Customer Reviews

Pilates for Life: Prenatal & Postnatal

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Boy was I disappointed with this DVD. It is barely 20 minutes and is not much of a workout no matter what trimester you are in. If you never worked out before your pregnancy then this might be good for you, but if you worked out regularly don't even bother with this one. It is just some stretching & neither of the women are even pregnant. I will not use this DVD as a regular part of my prenatal workout routine.

So, I did the prenatal portion of this dvd this morning. Other reviewers are correct - it is not a great workout. It IS a pretty good stretch. 20 minutes long, the two women go through a series of poses and moves (some of which feel more like yoga than pilates) to help loosen you up and (supposedly) strengthen your core.

Would I like it better if the women were actually pregnant? ABSOLUTELY! I found it a bit annoying to be 7 months pregnant, big bellied, and following these skinny women. One woman was doing beginner modifications, the other did more intermediate moves.

It was not challenging, and I followed it by doing [b]Crunch: YogaMama[/b], but I think I could have used it as a good stretch before or after doing some cardio, too. And, there are some days when 20 minutes might be just right.

So, I would say, it is an ok dvd, but not enough of a workout to really stand alone.

This appears to be a very low budget, poorly produced workout dvd.
The workout itself is sooooo slow and boring, and I don't think most active, pregnant women would get much benefit from it.

It is probably best suited for someone who has little or no workout history and is just looking for some stretching.

I used to work 5-6 days a week prior to becoming pregnant and my doctor advised me to slow down while I am pregnant but still continue to exercise. I was excited about the Pilates DVD because it sounded great at first. After I tired I felt like I barely got anything out of it except for a few good stretches. It was barely 20 min long for the exercise portion because the introduction portion is included in this time. If you have not exercised prior to being pregnant this may be the DVD for you.

I bought this DVD on spec, hoping it would be a good DVD to follow. I was disappointed.

Negative points:
- The women in the video aren't pregnant. It actually made me wonder about the quality of the moves presented.
- It was quite fast in the instructions given. They were voiced over and there was no close-up of the positions to help guide you along.
- It claims to have a beginner and intermediate level program, but the difference between the two is so slight I would really call it false advertising.
- As others said, not much of a workout. I stretched my back out nicely, but that's about it.

Positive points:
+ Was 20 minutes long, which is what I wanted. I wanted something short and snappy. Unfortunately the contents didn't live up to it.

I wouldn't recommend it.

I received this as a gift right after I had given birth and I tried the post-natal workout at 7 weeks post-partum. While not all that difficult, something in there ended up hurting my abs more than childbirth. But, again, the annoying woman on the dvd is not and most likely has not ever been pregnant. I just tried the pre-natal session and it is just lame, not worth even commenting on further.

I was sorely disappointed in this DVD. I just finished it and hardly even feel like I had a good stretch, let alone a workout. Just when I thought we would be getting into some of the good stuff, she thanks me for joining her and it was over. Really? I was hoping that I could find a pilates DVD help me with my sciatic pain. This is not it. I have done pilates in the past and I enjoyed having my butt kicked. I will now do some research to find a GOOD pilates workout DVD for myself. Just because I am pregnant does not mean I am fragile and can't workout.
Someone else mentioned that it was annoying to watch two skinny women doing a prenatal workout and I couldn't agree more. Throw a preggo in there or at least stuff a soccer ball up someone's shirt.

These movements were far too simplistic and did not produce any real results other than removing it from the DVD player.

Not only was this dvd short, boring, and not a very good workout but it was also unsafe at some times. As others mentioned, the women in the video are not pregnant and during the second workout both women are lying flat on their backs for an extended period of time. Any pregnant woman knows this is a big no-no once you hit the second trimester. Lying flat on your back restricts blood flow to you and your baby and is warned against constantly during pregnancy. They really should have done their research on this and showed a modification for an "actually pregnant woman" since this is a workout that is supposed to be directed to pregnant women. Regardless, the workout is poor and doesn't even use very many pilates moves. When it does, there are 2 or 3 reps, not enough for a good workout. The bottom line: spend your money elsewhere for a prenatal pilates workout.

Let me keep it short like this workout... The workout is only 20 minutes long. It would be nice to watch pregnant women doing the workout. The DVD is fine if you just want a gentle warm-up before another workout or to start your day. Best to save your money and buy a different DVD.