Maternal Fitness

“It's my labor--and I'll breathe while I'm pushing and I'll squat while I'm pushing. It's my labor; it's my labor; to myself and my body I'll be true!” This annoying and unintentionally comical feminist anthem ushers in this otherwise sensible tape about prenatal exercise. Julie Tupler, RN, has created "The Tupler Technique" for preparing for childbirth, which emphasizes correct breathing, strengthening the transverse abdominal muscles, and relaxing and stretching the PC muscle. To achieve this, she presents exercises (enhanced by excellent computer animation illustrating the muscle groups being worked) using the acronym B.A.K.S.: "B" for belly breathing, "A" for abdominal, "K" for Kegels, and "S" for squatting. Featuring three “real” multicultural couples (the men occasionally looking as if they wish they weren't listening to earnest discussions of the pubococcygeus muscle), Maternal Fitness is a solid pre-natal exercise program built around a demanding (by the end of six weeks, women are expected to do 1,000 reps a day!) but popular (Elle Macpherson backs it) technique. Although twice the price of similar fare (such as Modern Moves for Pregnancy Fitness [VL-9/91]), this three-hour-plus program is also far more comprehensive. Recommended. [Packaging note: an exercise stretching band is included]. Aud: P. (R. Reagan)