I bought two exercise DVDs, and my mom bought me one more. Three seems to be a good number to rotate through, although I tend to use my favorite one most often! I chose these mainly based on reviews at www.amazon.com. These were the ones that got good ratings for being safe but still getting your heart rate up. My favorite comment was "Some of the programs don't have you move around enough to get a good workout - I'm just pregnant, not dying, after all!"
Denise Austin: Fit & Firm Pregnancy
I had never done a Denise Austin workout before, and at first she was way too chipper for me. But, I really like this workout, and it has become my favorite one to do. It has a 20-minute aerobic session. Denise is not pregnant, so I think she's supposed to represent a first trimester woman. There are four other ladies at 20, 25, 30 and 36 weeks, so you can watch the one who is closest to your stage.
Following the aerobic session, you can do a strength and toning exercise. There is one for the second trimester and one for the third trimester. Each is about 10 minutes in length, so doing the aerobic session and one of the strength training sessions is a good half-hour workout. Sometimes I just do the aerobic workout. There is also a post-natal workout that I haven't checked out yet.
It was made in 2006, so the music, outfits, and set are modern. The moves are pretty easy to learn, although Denise is so busy saying how pregnancy is a special time in your life that she often forgets to tell you what move is up next :)
Supplies needed: pillows, weights (optional)
Kathy Smith: Pregnancy Workout
This is an old-school workout (made in 1989!!), but it is laid out really well. There is an 11-minute warm-up/energize section that gets you moving and breathing. Then there are three 6-minute aerobic workout sessions followed by a series of 3-minute strength and toning exercises that focus on legs, arms, etc. I usually do the energizer session, two of the aerobic workouts, and the strength sessions. That makes for a good 35-minute workout.
I've done Kathy Smith workouts before, and I really like her style. In this one, she is about 24 weeks pregnant, and she has five more-pregnant ladies working with her. It doesn't have workouts tailored for each trimester, but I think this one is good for the second and third trimesters. There is a heart rate check between each aerobic workout so you can keep track of how hard you're working.
The biggest drawback is the dated look - all the women are wearing hot pink or turquoise leotards and leg warmers, and the music is definitely 1980s. And beware of the end of the second aerobic session - the ladies do a really bad pregnancy rap! I wouldn't recommend watching it, but you can find it at this link :)
Supplies needed: pillows, weights (optional)
Summer Sanders' Prenatal Workout
This workout focuses the most on strength and toning. There are some aerobic moves in between the strength exercises, but no devoted aerobic workout. There are three separate menus for the first, second, and third trimesters. Each menu contains a full-length workout and an express workout tailored for the specific trimester.
Summer is pregnant and is led by her non-pregnant sister-in-law, who is a fitness trainer. It's just the two of them in a living room-like set with some cute baby things in the background. They have fun together, and it's a really relaxed, laid back workout. It's modern (2009). I like that they have time devoted to drinking water, although I have to pause the DVD so as not to fall behind - I don't have a personal fitness trainer working with me who will bring me water on demand!
Supplies needed: pillows and a resistance band (like the one below, although I don't have a fancy one with handles)
No comments:
Post a Comment