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As soon as I found about my pregnancy, I jumped on Amazon.com and started reading reviews for prenatal DVD workouts. I’ve never been one to turn down a vegan cupcake, so exercise became even more of a priority as soon as I knew a little one was on the way. Sweets are my biggest weakness in the diet arena. I feel strongly about trying to have a natural birth and I’m going to do my best to be in shape for the biggest marathon of my life. Over the past few months, I’ve discovered an exercise balance that works for me and doesn’t stress me out! It’s pretty simple…

1) I walk as much as possible (although as it gets colder this is becoming more challenging).

2) I alternate between two workout DVDs and try to do one of them at least 3-4 times a week (hopefully more!)

I adore these DVDs and so far I think they’ve served me well. I’m almost 18 weeks pregnant and I feel fantastic. No back ache, little fatigue and healthy weight gain. I could just be one of the lucky gals, but I’d like to think my dedication since week 5 has paid off. Here are my go-to exercise picks:

1) The Perfect Pregnancy Workout by Kathryn Steben: If you can get over the circa 1990 style production quality, this is a challenging and easy to follow routine. I’ve been doing this DVD a few times a week for 13 weeks and I’m still not bored. I feel like I’m in better shape than I was before pregnancy and I think I owe a lot of that to Kathryn:)

2) Elena Brower’s Element: Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga: If it wasn’t for this DVD, I think I would probably be an achy mess by now. It’s a short (30-minute) routine that always leaves me feeling refreshed. I was super stressed out in the beginning of my pregnancy and this yoga DVD helped me at least feel like I was doing something to combat the stress. It’s easy to feel guilty about stress during pregnancy because you want to be in balance for the growing baby. Having this DVD continues to help me stay positive and flexible.

I’m a little worried about the lack of outdoor activity during the winter, but hopefully I’ll get a couple months of mild temperatures to get back into a walking routine before the baby arrives. Hope this post helps any mama-to-be looking for some effective fitness DVDs.

Update: I saw my midwife (one of the five I might be with for delivery) this morning and I’m thrilled to report that we finally heard the heartbeat!! The little bugger has been hiding during the past two prenatal check-ups. Baby’s heartbeat is perfect:) Nice way to start the day. I’m also right on track (thanks, Elena & Kathryn!) with my weight, which also puts me at ease.

xo,
Corinne

Photo Credit: Clever Cupcakes

Tagged as: baby, diet, exercise, fitness, midwife, pregnancy

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