This is the video that got me off the sofa - and when I was four months pregnant, no less! I had tried videos before but NEVER stuck with one more than a few days. I was having a lot of trouble with backache & my midwife suggested mild exercise to see if that would help, so when I saw this video for $1 at a garage sale, I thought "Why not?"

I would like to say that if you are already exercising regularly before pregnancy, this would probably be an easy workout for you. But if you are looking at pregnancy as a time to improve yourself & you've never exercised before, this is perfect. The video is divided up into sections, making it very easy to just do a little bit when you're starting - that really helped me from feeling exhausted & overwhelmed. It starts with a 8 or 9 minute warmup that Kathy says can be done alone - and that's exactly how I did it for months! The first time I did it, my heart rate went WAY over what it should have been, so I would suggest that total beginners drop their arms the first time they do it. Kathy has some very good suggestions for modifying & I've taken advantage of all of them. I made a lot of mistakes - some of her moves, like the trombones in the first aerobics section, are complicated for klutzes like me :) What I did was concentrate on learning the footwork first, then adding the arms after I mastered the feet - this also kept my heart rate from getting too high. I also liked the woman in the purple leotard - she would misstep from time to time, & that always made me feel like I wasn't alone in having a hard time with the steps, so I didn't get frustrated.

I think it did help with my backache & I KNOW it helped with my energy level, so if you've never exercised before & you want to start during pregnancy, check with your doctor & then get this tape!

Instructor Comments:
I like Kathy. She explains the moves well enough so I don't get lost (and I get lost easily). Also, she's perky enough that she keeps me awake in the early AM without being so annoying that I can't face her if I'm having a bad day! Even though I haven't really exercised before & started 4 months into my pregnancy, she led you through the safety tips so well that I always felt comfortable - I never felt like I should overdo it.

Denise Patterson