UnderReview: BabyFit.com
Throughout the course of my pregnancy, I’ve been testing out pregnancy workout DVDs, reviews of which I’ll start including here soon. It’s been interesting to try new DVDs as the belly gets bigger because each workout brings with it interesting challenges. Not only am I tackling a workout I’ve never done before, but I almost feel like I have to re-learn how to do certain exercises to accommodate my belly. Note: Always bring a sense of humor to workouts when you’re pregnant.
But I digress. In addition to trying prenatal pilates, Gabrielle Reece’s pregnancy workout and a few other DVDs, I’ve also taken my workouts to the web. And because I know that SparkPeople rocks it hard and has numerous workout videos on the site (not to mention articles from the great FBG Jenn), I headed over to its BabyFit site to see what it had going on in terms of prenatal fitness videos.
Now, if you’ve worked out prior to pregnancy and are in good shape, doctors generally say you’re fine continuing your normal workout routine throughout your pregnancy. But as I totally fell off the wagon in the first trimester—and because a new-found protective mother-bear instinct has kicked in that makes me want to make sure I’m doing every exercise correctly and safely—I’ve really wanted to stick with pregnancy-specific workouts. (I could never be one of those people who runs a marathon in my third trimester!) And that’s where BabyFit comes into play!
Not only does the site have loads of good pregnancy health info, but it also includes fitness videos with upper- and lower-body workouts, core work and stretches. The instructors, Nicole and Jenn (not FBG Jenn!), are certified prenatal specialists and really know how to coach in terms of form and what to avoid. Plus, Jenn is pregnant, so you can see how to modify the exercises to perfectly accommodate your expanded waistline. The workouts are short and sweet at less than 15 minutes a pop, which makes it super easy to fit in a quick upper-body workout or core-strengthening session if you’re short on time.
Our usual review criteria doesn’t apply here, but BabyFit definitely receives two thumbs up! Have you come across any helpful websites with workout videos for pregnancy? Tell us about them! —Erin