Pregnancy Massage & Prenatal Yoga (2pc) [VHS]

Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 5:52 am

Manufacturer: Gaiam
Customer Rating:
List Price: $34.98
Sale Price: $3.09
Availibility: View Product Availability

Buy Now

Product Description

An obliging father-to-be performs head-to-toe (actually, toe-to-head) massage on his appreciative partner in the too-good-to-be-true instructional video Pregnancy Massage. Still, it's worth a shot at guilting your partner into one of the three massages described in detail by massage therapist Michelle Kluck as the couple demonstrates each stroke. Much of the 25-minute video is dedicated to the feet and legs, as Kluck emphasizes the therapeutic benefit on the onslaught of symptoms a pregnant woman deals with in these body parts. Time is also spent on a back and shoulder massage and one for the head and neck. Kluck outlines the special conditions of a prenatal rubdown and on-screen graphics pop up to show reflexology points and a cutaway view of the pregnant body. Kluck asserts that massage can prevent many prenatal ailments without backing up her claim, but you don't have to tell your partner that part.

The best thing about Prenatal Yoga is that there is a model for each trimester. Instructor Shiva Rea demonstrates each of the stretches and exercises for the first trimester, and two pregnant women show modifications for the second and third trimesters (they're even dressed in different colors for easy reference). This removes the self-doubt home-exercisers often have about the safety of certain moves--especially in that cumbersome final stage of pregnancy. Using gentle voiceover instruction, Shea and her assistants take viewers through a half-hour of meditational stretches using blocks and chairs for support. She follows that up with 16 minutes of floor work: lunge pose, bridge pose, child's pose, plank pose--all with the necessary adjustments. She winds things up with a four-minute guided relaxation on her back--the traditional position--with the second-trimester woman on her side and the third on her side with one leg up on a chair. By including the different adaptations, Shea has made a program with the flexibility to carry an expectant mom through her entire pregnancy--and beyond, if she wishes. --Kimberly Heinrichs