Review of Sara Haley's "Expecting More" Prenatal Workout DVD

 

I’ve been using Sara Haley’s Expecting More DVD since about 12 weeks into my pregnancy. I haven’t followed her schedule exactly (though I love that one is included), but have incorporated it into my normal fitness routine.  During my first pregnancy I stuck to mostly running and prenatal yoga and I can tell what a difference it has made to add some strength training in there this pregnancy!

The DVD comes with six distinct workouts which I love. You are bound to find something that works for you- and most likely multiple somethings!  I am thankful that you can choose whether or not you need the warm up or cool down --especially when you are tight on time and need to get straight to the sweating.

 

This program has workouts across fitness levels, something a lot of prenatal workouts lack. You are always encouraged to consider modifications to tone things down, or to consider stepping things up a notch.  No more finishing a workout and wondering if it was worth your time.

There are a great mix of cardio and strength workouts and most are relatively short. You can always combine two if you want a longer workout.

Another huge benefit of this DVD is Sara’s personality. She’s cute and sweet without being cheesy. When she asks me to talk out loud or smile or kegel I don’t feel self-conscious about any of it.  I also love that she is visibly pregnant and really aware of the way pregnancy impacts workouts- I hate doing a prenatal workout with the lead trainer not being pregnant or being early in the first trimester.

So...what are the workouts like?

Sweat Sport: This is my favorite, but I’m a cardio junky! Definitely sweating by the time I get through the ten minute “performance time” where everything is amped up a notch. The workout, not including warm up or cool down, is just under 30 minutes.  Sara takes you through a number of athletic cardio moves with her usual pep and smile, including variations along the way. Each time you cycle through you add a move before finally going through the whole routine without stopping.  This section requires no extra equipment and, fortunately for me, not too much coordination.

 

Be prepared to Squat...a lot!

 

Sweat Funk: I’ll admit that this one is not my favorite, but very well could be yours! I have no rhythm and no coordination- at all, truly, honestly- and I find myself tripping over my own feet trying to follow along. This has nothing to do with Sara or this video, this is how I am with any workout of this type.  If you like to dance you will probably love moving and grooving in this workout. It looks like it could be a lot of fun, just not for me. This video is just over 35 minutes long.

Synergy: This workout incorporates the warm up and cool down into its 1 hour run time.  It is a full strength and cardio combination workout. You switch between short cardio segments and short strength segments and really get a full body workout. You do need a chair for this workout and the requirements are kind of specific, but I found something that works (no arms, back that comes up to about your hips. Mine is a higher than that, but it still works). You will also need a pair of dumbbells. I use two different weights because I find that some of my muscles can handle more than others.  Again, you are given plenty of modifications along the way while also be encouraged to work.

My set up for Synergy. Back of the chair is a little high, but it works fine!

Sweat Strong Up: Just what it sounds like- a great strength training workout that incorporates 5 pound (or more) dumbbells and encourages you to use the muscles you will use with baby. Full body workout in 20 minutes? Yes, please!

Lunges with tricep extensions from Sweat Strong Up

 

 

Sweat Strong Down: Don’t be fooled- a workout on the ground can be very challenging. I honestly didn’t consider doing this workout for a while because I didn’t expect that it would work me very hard and I was WRONG. This is the video where I find myself needing to rely on modifications the most often. It is a great workout all around, especially for the legs though obliques and arms get worked too.  It runs just over 25 minutes and uses dumbbells, though I think if you don’t have them you can still get a good workout in. You also get to be barefoot during this one, which is always a plus.

 

Salutations: Though this sounds like a yoga routine I do think it is a bit more cardio focused than most prenatal yoga workouts you will find. For me (cardio junkie, remember? ) this is a great thing. I feel like I got a workout by the end. But if you are looking to relax and unwind this isn’t the program for that.  It definitely helps you stretch and provides friendly reminders to breathe throughout, but can get the heart rate up there, too. No equipment needed (no shoes either!), but a mat can be nice.  This one includes a warm up and cool down in its 30ish minute run time.

Unless otherwise mentioned, the workout times don’t include the warm up and cool down time, which are each about 8 minutes. So add 16 minutes to the total time when trying to figure out what you can fit in to your schedule.

So, in conclusion: I totally recommend this DVD for women at a variety of fitness levels. Even if you don’t use all 6 of the workouts you will find something that you love and it is going to be effective. Get your sweat on!

 

(PS, I did not receive this DVD for free and all reviews are my own unbiased opinion. It was about 30 bucks on Amazon and definitely worth the money)