shoulder exercises

They’re getting easier by the day!  I just completed my Perfect Pregnancy Workout DVD and was shocked when the “keep it up” shoulder exercise at the finished and I wasn’t even fatigued.  Yay for all those shoulder strengtheners in yoga class.  The exercise in this DVD consists of holding arms straight out to the sides, making fists with thumbs pointing up and doing small shoulder circles.  Keep it up for about 5 minutes.  Jane at Yoga Tree, where I take my Wednesday classes always talks us through four different types of shoulder strengtheners  while she reminds us we won’t be able to put our babies down just because our arms are tired.  One of these days I’m going to post some of these on my core page.  In the mean time, build those muscles!

Anyway, the rest of my workout today didn’t feel quite as good because every time I moved, my hip reminded me to take it easy.  I had to stop the hip rotations and leg lifts and one point to rest but other than needing to move slowly, I survived!  My stomach muscles (yes, they’re still there somewhere) must be staying semi-strong because none of the core work felt remotely challenging and let I mention again… my arms and shoulders are in good shape 🙂

the workout: 40 minute strength training DVD

gaining strength

The cold weather moved in today and my swim class was cancelled this morning (which I discovered after I’d risen early to get to the pool!), so after my afternoon nap I pulled out my new prenatal workout DVD.  I watched the instructions, put on running shoes, flipped my yoga mat to floor-side-up then collected the necessary chair, pillows, and cans of pumpkin (in place of hand weights).  I was charmed by the instructor’s French accent as she told her history with her twin sister in Cirque du Soleil and her plans to be back in shape 6 weeks after the baby’s arrival in order to film a new act.  She looked spectacularly good for 8 months pregnant and was totally inspiring.  Check out The Perfect Pregnancy Workout if you’re expecting anytime soon!

I stuck to most of the beginner modifications and only had to stop midway through the second set of tricep dips.  There was never a rest. For example, when I moved into child’s pose between sets of push-ups, I was instructed to do kegels and after my quads were burning from too many squats, I was told to hold the last squat and guess what was added?  Yep, more kegels.  The grand finale came in the form of arm circles for something like 5 minutes to “prepare my body for labor”.  I was encouraged to keep everything else loose and and my focus on the breath while my shoulders and arms fatigued.  This video is a complete body workout and I look forward to doing it regularly so I can become advanced 🙂