Review of Carol Smillie's 'CHANGING SHAPE'

GET BACK IN SHAPE IN 12 WEEKS

Available from Woolworths and other high street stores £12.99

This video has a refreshingly different flavour with an excellent down-to-earth approach – you are encouraged to take as much exercise as you can as part of your everyday life! Take your baby out in the pram and go for a good quality walk – hints and tips are given for good technique.

The friendly interaction between Carol and her personal trainer Julie Hanson Moore is refreshing and easy to follow, and made me feel that I wanted to work along with them.

The floor exercises are progressive and there are several new abdominal exercises for teachers to add to their repertoire.

What I like about this video is:

Aerobic exercise comes from a ‘power walk’ in the fresh air – lets be realistic not everyone has access to a postnatal exercise class three times a week with a crèche!

That everyday item the pram is used (with the break on!) for balance during the stretches

There is a clearly shown floor section, which concentrates on locating the deep muscles for good ‘core stability’

The video is divided into easy to identify sections – pregnancy, early postnatal period, slightly harder for six weeks and plus and then a harder section again.

Some exercises are quite challenging and Julie reiterates that if they don’t feel right to you or if you have any pain, especially in the back, then to leave them out. Above all be guided by how your body feels, she says.

It is possible to make some minor criticism, but I know this video would be useful for postnatal exercise teachers to access new floor exercises and to add to their library. Mothers too will, I believe, find this a motivating video.

Meg Walker