Fitness DVD Review: Erin O'Brien's Prenatal Fitness Fix

Erin O'Brien's Prenatal Fitness Fix stands out among the entire line of pregnancy workout DVDs on the market. It can be used by someone who is a fitness fanatic, or by someone who is just getting started.

Erin O'Brien is no stranger to fitness and exercise. She works as a personal trainer, and has created this custom workout specifically for pregnant women of any fitness level. She herself is pregnant in this DVD, which is great for a pregnant woman who is feeling uncomfortable about her growing belly.

The DVD has two separate exercise routines. One is a 40-minute individual exercise routine, and the second is a partner workout. Erin takes you through the individual workout on her own, and in the second, partners up with her husband, James Denton (actor, Desperate Housewives) for a 20-minute workout that you can do with any partner. In the partner workout, you will be doing most of the exercising - you'll just rely on your partner for support.

The individual exercise routine is great. It starts out with a list of precautions to take when working out while pregnant (such as drinking water, keeping the area cool and well ventilated so you don't get overheated, and not being afraid to take a bathroom break). The warm-up portion of this exercise routine is a bit longer than I was used to, but Erin explains in the video that this is done because it takes pregnant women longer to get warmed up.

The next segment of the workout is dynamic movement, which takes you through a series of low-impact exercise to strengthen and tone, as well as improve flexibility and stamina. If you are a beginner to working out, Erin also provides alternative positions and movements to help keep you comfortable. She also reminds you to keep your heart rate down, drink water, and even provides a short bathroom break in the middle of this segment.

The third portion of the workout takes you through some floor work. You'll work through a series of isometric and Pilates positions to also provide tone and flexibility to your muscles.