Customer Reviews

Pilates After Pregnancy

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This video is perfectly good as a normal Pilates workout, but it does not seem to be tailored at all for after pregnancy. Melinda does not suggest any variations for women with abdominal wall separation or C-section (though there is a small section at the end of the video of exercises that can be done in bed after a C-section, the one pregnancy-oriented section of the video). The primary workout seems quite rigorous for immediately post-birth, especially with no modifications suggested. The intro says that this workout should not be done until at least 4-6 weeks postpartum, which makes sense given its rigor. But then the cover shows a perfectly skinny Melinda, with the headline, "Look at her now!... Just 8 weeks after Melinda gave birth..." Has perfectly skinny, toned Melinda really only been doing her workout for two weeks? I was looking for a video which would show me a gradual way back to fitness, with appropriate modifications, and this video does not do it at all. I began my pregnancy extremely strong (I'm a professional dancer), but I have abdominal wall separation, and I need a sensible, gradual way to get my strength back, not a full-on Pilates workout with a video cover that claims that a perfect body can be had in a couple of weeks after recovery.

I liked this dvd a lot. I think it is a good dvd for getting back into the swing of things with pilates. It is not for months down the road when you have your strength & energy back & need something longer. I did her prenatal pilates during my pregnancy, so many of the moves were familiar. If this is your first time with this program I would suggest watching & practicing the moves first & then do the workout since it is slightly fast-paced, but once you know the moves it is easy to follow

Unlike the reviewer from Oak Park, I found this DVD to be just the right length and intensity. I have done yoga and Pilates before, so perhaps that makes a difference. However, I am not in very good shape at all. I didn't follow any kind of exercise program while I was pregnant--not even walking! I am now nine weeks postpartum and started using this DVD a week ago.

I was afraid when the DVD started that it would move too fast, since the instructor said that people who had used her pregnancy video would be familiar with the moves. I didn't have any trouble following the exercises, though. Some of them are challenging, but I can do them all. I get a nice workout without feeling sore the next day. Best of all, the workout relieves the stiffness I get in my back, arms, and shoulders from carrying my baby all day.

All in all, I'm really pleased with this.

The exercise portion of this DVD is 18 minutes long, which could actually be just right if you are taking care of a baby AND trying to exercise. Except that the exercises are so hard that all you really do is strain your muscles and back. Because the workout is so hard, I tend to not want to do it, and I am in fairly good shape to start with. I still cannot do the "hip circles" and was advised not to by the teacher of a post-natal exercise class I am taking. This is the first exercise or yoga DVD I have purchased that I do not like!

This video is amazing and works immediately! I was not a workout fanatic after I had my baby and was hoping the pounds and inches would fall off by themselves. It didn't happen, so I tried this video-under 20 minutes, no sweating, and only 3 times a week! I found it to work after only 4 times. BEWARE-it is doing more than you think, and I even overdid it one time. Thanks Melinda! I feel and look great!