Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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391 of 399 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Prenatal Yoga, August 29, 2000
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.
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160 of 163 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
a comparison of 3 prenatal fitness videos, including Prenatal Yoga, December 15, 2005
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.
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218 of 226 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Pregnancy Exercise Video, July 29, 2003
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.
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