Guest Author - Angela England

Working out postpartum can be difficult, especially if you have more than one child like I do. I used to get a good cardiovascular workout by swimming on a regular basis but with three young children it would be impossible. Sara Holliday's Postnatal Total Body Toning Workout made postpartum exercising a joy to fit in to my schedule.

In the time it would have taken me to load three kids (plus stroller, plus diaper bag, etc) into the car to go to the park, I was able to complete the entire, 30 minute, full-body workout. Any mother would appreciate the upbeat music and quick pace of the workout presented by Sara Holliday.

A quick warm-up morphs into a series of kick boxing type moves that I found difficult to follow at first. The challenge was something I was up for though, and Sara kept my body moving. I never had a chance to get bored with any particular exercise, because we quickly changed directions, arm movements or steps. A boy did I work up a sweat!

The entire workout left me feeling energized and invigorated, although my first time through I did need to pause and get a glass of water because I was breathing a little heavy. I would encourage postpartum mothers to realize that this workout, like any postpartum exercise regime, can be tailored to their personal needs if necessary.

What I Loved About Postnatal Total Body Toning Workout
Fact Paced - The quick pace kept my energy level very high and held my interest through several viewings of the workout DVD. This is a workout for dreary days when you need that mental boost to combat the postpartum fog or blues.
Cardio Workout and Toning - Instead of focusing only on pilates types movements, or only on aerobic exercises, Sara Holliday does an excellent job of combining both elements in this DVD. My heart rate rose to a great level perfect for a cardio workout, while I was still able to get a stretch routine and core focused exercise too.
No Equipment Necessary - Unlike some workout DVD's that require me to use (and be able to find) a piece of equipment that might not be where I remember putting it, Postnatal Total Body Workout just uses your own body for resistance on the strengthening moves, and nothing but movements for the cardio elements.

What Could Have Been Improved
Sound Quality/Voice Overs - Rather than Sara speaking to you on the video as she's working out, the way you see in many DVD exercise programs, the Postnatal Total Body Workout uses a voice-over feature to present viewers with exercise directions. Sometimes the voice over is a little off on the timing and it can be a bit unnerving to hear Sara's voice while on-screen Sara is just smiling at you, but since I had to concentrate on my own movements it wasn't overly distracting.

Summary of Postnatal Total Body Workout
All-in-all, I found Postnatal Total Body Workout to be an upbeat workout that was energizing and left me with that feeling of satisfaction you get from a good exercise session. Postpartum health is so important, but often left for the last thing new mothers undertake - Sara's DVD makes working out fun so mothers will want to make time. My children did the workout alongside me and after the second viewing I was able to keep up a lot better. I liked being proud that I was taking care of myself in a healthy and positive way.

Purchase your own copy of Sara Holliday's Postnatal Total Body Toning Workout DVD from Amazon.com to give a friend, as a baby shower gift, or to get started on the road to health yourself!