Post-natal DVDs, yay or nay?

Let me start off by saying that I am not a fan of exercise DVDs, CDs, videos, etc. I am a really hands on person and I would rather be in a studio with an equipment, or someone in front of me, directing my every move. When I was expecting my daughter, I received a lot of prenatal DVDs and post-natal DVDs, to try out. Of course, since they were gifts, I felt obligated to at least, turn them on and watch them for a brief exercise. I didn't want to be asked, "How did you like it?",and then have to lie to them, that the exercises were great. It's not in myself, to lie like that. None of the workout DVDs caught my attention, and they just seemed too long and dragged out. I felt like I could do a better job inventing my own day to day routines.

When I received, chicks-n-chickens Lullaby Exercises, I immediately thought, another exercise DVD that is going to attempt in trying to make exercising fun. The packaging was very cute and printed on recycled paper. I loved the name chicks-n-chickens (groove,sleep, enjoy). But will this be enough for me to really enjoy this DVD. I left the DVD on my laptop table, and then went and took a nice relaxing bath. I thought about it, and said, let's give this one a shot. I haven't heard about lullaby exercises, and the pictures on the cover show moms exercising with their babies, in a sling. Now, that's a new concept.

Being pregnant for the second time, I thought about what sort of exercises I would want to do, after I had the baby. I just think it's healthy to do some form of physical activity, after having your baby, even if it's super low impact. However, I remembered back to when I had my daughter, and I had no time for anything, sleep became a luxury. So where would I find the time to go to a studio and work out? And who is going to take care of the baby, if I do? Hmm, those are definite legitimate questions, you ask yourself as a mother.

When I started the chicks-n-chickens DVD, it started with founder Darcy Novo Albrecht, giving us a little insight about the DVD, and just a true genuine warm welcome. Immediately, I was drawn in. You could tell she was passionate about this exercise program she developed, and what it would do for other mothers. Every exercise starts off with a title, and a message underneath, such as "patience." The DVD is divided up into two sections, one is "groove", and the other is "sleep." She started off with a warm-up exercise, and it was so great to see mothers and babies grooving to the music. Of course, half the babies were sleeping, but you could tell they were at peace. The exercises were pretty simple and easy to do, which is great news for people who are not really coordinated. I know of people who gave up on mainstream exercise DVDs, for the mere fact that they were just too hard to follow. Each exercise progresses, and you can tell the mothers are getting a workout. You actually see them breathing and getting into it. Remember they are mothers, not hand chosen fitness buffs to perform workout routines.

I loved that all the exercises were standing up. Darcy, introduces us to a standing pushup, as well as a standing sit up. Now, that is awesome. I don't know about you, but we sit as we breastfeed, we sit as we cradle our baby, and we sit doing a lot of things, when our child is very little. So it was great to see that the exercises were standing up. And the tempo picked up with every exercise. The next section, is "sleep." I really enjoyed this section, and it literally put me in the zone, the zone to fall asleep. It was beautiful to see the moms, swaying with their babies, looking into their eyes, and really bonding with them. You even see Darcy, in one segment, with tears in her eyes. I love that because, how many times do we look at our child, and we have tears of joy. It's so special.

The chicks-n-chickens DVD, is a must have for new moms. I would even put this on my baby registry. You can do these exercises in the privacy of your home and at the same time, bond with your little one. This is the first exercise DVD that I have come across, that means more than just exercising for your waistline. It's about the connection and bond you build with your baby, as you reconnect with your own body. Please visit Darcy and chicks-n-chickens at: http://www.chicks-n-chickens.com/.