Has anyone had success with workout DVDs? Before I got pregnant I worked out at a gym 3-5 days a week, until pregnancy complications put a stop to that. Now I'm almost 4 months postpartum, and I want my body back! My weight is where I want it, but I have a lot of flab... blegh. I can't afford the gym any more, and even if I could I don't have transportation. I want to try working out at home, but I get bored just going through exercises... I need something FUN to keep me motivated! I would love to try one of those dancing DVDs, but I have no clue how well they work... I have also heard of workouts that include the baby? That would be perfect, and I would like to know more about that if anyone has any info. :) Pilates doesn't work for me because of some back problems I was born with, and I need to keep it fairly low-impact to avoid annoying the neighbors below us... any and all advice or success stories are welcome! :D
Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds is great...helped me lose a bunch of weight. It's low impact and short (the one mile "walk" is 15 minutes) but works. Try it out....
I am also a member of the free website www.sparkpeople.com which is a bottomless well of fitness, exercise, diet, and nutrition knowledge, forums, etc. Been a member for the last 4-5 years and met some wonderful friends there!
After my first, I did the Turbo Jam videos. They are mainly kickboxing but Chalene makes them really fun and easy. There is always someone in the video doing them low-impact, so you don't have to worry about the neighbors if you follow the low impact versions. I lost 15# with Turbo Jam (and of course eating better).
Other videos I heard are good are Zumba which is a LOT of fun I heard!
I've also done Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, which is only 20 minutes long, but a KILLER workout. You will shed the pounds and tighten up really fast. I heard a lot of new moms use it because it's short to do (while baby takes a nap or something) but extremely effective. U can google it for more info.
I've since switched up to the Couch to 5K program, which basically trains one to run 3 miles without stopping. Each week, you increase the interval of running vs. walking (the first week only calls for 30 sec of jogging/running each time) and by the last week, you're running/jogging all 30 minutes. Since then I've ran in 5K's (which is 3.1 miles) and was training for a half-marathon when I got preggers with my 2nd one, due in November!
So with Turbo Jam videos and jogging outside, I got to where I wanted to be. I plan to resume both after I deliver in November! I didn't particularly like running, but once I started, it is SO addictive and a GREAT fast way to burn the calories, tighten up, and get in great shape. And requires no gym memberships!
If u want to workout with the baby, I heard of Stroller Strides, a mommy group t hat incorporates exercise all while pushing your stroller . Google it and u will find one in your area.
For tightening up, get a few free weights from Walmart and do a couple reps 2-3x a week on your arms, shoulders, back, abs and do lunges.
Good luck! Congrats to you for wanting to get back in shape! Lots of people use pregnancy and post partum as an excuse not to exercise and take care of onself!
Go for brisk walks. You and your baby will get some fresh air and it will help to stimulate the baby's mind with all there is to see. When you are walking tighten your stomach to help increase muscle tone and if you want to you can add ankle weights.
I have a Dancing with the stars workout dvd and its really fun!!! I am still working on getting my body back (im horrible about dieting and exercising) My daughter loves watching me if I just sit her in her high chair and turn on the music and dance while Im cleaning. She will laugh and clap her hands and try dancing too! Anything to get your heart goin will help... Also I have been taking my daughter out for daily walks (if the weather permits) in the morning after we eat our breakfast. The fresh air is great for both of us and it definately gives me energy throughout the day. I even take my ipod and battery powered speakers so we can listen to music and sing together (she's better than i am)... Keep her involved, she will love it and get her interested in being active as she grows!!!
I will be watching your post AS WELL. let me know what you decide, we can compare
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(ha ha, i was gonna mention how i always throw my neck out with pilates in my post, wish i had now)
If you have netflix they have many that you can try.
Another option with a lot of videos and resources is www.sparkpeople.com. I am using that and enjoying it.
I have also used videos that came with equipment (balance ball for instance).
Also you can check your local library to preview. I got some baby workouts from there.
I also like the No Excuses Workout. Check out www.noexcusesworkouts.com
Free library dvd's so you don't get bored.
Walk Away the Pounds. Look into this. Her name is Leslie Sansone. She has a ton of DVDs for sale. They are low impact workouts and very simple. But they can really work you up in a sweat.
i have had a lot of success with a bootcamp class, but it's getting too expensive, so i also have started using jillian michael's 30-day shred DVD. it's AWESOME...same exercises as my bootcamp class. the workouts are short, so after a couple weeks of it, i am sure you will want to do two or three of her workouts to get a good amount of time in.
GL!
Do you have On Demand from your cable provider? If so there are a TON of workouts available.
