. Gianni is a pleasant host, and has a clear voice to follow, but doesn't provide any instruction on the various poses. Easy enough, if you've done them before, but she moves through every exercise so quickly, it can be hard to follow if you haven't done it before. She also crams in so many different exercises, you only have a few repetitions of each before she moves on to something else. I also felt more like I was just lifting the baby around, rather than "working out".

The baby is integrated nicely into the tape, she does include her own daughter in just about every exercise. A four-month-old (which is the age of her child as well) is the perfect age for these exercises. Old enough to hold up his head etc., but not too heavy! I definitely wouldn't be able to do many of these poses once he gets bigger.

My son thought it was a hoot though; he loved being lifted up in different ways than usual, and especially enjoyed the floor exercises. He had a great time laughing and kicking his feet throughout the entire tape. (It is short too, less than half an hour. Which is a good length of time for keeping the baby's attention, but not long enough for a strenuous workout.)

So it was a fun way to spend time with the baby and do something different. But a great workout video? Not so much. I was disappointed in it as an exercise tool.

This DVD is so much fun. I am getting a great workout everyday in 20 min and having fun with my baby. One day the baby was asleep and I was able to do the workout myself. It was great!!! It's easy to follow. The instructor and her baby are a joy to watch. She does the workout outside and the background colors and look of the video are beautiful.

I am really happy with this video. The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is that it doesn't involve as much pilates as I had hoped, although it does involve some (maybe half the exercises?). It gives a great workout - my thighs were sore the next day from the squats and lunges done holding my 17 lb. son! Most of the exercises are interactive with baby, which my son loved. The setting is very pretty and the instructor pleasant. The video moves quickly, which keeps it from becoming boring. The 25 min. workout is the perfect length for fitting a workout into a busy day and probably as long as most babies can handle. Keep in mind you'll need a baby carrier for the warm-up and you'll need to pause the video to have time to take off the carrier before moving on to the next section. I recommend this dvd.

The movements that Jennifer included in this workout target nearly every muscle group in just half an hour. I started this video 7 weeks after my son was born and I really felt the burn. The best part is that my very inquisitive and cuddle-hungry son was entertained enough to put up with the entire workout.

I think this dvd is great for mom's who have just had their baby and are trying to get back into a workout routine. I waited to get this video until my daughter was 5 months old. She enjoyed out workout, but she was trying to scoot away and do her own thing. I also had much of my strength back by that point and was looking for a more challenging work out. The video is short, so for people who are busy or on the run it's great. For people who have some time and want a challenging workout, this may not be for you. I still enjoyed the video and got some great ways to use the baby as added weight in the everyday workout.

This DVD is probably best for those who are already in pretty good shape or have a baby who is not that big. My son was too big for me to use for several of the exercises. He also was not always cooperative which made it difficult to use him while working out. Now that he is four months and over 17 lbs I haven't used the DVD for a while.

This is a great workout to do with baby. It's only 25 minutes so baby doesn't lose interest but you're still getting a good strength training workout. Jennifer Gianni hits on all the key muscle groups and I feel like I've gotten a good workout when it's done. I usually combine the DVD with a 30 minute walk for an all over routine.

My baby & I enjoyed this video very much. It was upbeat, familiar, easy, & fun for baby. If you've done pilates in the past most of the moves are familiar and not too difficult which is what you need after you have a baby. The moves are easy on your body but do work.