pregnancy fitness: 10 Minute Solutions Prenatal Pilates

I ordered Lizbeth Garcia’s 10 Minute Solutions Prenatal Pilates off Amazon a few days ago, and tried it out as soon as it arrived on my doorstep. I had been getting bored with my exercise routine, so I decided I needed something new to switch things up a bit. I also liked the idea that I could squeeze in a workout – even if it’s only for 10 minutes! I’ve only done Pilates a few times in the past, so I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into but really excited to try!

Ruby is modeling with the DVD case because she decided to use it as a chew toy – naughty puppy! Maybe she wasn’t impressed with my living room performance :)

10 Minute Solution

The 10 Minute Solutions DVD offers 6 different 10 minute segments – 5 are prenatal and 1 is a postnatal bonus workout. So in theory you could create a workout ranging from 10 to 50 minutes all with this one DVD! All you need for “equipment” are 1-3 pound hand weights, a yoga mat and a pillow. Easy peasy! The 5 10 Minute Solutions Prenatal Pilates workouts are as follows:

  1. Pilates for Buns and Thighs
  2. Standing Pilates
  3. Core Pilates
  4. Pilates for Flexibility
  5. Total Body Pilates

So far I have tried Buns and Thighs, Standing and Total Body. I did all three in a row on Saturday and then again today. I really liked each segment! My body felt challenged, but at no point did my “bump” feel too uncomfortable or that I had gotten myself into some sort of dangerous position. Lizbeth is easy to follow and clear about the movements and breathing expectations. The camera angles are basic and the music is and actually quite nice (which is seldom for fitness DVDs)!

The Buns and Thighs segment reminds me a lot of a condensed Brazil Butt Lift, and I can definitely “feel the burn” by the end of the 10 minutes, haha. The Standing Pilates is probably my favorite because it really loosens up my back and hips. It incorporates a lot of lunges and some good stretching with weights. The Total Body segment is the hardest for me. I’ve never had great upper body strength, so my arms are on fire about 3 minutes into the workout. It’s a good challenge though, and I could definitely use the toning!

I’m excited to try the 10 Minute Flexibility segment! I’ve realized in the past few months how much of my flexibility has disappeared (no more splits for this girl!). I think staying limber will help ease the aches and pains associated with the finals weeks of pregnancy as well. I’m a little apprehensive about the core segment. My core is another historically weak area and with my growing belly, I’m more conscious than ever about my midsection. I know a solid core is essential, but I am a little worried about doing something I shouldn’t with a baby growing in there. Maybe I’ll watch the segment once before giving it a try :)

Overall, I am REALLY happy with this purchase, and I will definitely be using the 10 Minute Solutions segments throughout the week! I would highly recommend it to anyone, pregnant or not!

Have you ever tried Pilates? What are the main criteria for your exercise choices?

 

pregnancy fitness: denise austin fit & firm

In all honesty, ever since J and I returned home from the honeymoon back in August, my exercise routine has severely suffered. I hardly stepped foot in the gym in September, and then when I got pregnant, I was in no shape for exercise (aka: it’s extremely difficult to find motivation when you’re nauseous 24/7). When I finally hit the 2nd trimester (yay!), I returned to the gym and started regularly running intervals and doing mild upper-body work.

Now at 18 weeks, running is less comfortable, and I’m trying to be mindful of how high I get my heart rate up. I continue to jog on the treadmill, but only at a pace where I can maintain conversation. With my “go to” gym routine becoming less feasible, I knew it was time to find a better alternative. I did some research and asked some of the pregnant mommas I follow on Twitter for suggestions – the Denise Austin Fit & Firm Pregnancy DVD had good reviews on Amazon, required little equipment (hand weights and pillows) and was a reasonable price, so I decided to order it and give it a try. Ruby pup gets to be my audience as I fumble around the living room – she’s pretty much the only living being that I would allow to see me like this :)

denise austin fit and firm

The DVD arrived early last week, and I did my first 2 workouts (20 minutes each) the next morning. Before starting, I did the Breathing and Core Awareness segment. It was 5 minutes and a complete waste of time. It basically overviewed how to breathe – which I suppose could be useful if you’ve never done any type of exercise… ever.

Next I did the Cardio Workout. As I began I remember thinking, “Oh my gosh, this is going to be way too easy. WHY did I waste my money on this?!” But by the end, my heart rate was up, I was warm, and it was a lot of fun. It definitely wasn’t intense cardio, but as a pregnant momma, that’s not what we’re supposed to be aiming for anyways.

Next up was the 2nd Trimester Toning. Again, as it started it seemed way too easy. I did like that it targeted areas of my body that my normal routine doesn’t hit. Next time I do this segment, I’m going to use heavier weights. I may even pause the DVD and do more reps of certain moves.

The aspect I liked best about both the cardio and the toning was the stretching that was involved. A lot of times when I do cardio, I feel really tight at the end (from my core, all the way down). These segments really opened up my body and took pressure off my chest, back and hips. I definitely see this as a huge benefit at my pregnancy progresses.

Overall, for the price I paid for this DVD, I’m happy with my purchase. I am not good at just making up my own exercises, so adding this DVD  to my workout rotation will be really nice.

How have you had to alter your exercise routine? Do you have any suggestions for pregnant mommas?

Rock ‘n Sole 5K

J and I tackled our first 5K together yesterday. It was an extremely foggy morning on the Milwaukee lakefront, but the fog lifted right before the 7:20 start time. The route was great. We ran up the home bridge for mile 1, turned around and got a break on the downhill for mile 2 and then looped around the lakefront part of the Summerfest grounds for the mile 3 finish! Having J as a partner definitely kept me going. He let me set the pace and we ended up doing better than I expected with a 25:45 finish time! Our next 5K is in a couple of weeks back in Omaha – can’t wait! :)

rock 'n sole 5k finish line

Insanity done for the day – smoothie time!

fruit smoothie

What’s wrong with this picture?

 

What’s wrong with this picture?

Cute tank and yoga pants? Check
Water bottle? Check
Plenty of room to jump around? Check
Shaun T. ready to bring the pain? Check
Me? _______

I’m going to be completely honest with you guys – Insanity is not off to a great start. A couple of all-nighters for school kept me from starting the regimen as planned on Wednesday. I tried to start today and literally got sick about 2 minutes into the warm-up. I have no idea what happened. I’ve been going on 3-5 mile runs through the neighborhood, so I know it wasn’t a complete lack of physical ability. Still, it was pretty depressing. I tried to keep going, but I was running back to get sick about every two minutes. Not the most productive workout.

Anyways, if this past year has taught me anything about setting and achieving goals, I know that I can’t let a less than stellar start keep me from pushing forward. Despite Shaun T. screaming in my face, this is really a marathon and not a sprint. My calendar can be adjusted. My life can be flexible. That’s truly the only way to set myself up for success.

How do you stay on track? How have you found balance in your life?