The Perfect Pregnancy Workout vol. 1 Review

by Natalie Belford

Retail Price: $24.99

A pregnant friend asked me to help her choose a workout video for her. After doing some searching, I ending up finding The Perfect Pregnancy Workout Vol. 1. After working my way through it once, I was ready to give it a hearty recommendation. This video is led by Karyne Steben, an acrobat who worked with Cirque du Soleil. She also happened to be in her third trimester when she filmed the workout, so there’s really no excuse not to follow along with her. Her sculpting workout hits every part of your body, raising your mood and getting you ready for the challenge you have coming. The DVD includes a 12 minute instruction session that explains how to complete the workout safely and correctly.

After working with this DVD throughout her pregnancy my friend delivered a healthy baby girl and is now working at getting back to her pre-pregnancy weight. I don’t mind saying that because of this video she doesn’t have very far to go!

Pros:

No Nonsense Instruction: I really loved the no-frills attitude Karyne Steben has towards her instruction. She’s not there to be your cheerleader or scream at you. Instead, she simply lays out what you need to do and shows you how to do it. The instructions she gives are enough to demonstrate how to do the moves correctly without taking so long that you lose interest waiting for the move to begin. It was a perfect balance that I found to be very refreshing.

Great Instructional Segment: My friend was worried about pushing herself too hard, and I’d imagine that’s a worry many women may have about exercising while pregnant. The instructional segment included with the DVD really puts these worries to rest. Karyne takes you through how to do each move correctly to eliminate the risk of injury.

Challenging Enough to Make a Difference: A common theme I saw among other pregnancy videos is that they made an effort not to push you. This video is a little different. While it’s definitely not overly intense, it will make a difference in your body whether you’re pregnant or not. It focuses on toning rather than calorie burn, meaning it will strengthen your muscles without tiring you out.

Perfect Pace: Since Karyne is pregnant herself, she knows exactly how long a particular pose should last before moving onto the next one. The pace was little different than what I’ve seen in non-pregnancy workouts, but from what my friend says the moves tend to change just when you start feeling like they should. At the same time, it’s not so slow moving that you get completely bored.

Cons:

May be Hard for those with Nausea: If you’re suffering from nausea you may find this video a little difficult to complete. You move up and down quite a bit, which might trigger a nauseous feeling. If this is a problem for you, you can still get some of the benefit by staying in one place and doing some of the modified moves.

Might Not Raise Your Heart Rate: This DVD focuses solely on strength, not on cardio. You’ll find your muscles getting stronger, but you likely won’t be burning many calories or getting your heart rate up. However, strength training is what will help most during pregnancy, and once you’re done there are tons of workouts out there to burn off those extra pounds.

Keeping fit while being pregnant is a great way to help your baby and make labor easier. The Perfect Pregnancy Workout is, well, perfect for becoming stronger while pregnant. Since the instructor is pregnant herself she knows exactly what you’re going through and helps keep things intense but safe. The pace is great and the instructions are perfect. If you’re looking to build strength while pregnant in a safe, interesting way this DVD is for you.

Click here to get The Perfect Pregnancy Workout vol. 1 from Amazon.com