I tried a few prenatal yoga tapes. I used to attend yoga classes, before becoming pregnant, and would have continued into my pregnancy except that I moved to an area where I could not find any classes offered. So I bought some tapes.

I liked the Yoga Mama tape very much for a number of reasons:

The workout is not very long, 45 minutes, and you can stop at any time. It is not a flowing series of movements so interlocked that if you need to stop for a second you cannot re-join later. That's not to say that the workout is jumpy or has no flow. I think it's a good workout, which flows well from one pose to the next, but allows for you to stop, catch your breath, run the the bathroom, and come back later without being lost.

The instructor has a nice, soothing voice, explains each pose and stretch well, but is not overly spiritual which I think is appropriate for a workout. Some people may prefer the more meditative yoga tapes out there, but I prefer to exercise without meditation or spirituality. There is a fair amount of relaxation involved, but it is entirely secular.

The "class participants" shown are at various levels of their pregnancy, and are obviously shaped very differently before their pregnancies. These are not a bunch of lithe, lean yoga pros who happen to have cute little bumps on their bellies. There are women dressed in tight little leotards with midriffs showing as well as women (like me!) in big old sweats and baggy t-shirts. I like that because I don't feel intimidated by watching pros adjust their routine because they are pregnant.

Each pose has modifications available to make it less strenuous.

I felt that this workout was extremely gentle, perhaps too gentle. I had the sensation that I would not get much benefit from it at all. However, the next day, I certainly felt the muscles and joints all stretched and snapping into place. It was not an easy workout at all, in the end, but while doing it, it felt gentle and easy enough that I was not discouraged.

The only real con is may fault. I have a hard time doing any kind of exercise to a video. It's simply too easy for me to get lazy and read a book instead. So I have not used this video as much as I would have liked, but I do not think that is the fault of the video. I have always been this way.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: None of the Above