Customer Reviews

Yoga Journal's Prenatal Yoga [VHS]

5 star:		(263)
4 star:		(147)
3 star:		(87)
2 star:		(43)
1 star:		(43)

 

 

I purchased and tried 3 prenatal fitness DVDs around the same time:

* Perfect Pregnancy Workout
* Prenatal Yoga
* Leisa Hart's Fit Mama Prenatal Workout

Here's how I thought they compared. (Note that I do yoga and walk regularly; while I enjoy dancing, I do not dance regularly. I'm not overweight.)

* Perfect Pregnancy Workout - 5 stars. Designed and narrated by a Cirque du Soleil acrobat (faint French accent), this video is my favorite of the three. The woman demonstrating the workout is about 8 months pregnant and in amazing athletic shape (visible muscle definition). The theme of this video seems to be preparing for birth and staying strong and fit. It has two sections: (a) workout and (b) instructions.

(a) After a mercifully brief cheesy earth-mother introduction, the yoga-based workout is vigorous yet flowing and straightforward, building incredible muscle strength, flexibility, and stamina. It includes squats, lunges, lots of ab work, lots of great hip stretches, kegels, lots of different arm strengtheners. At the end I am sweating, breathing harder, relaxed, and satisfied. The next day my muscles are sore (in a good way) and feel stronger. The music is world-beat without vocals, easy to exercise to.

(b) The instructions section is excellent as well. Animated anatomical graphics clearly illustrate diastasis, how to check yourself for it, and how to modify your workout to avoid further muscle separation, as well as exactly what kegels are. This part also explains in depth how to do the moves in the workout.

* Prenatal Yoga - 4 stars. Designed and narrated by a UCLA-graduated yogi, this video is my second favorite. Shiva is under 3 months' pregnant in the demonstration but has women behind her in second and third trimesters. The theme of this video seems to be relaxing and preparing for motherhood. It has three sections: (a) workout, (b) massage, and (c) interview.

(a) The workout is much less vigorous than Perfect Pregnancy, but includes squats, lunges, many spinal twists, kegels (no deep explanation, just metaphor), lots of different stretches. At the end I am sweating a bit, relaxed, and satisfied. The music is new-age without vocals. For some reason, Shiva does not pronounce the "h" in "exhale" which can be distracting. Also the narration gets slightly out of sync with the demonstration in a few places, which can be confusing.

(b) The massage section is fabulous if you have a partner willing to watch it and give you one! Great techniques for feet, legs, back, and neck.

(c) Shiva explains her story in the interview, how her father named her after an Indian god, how she took up yoga in college, etc.

* Leisa Hart's FitMama - 2 stars. I bought this on Amazon's recommendation and I'm sorry I did. My biggest gripe is that this video doesn't focus on smooth continuous deep breathing, unlike the other two DVDs. Leisa is a perky actress who does infomercials. She is 8 months pregnant in this but her body looks very different (thin, wiry) compared to the woman's in Perfect Pregnancy (athletic). The theme of this video seems to be feeling better (sexier) about oneself while pregnant. It has basically two sections: (a) workout and (b) bonus stretches.

(a) The workout is much less vigorous than Perfect Pregnancy yet goes at a faster, more erratic pace than either of the other two videos. It has four parts: salsa dance, "yoga fat burn," labor and delivery prep, and prenatal stretch and relaxation. The dancing is about 8 moves repeated, with a few squats. I feel foolish and bored doing this. The yoga fat burn is more aerobics than yoga, includes ab work, squats, no twists, never holds any pose for long, is repetitive. Labor and delivery prep includes kegels (no real explanation), many boring arm swings, ab work. Prenatal stretch and relaxation includes leg stretches, ab work, is repetitive. The music is salsa, soft rock, and world beat without vocals; very good workout music, loud in places.

(b) The bonus stretches are the best part, but are buried under Special Features (the DVD doesn't seem very well organized). These include leg, back, hip and shoulder stretches actually held for several seconds, squats, plenty of rapid boring arm swings.

All three videos show women in different trimesters doing the exercises and mention appropriate modifications. All three videos explain how to do the exercises safely and how to recognize warning signs of overdoing it.

If you're a yoga gal like me and you want to buy just one prenatal yoga video, get Perfect Pregnancy. If you want your partner to give you a great massage too, get Prenatal Yoga.

I would definitely recommend Prenatal Yoga with Shiva Rea. She breaks up the workout into 3 sections approximately 15 minutes each, so you can do what you have time for. I feel great after doing the stretches. There are 3 woman who do the routine on tape, one for each trimester of pregnancy, so you always have someone to follow. The tape has gentle music in the background and a visually appealing backdrop for the class. While this may not sound important, it makes a huge difference when you are watching it 3 or more times a week.

The tape is run like a class, so you can just put it in and go. You don't have to wait while someone explains the pose and then forms the pose.

My only criticism is that some poses are not explained that well. So if you are a beginner or have never done a pose, you may need some additional explanation that is not available on the tape.

I was new to yoga when I started this tape. A former runner and elliptical-trainer enthusiast, I am used to a workout that makes you sweat buckets and finish feeling spent. This was a very new experience for me.

Yoga was recommended to me by my doula. I was interested because I've never been a flexible person and I wanted desperately to exercise throughout my pregnancy. Yoga is ideal because it can be modified as your progress and it teaches you to relax, breathe, and move deliberately with control. Every morning, when I've finished this workout, I feel so loose and relaxed, like I could "slip down the drain." I also feel more confident as my due date approaches that I will successfully birth my baby without any medication. I am learning how to open up my pelvis, strengthen my pelvic floor, and RELAX AND BREATHE. While pregnant you have 40 weeks (give or take a few) to prepare for the hardest (and most rewarding) work you'll ever do. Make the most of it!

This video was designed with your choice of three people to follow--one for each trimester. Many modifications are suggested and modeled so no matter what your current state of fitness, you will find stretches and poses to do.

You will be plagued by aches and pains and restless nights if you don't take care of your body while you're pregnant. So many of my friends try to comiserate with me, "Oh, you poor thing! I hated being pregnant! It's so uncomfortable!" I just smile and say, "I feel great!" becuase I really do.

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 Yoga 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.

Between the two, I definitely recommend Crunch Yoga Mama over Shiva Rea.

I love this video! I'm a couple weeks from giving birth, and have been using it almost daily from month three. It is relaxing, easy to follow, and helps you feel confident, knowing that the exercises are appropriate to your trimester.

I started using this tape in desperation because of some extreme pregnancy related sciatic nerve pain. After one week the pain had lessened considerably, and after two it was gone. (Note: it isn't supposed to go away until after birth if you have it, so my dr was pretty shocked.) I'm pretty large at this point, but the pain has never returned, and although I'm feeling more awkward as my due date nears, I have had a much easier pregnancy, with fewer aches and pains, and I sleep more easily than any of my pregnant friends.

This video includes every exercise recommended by our lamaze instructor and doctor. The duration is 50 mins, but goes quickly. It is not taxing, but does stretch and tone muscles. I hate to 'work out' and it is at a perfect tempo to exercise without getting sweaty (hey, I get enough of that just because I'm pregnant ;-). Also, it isn't so new-age as to be annoying. -Oh, as you get bigger, I would suggest buying a yoga mat too. It helps keep your feet from sliding during some of the exercises as your weight increases. I would highly recommend this video.

Before I got this video, I bought "The Method" prenatal yoga DVD and was very disappointed in it. That video was a different type of yoga practice than this and was not what I was accustomed to. The instructor of "The Method" was much more verbal and focused on free movement rather than structured poses and breathing. I have done yoga in the past and have really enjoyed the poses that use gentle stretching and breathing, so I was happy to see downward facing dog and some of the oldies but goodies on Yoga Journal's video. This video is wonderful! The instructor uses simple terms and doesn't talk too much and the poses are modified for whichever trimester you are in. I am in my 28th week and feel that this workout is perfect for my stage and certainly any stage beforehand or after. I did find that I got my heart rate up and increased my breathing after doing the video and feel it is a worthwhile workout for any pregnant person, regardless of her previous yoga experience. I even plan on doing this postpartum- if I have the time and energy! Good luck with your pregnancies to everyone!

I love this video!!! I never did yoga before my pregnancy; was mainly a step aerobics/cross-training person. I bought this video from Amazon based on others' reviews. This is a GREAT video.

I have an hour-long commute in the mornings, and I'm on my feet a lot at work, so I have been experiencing a lot of back and leg pain during pregnancy. This video rids me of that pain, and helps to get rid of my slight ankle swelling.

As a cross-training-type person, I thought that anything that didn't make me break into a vigorous sweat couldn't be beneficial. This video has broken this belief for me. I have really gained a lot of strength and flexibility from this video.

First off, Shiva Rea's voice is so incredibly soothing, she makes you feel like you're getting a massage. The music and set are peaceful and calming. The overall production is relaxing.

The mood is set with mediation and warm-ups. Then there's standing work, floor work, stretch, and guided relaxation. Kegels are worked into various sections. Each section is subdivided, so you can do only part of each if you like.

Traditional poses are covered, such as planks, downward dogs, triangle pose, etc. (I don't know much about yoga.) Instruction is clear and understandable. Breathing is always kept at the forefront, with Shiva's never forgetting to tell you when to inhale and exhale.

There's one person representing each trimester, demonstrating the recommended modifications for each trimester. As I've found as I've gone along, these variations are very helpful.

This is a great video. Do not do pregnancy without it. Start lightly and build up if you need to, but you have to get this video for prenatal exercise. It helps me with my pains, and makes me feel relaxed. I really feel like I have gotten a massage after I finish this video.

The last thing I'll say is that there are little moves in the video that I've been able to do at work to alleviate some of my aches. I highly recommend this DVD, even if only for Shiva's voice and the soothing music that accompany it.

Even without much previous yoga experience, I found this tape easy to follow. There are three instructors - one for each trimester of pregnancy - so I felt comfortable during both my second and third trimesters.

I was pleasantly surprised at the immediate relief of my back pain during my second trimester. The exercises are not extreme, and are well within the abilities of a pregnant woman (even this "old" 37-year-old first-time mom!). In my third trimester, I am most grateful for the gentle stretching of the poses - which eases the general aches caused by my ever-expanding uterus.

I anticipate that I'll continue to use this video during my post-partum period, as well.

I wish I had this video from the moment I found out I was pregnant! I started using it during my second trimester, having never done yoga before in my life. I was amazed at how hard my body worked in the various stretches. It is truly an excellent workout. (My only criticism is that the instructors don't mirror the exercises i.e. when they say "bend to the left" they bend to THEIR left, which isn't helpful to watch.) The routine helped me to overcome heartburn, indigestion, gas, ribcage pain, upper back pain, lower back pain, sciatica, cramped feet, swolled ankles, sleeping difficulties...it will help you, too.

This is one of my favorite prenatal yoga tapes. It combines stretching, breathing exercises, kegel exercises, and meditation. And it is great for all stages of pregnancy. But best of all it really relaxes your pregnant body physically and mentally. This is the prenatal yoga tape to purchase, whether you are an experienced yoga person or not.