Product Details

• Actors: Kathy Smith
• Format: Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony
• VHS Release Date: November 3, 1998
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (119 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1573309834
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,404 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Kathy Smith has been around a while in the world of fitness videos, and with good reason. Her calm, authoritative manner, flawless timing, emphasis on proper form, and responsible directions put her entire fitness series a cut above most celebrity workouts. Pregnancy Workout is no exception. Smith and five workout buddies (all of them appearing to be well past the fifth month of pregnancy) demonstrate a good 50-minute prenatal workout, with an ample warmup period, a cardio section that includes sufficient upper-body work, plenty of safe abdominal and pelvic-floor exercises, and an active relaxation period (which some avid aerobicizers may find a bit too long). Smith uses props such as chairs and pillows to allow effective exercise while maintaining an emphasis on safety and comfort.

There's also an excellent section on getting back up to working out postpartum, with a set of simple exercises that can be done within a day or two after delivery (and even a few stretches for the baby, which Smith demonstrates with her adorable infant daughter). Gynecological authorities appear in the video as well to give advice on prenatal exercise and to answer common postnatal questions on such topics as resuming exercise after a C-section and timing exercise around breastfeeding. The baby-block and teddy-bear graphics are a little too cutesy, and those used to working out to high-energy Top 40 hits may find the music extremely bland, but the exercise itself is always the focus, making this one of the best pregnancy workouts available. --Barrie Trinkle

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

174 of 177 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent video for you and your kids, January 5, 2000

By 

Dawn (Bolingbrook, Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kathy Smith - Pregnancy Workout [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I found Kathy Smith's Pregnancy Workout to be excellent--well worth the money. I usually stay away from home videos because the instructors are too perky, but I do not find this to be the case with Kathy Smith at all. In fact, she's very reassuring.

The choreography is not hard to follow at all, and the moves, while not being too challenging, definately give you a workout. What I found to be especially nice is the way the video is broken down. There is a 7 minute warm up, 3 stages of aerobics, which enable you to take a drink and catch your breath, and a moderate amt of leg work, arm work, and abdominals. I do find that I skip over the relaxation part. Kathy Smith also gives you moderations to moves, in case some are too challenging.

This video is so enjoyable that my 2 year old, 4 year old, and 6 year old can, and want to, exercise with me. I find this video very motivating and I look forward to doing it every morning when I wake up. I have never felt so good about my pregnant body before. In my opinion, this video is a MUST!

160 of 163 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate Birth Preparation Workout, November 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Kathy Smith - Pregnancy Workout [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This video is the best childbirth preparation you can do! As an avid workout enthusiast, I wanted a video that I could safely do as my doctor advised no more jumping or step workouts after my 3rd month of pregnancy.

The Kathy Smith Pregnancy video has a low impact aerobic segment followed by a superior toning section; a postnatal mini-workout with exercises for after your baby arrives is also included. As my husband says, giving birth is a major physical event that you must train for! After doing this video religiously 3-4 times a week for the last 6 months of my pregnancy, I had a textbook labor and a wonderful delivery. I even escaped the dreaded low back pain and swollen ankles which I attribute to staying physically active with this video. I was able to utilize a lot of the moves (squats, etc.) during labor and delivered a healthy son without drugs of any kind! Because I recovered from the birth quickly, I was better able to cope with those exhausting first few weeks home with my new son. I highly recommend this video to all my pregnant friends!

84 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative, and a good intermediate level workout, February 6, 2000

By 

x (Athens, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kathy Smith - Pregnancy Workout [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I am currently in my 7th month of pregnancy and I alternate my Kathy Smith tape with my Buns of Steel 8 tape (with Madeliene Lewis). Though I prefer Lewis's style a little better - she never waxes "cutesy" about pregnancy in her mannerisms or her set design - I find enough valuable elements in Smith's video to balance the parts I didn't like.

There is a break in the middle of Smith's video for a "cute pregnancy rap song" - if you can't rap along, then you are advised to slow down a bit... if you already know you aren't exerting too much, fast forward the video or hit the bathroom - but DO check your heart rate - guidelines during pregnancy ARE different and many women will find they don't feel they are working although their heart rate has passed the maximum bpm recommended by ACOG.

Smith's workout (choreographed by Madeliene Lewis) has excellent variety of movement, but with enough repetition to keep it easy to follow. The things I liked most about this video are the toning exercises at the end of the aerobics session. It has a balanced strength training for upper and lower body, as well as some excellent abdominal exercises. I also appreciated the educational section at the beginning of the video where Smith outlines the goals for fitness training in pregnancy and precautions pregnant women need to take when exercising.