Prenatal Yoga

Rating:
Summary: Great for pregnancy aches and pains - also easy labor
Review: In my first pregnancy I was afflicted by hyperemesis (severe nausea and vomiting)throughout the entire pregnancy and so my normal higher intensity workout routine was out of the question. I started this video around 17 weeks and it really helped my aches and pains.

I was in labor for only a few hours and the labor and delivery nurse commented that I seemed to be having a pretty easy time with the labor and what had I been doing? I said this yoga video (plus swimming). Hard to say if that is what made the labor relatively easy but I am now in my second pregnancy, same sickness, and just started the video at 17 weeks. It made a lot of difference to me but my goals are not to prevent weight gain with this video.

Rating:
Summary: Too easy
Review: I have gone to yoga classes off and on for the past few years and have always enjoyed it and considered it a good work out as well. Now that I am pregnant (15 weeks) I was excited to try the prenatal yoga. I was very disappointed when I tried this video. The instruction is slow and very easy. I also found the props required cumbersome and unnecessary. I will try it again when I get further along and see if it is more beneficial as one reviewer suggested. I would not recommend this video to anyone who is early in pregnancy, familiar with yoga and looking for a good workout.

Rating:
Summary: excellent stretch workout
Review: I was a gym rat before I got pregnant, but work and travelling a lot during my pregnancy have prevented me from getting to the gym as often as I'd like. I am also skeptical of exercise tapes. But I have to say that this DVD has been a really wonderful surprise.

If you are already pretty fit, it will increase your heart rate only a bit on some more challenging moves, like yogic squats, and it probably won't build strength like weight work does. But the moves are excellent for stretching and balance. They make you feel strong and capable at a time when perhaps your body always doesn't. (My husband tried a couple of moves and failed miserably, poor guy!) They definitely relieve tension and are good to do at the end of the day.

I think even if you have had minimal yoga experience, like I have, the DVD is still pretty easy to follow, and there are three women at different stages in their pregnancies who are your guides. And it's so great to see normal-looking, beautifully round expectant mothers rather than twigs with a bump that society increasingly wants us to be when we are pregnant.

Rating:
Summary: First Time Yoga
Review: This is the first time ive ever did any kind of yoga. im 8th mths pregnant now and lets see.. theres about 4 new yoga books i own PLUS my weightlifter husband's been doing this with me and his own YOGA FUSION video. he's just happy he doesnt have to give me those hard-long back rubs anymore. ^_^ highly recommended!!!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: A must-have for pregnancy
Review: 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.



Rating:
Summary: Good for the 3rd trimester
Review: I bought this DVD early in my pregnancy, and found it too easy. However, now at 9 months pregnant, it's the only yoga I can still do. The pace is good, and the adjusted postures are still comfortable. I'd recommend it for those people who are now finding regular yoga practice no longer feasible.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent yoga video
Review: I bought this item on Amazon.com because there were so many great reviews written from others. They were right on! I have lots of pain/soreness from having to sleep on my side. After I do this yoga video, I feel almost 100% better physically. I also like it because I used to work out a lot, but with being pregnant, I have no energy. This helps keep me physical without being tired. Highly recommended.