Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Prenatal Fitness Fix [DVD]

SUZANNE BOWEN'S SLIM & TONED - This was my favorite of the DVDs I bought

Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2016

I found reviews really helpful when selecting an exercise DVD while pregnant. Now that I'm 11 weeks post c-section I thought I would share my thoughts. This review is coming from a non runner and a non gym member. I would do Jillian Michaels 30 day shred or some cardio kettlebell a few times a week prior to pregnancy.

SUZANNE BOWEN'S SLIM & TONED - This was my favorite of the DVDs I bought. I didn't really feel like it was difficult until around 28 weeks but I think it did a good job keeping me toned and strong. The first section of lower body I usually skipped because it didn't feel like it was doing much but the other sections were great. Suzanne is a good instructor and not overly peppy or irritating. I would suggest skipping the plank portion of the arm/upper body workout after 25 weeks or so if you're worried about diastasis recti (I was). It has been a great postpartum workout and I think it will help me transition back to the harder DVDs I was doing pre pregnancy.

PRENATAL FITNESS FIX - All the reviews are right, the production quality of this DVD is amateur. However, it does kind of give an intimate, non intimidating approach to working out. Sometimes it nice when you're pregnant and feeling a little lumpy in your workout gear to look at another woman who is very pregnant and not looking glamourous. She is also very funny in a goofy way which is good when you're not in the mood to workout. She gets you going even if you are laughing through it. I had trouble with the squat portions when she does them very quickly. It would make my knees sore the next day. Besides that it was a good, quick workout.

JENNIFER WOLFE'S PRENATAL VINYASA YOGA: SHORT FORMS - I HATED this DVD. I wish I wouldn't have bought it. Again, the production quality is bad. Maybe I'm too used to the GAIAM yoga DVDS but this was terrible. The instructor reminded me of a new age librarian and the Shavasana was impossible to do with the grating acoustic guitar. The main reason I bought a yoga DVD was to relax and stretch during pregnancy and this was a mega fail. Also, it heavily features downward dog, which if you're worried about diastasis recti then you won't want to do this DVD.

EXPECTING MORE: SARA HALEY - I wish I would have found this DVD earlier in my pregnancy. I didn't buy it until week 33. It has a plan included to help you make the most of the different sections at different stages of your pregnancy. I didn't get to explore the other sections as much as I would have if I started this earlier. Some routines require more space than I had in my living room to move around and some would be great while your belly is smaller but in later stages of your pregnancy it might not be a great idea. She does do some kinda cheesy things like naming moves after baby things and stressing how sexy she wants you to feel in pregnancy. The cardio was great though and the best you'll find in a prenatal DVD. The hip hop dance was too stupid for me to spend time on but if you like dance maybe you'll like it. Now that I'm postpartum I may try portions of this DVD again.

10 people found this helpful

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Niki

Not easy, but realistic...

Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2017

Verified Purchase

My favorite pregnancy workout so far. I'm still in the first trimenster. The video is somewhat low budget and not easy, but is realistic. It's the perfect living room workout. I'm not in fantastic shape and was able to keep up pretty well. I only did the 40 minute workout, which had good variety and did not get dull. This will be my go to routine for a while.

Update: I was sore the following day. Maybe take it easy the first couple times and if you have hard floors, use a mat for the floor routine. A rug over hardwood didn't cut it. That is where I'm feeling it most. I still think it's a great workout. Good luck!

6 people found this helpful

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Beepaigers

Recommend for mid-to-late pregnancy

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2016

Verified Purchase

Okay, I'll admit that when I first received this, I thought I had wasted my money. It was not at all challenging for me at 22 weeks pregnant. (I was accustomed to doing much more difficult workouts and running long distances.) I went back to my regular workout routine for about another three or four weeks. When that became too difficult, I tried this again and it did leave me winded and feeling like I had gotten a workout. I'm now 37 weeks and have continued this along with walking and I must say it is very good for those later weeks. I usually get a bit sore from it and definitely feel that I've done some good without doing too much. Overall, I'm glad I purchased this workout, although for me, it was most beneficial only in later pregnancy.

4 people found this helpful

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B

Good for those in shape

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2016

Verified Purchase

This workout is fairly challenging and I would only recommend it to women who have been working out regularly both before and during pregnancy. It definitely got my heart rate up and left me a bit red faced. Even the warm-up begins at a higher pace than most prenatal videos but she transitions to some slower paced mat work and ends with some gentle stretching to get your heartbrate back down. I really hated that they tried to get cute with the camera during the first section. They would often cut out to an odd angle at an odd speed or black and white mid exercise which can be confusing and disorienting. A few times it caused me to lose form and wrench my knee uncomfortably. Her cueing and form explanation are decent but when she goes from a double count to a single count her speed is high enough that if you don't have good balance and core strength to start you'll struggle and could injure yourself if not careful. There's some cheesey music playing but she is not using it to pace and it seems to have been added later. The only exercise I could not do were the tricep dips due to an old shoulder injury. I also haven't done the second part that requires a partner. It looked effective and I like the idea but her husband looked about as enthused as mine would if I made him stand there bracing me through a 20 minute routine. They are not working out together nor is this a relaxing stretch routine geared toward bonding. I think overall this is a good video for someone in good shape looking for a challenging routine to do throughout her pregnancy but if you aren't in great shape to begin with you should find something less advanced to start with.

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ConsumerScientist

Best prenatal DVD out there!

Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2013

Verified Purchase

I will start by saying that I am quite skinny and fit (5'11" tall, 135lb before pregnancy). I loved to work out before I got pregnant and was looking for a fun, dynamic workout routine that would be safe during pregnancy. I would like to stress that I really wanted to find an active workout, so I stayed away from yoga. I tried these:
- Erin O'Brien's Prenatal Fitness Fix
- The Perfect Pregnancy Workout vol.1
- 10 minute solution: prenatal pilates (2007)

Of these three, Erin O'Brien's is by far my favourite. I got this DVD in my 12th week of pregnancy because I wanted to do exercises that were safe for my baby. Here are the major points that I like about this DVD:

1) A variety of exercises keeps the whole body tuned. While the DVD is only 40 minutes long, it covers everything. The first part is cardio - not too intense, just enough to warm up and get the heart beating a bit faster. Then there are some stretches that feel really good. Then there are various leg, body, and arm exercises - a lot of squats, a few pushups, back and belly exercises. Next section is on the floor - some more leg and butt exercises and back exercises. Finally, the last section is stretch and relaxation, which is a great way to end the workout and bring the heart beat back to normal. This is in contrast to The perfect pregnancy workout, which I found unbalanced.

2) No equipment is required. I was looking for a DVD that I can comfortably do in my living room. The whole point of Erin O'Brien's workout is that it can be done in your living room! All you need is a chair really! This is in contrast to the 10 minute solution: prenatal pilates, which require a few other pieces of equipment.

3) The whole workout lasts a bit less than 40 minutes! I usually do it in the mornings before I go to work - about 3 times a week. It's just short enough to not delay me too much in my day, but long enough to exercise every part of my body!

The only warning that I would like to add is that I am very happy that I started doing this early on in my pregnancy (in my 12th week). I offered this DVD to my friend who was 25 weeks pregnant because she was complaining about pretty bad pain in her lower back. She said that it was too hard for her to start these exercises now, and I could see how that could be the case... So unless you have been exercising all along, this might be a tad too difficult to start in your second trimester, and you are better off going with one of the yoga workouts.

One person found this helpful

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KLo

A Good Investment

Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2016

Verified Purchase

Purchased for a friend who is early in her 2nd trimester, came highly recommended. Her review:
5 stars for the 40min solo workout; got the heart pumping, sweat going, and some sore muscles on following day. No special equipment needed; utilizes the edge of a coffee table, arm of a couch/armchair, wall, and firm standard height dining/kitchen chair when it's not standing or floor work. I recommend a yoga mat or cushy exercise mat for the floor work to cushion knees, butt, and hips.

Haven't tried out the included 20min partner workout yet but looks good from sitting and watching through it.

Sometimes the videography (40min workout) can be distracting when it goes "artistic" for a second or two (i.e. back-lit black and white, showing multiple instances of Erin in the frame during a count-down sequence), but for the most part the brief periods from other angles help show proper form/posture.

I like that she includes "drink water!" reminders throughout, and tells the viewer to pause for potty breaks as needed.

5 people found this helpful

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SwanMD

Excellent pregnancy workout'

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2013

Verified Purchase

Prior to getting pregnant I worked out regularly (4-5 times per week), recently ran a half marathon and consider myself to be an advanced exerciser. However because of some early complications in my pregnancy, I was unable to continue running or my normal level of cardio. Most of the pregnancy workouts I found did not seem intense enough, I was looking for a pregnancy workout that was challenging enough to keep me at from losing too much conditioning during my pregnancy. Erin O'Brien's prenatal fitness fix was just what I was looking for. Erin is a personal trainer and is in her third trimester during the workout. She takes you through a series of low impact moves that keep your heart rate elevated enough to get a cardio workout and break a good sweat but without pushing it too much. She also includes toning exercises specifically targeted at your pelvic girdle and buttocks to help prepare your body for labor. I used this video 2-3 times per week and also walked 2-3 miles a few times per week up until I gave birth. I really felt this helped to limit my weight gain and helped make my labor easier. As some of the previous reviewers mentioned, the DVD is filmed in her home and the production isn't great, it almost has a home-made feel to it. Plus the background music is kind of strange. But these things never bothered me because the actual workout itself was enjoyable and worth it. I highly recommend this DVD to anyone looking for a challenging pregnancy workout!

3 people found this helpful

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PJ Wong

Using it for my fourth pregnancy

Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2018

Verified Purchase

I used this for my first two pregnancies. I lost the DVD for my third and missed it. Now early on in my fourth pregnancy, I went ahead and got the digital version.

I like that her workout really boosts heart rate and it works all the parts of the body. If the middle section goes too fast for you, you can just do the motions slower than she does. But I like the speed.

I plan to also use the Spinning Babies videos and Beth Learn's Fit2B videos. I'll use Erin's Postnatal videos as well.

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Hannah Stephey

Looks like a home movie, workouts are too light, even for pregnant women

Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2018

Verified Purchase

I'm pregnant and used to a pretty average workout level. I thought this was a real legit workout video, but it looks like it was filmed in this lady's dimly lit living room. You don't even do a full rep of one workout before switching and there is heavy use of furniture like couches rather than actual workout equipment. Also there is only one option. I thought there would be different workouts for different trimester. If you are an exercise beginner or in your 3rd trimester and trying to take it easy, this might work for you, but I was left feeling disappointed.

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Heath Family

Does Make You Feel Like You Worked Out, But Terrible Quality

Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2016

Verified Purchase

I bought this because it is too cold to go running outside at my regular 5:45AM start time. I wanted something that made me feel like I worked out. While I do break a sweat and was a little sore after my first day, I can only rate this DVD "ok." The music is super cheesy, but I can get past that. It is a very low budget film. The sound (i.e., Erin's instructions) is poor, the lighting is poor, the camera angles at times are just bad, it seriously seems like something an amateur put together. Also, there is no clock or timer, so you do not know how long you have been working out or how much longer you have. This is especially important when this is not your first pregnancy and you have a little one asking you "mommy when are you going to be finished?" There is really only one workout on this DVD. There is a partner workout, but that does not interest me at all, so as far as individual workouts, there is only one and it is 40 minutes. I wanted to really like this, but I don't. I would not recommend it.

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5 star		47%
4 star		21%
3 star		14%
2 star		10%
1 star		8%

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