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September 21, 2009August 26, 2009Exercise & Shortness of Breath in the Last Trimester:
Even if you were in good shape pre-pregnancy, you are probably finding yourself out of breath at the top of a flight of stairs especially in the final trimester. The reason for this breathlessness is that by the time you are in your 36th week, your uterus has expanded to about 1,000 times its normal size. This means the more it grows the more it presses against your diaphragm. Your lungs have less room to operate. This shortness of breath may tempt you to quit exercising. However, quite the opposite is true. A study compared sedentary pregnant women with pregnant women who were rode a stationary bike three days a week for 25 minutes each time. Researchers found the women who exercised had less severe symptoms of breathlessness. This led them to speculate that physical conditioning may make the mechanics of breathing more efficient and may help prevent and treat pregnancy-induced shortness of breath.
The Bottom Line:
If you feel out of breath, slow down or stop and rest. But don’t stop exercising all together. Stay active and continue to exercise because of the potential benefits. July 27, 2009The 3rd Trimester: What you are facing and how to deal with it…
So you thought you were clumsy last trimester? Watch out! It gets worse! Although your bulging belly is fun for most people to see AND feel, it can also cause falls if you aren’t careful! -wear shoes that fit well, with little to no heel -watch out for hazards, be especially careful of wet floors! -use your core (especially the abdominals between your hip bones) by pulling them in toward your spine slightly, this will help your balance and help ease back pain
Lack of Motivation:
Some women have lots of energy while others feel tired all the time. If you are one of the latter, give yourself a break, your baby is probably taking a lot of your energy! If you need to, take a couple days off. You can always do your exercise at another time. Remember there are seven days in a week and you don’t have to push your workouts all into the first two!!
Feeling Overwhelmed:
This is a very exciting, yet anxious time of your pregnancy. There will be a lot on your mind. Besides taking time off, you need to take time for yourself, go to a spa, get your hair done. But don’t forget to exercise too. This will help you focus on something else besides the coming birth and baby and give you’re an adrenaline rush that will lift your spirits. You will also feel good that you’ve done something positive for both you and your baby!
Learning to Slow Down:
a bit. Ease up on yourself, take more time to rest between sets, and decrease your repetitions a bit. Be sure you are not pushing yourself too hard.
If you have any problems, STOP and consult your Physician! As always the most important things are you & your baby.
July 13, 2009How cardiovascular workouts can help you with labor.Remember that labor, with or without drugs is hard and you will need endurance and strength to get through it. The more fit your heart is, the more energy and endurance you’ll have for you and your baby’s big event! So…how do you get a more fit heart? Cardiovascular fitness, of course! A strong heart is better able to supply your hardworking muscles with freshly oxygenated blood, which keeps them primed for action. And, if you want to go straight to the heart of the issue, women in the real world have testified to the fact that being fit helped them tolerate labor pain better and increased their stamina to endure the whole labor, pain AND pushing! There is no single way to get in good cardiovascular fitness. There are many ways! Remember to consider your fitness level first and foremost and then the Borg Scaled of Perceived Exertion. You should stay around a 2 to 4 for your cardiovascular work. If you cannot talk while you are working out, you are probably at too high of an intensity. You can also switch it up, walking one day, swimming the next or any combination you want. You should try to get in 2 to 3 days of cardiovascular work depending on how you are feeling! June 30, 2009Proper form for your Pre Natal walks !Although walking is a great way to get your cardiovascular exercise in, there are some things to watch out for. You want to be sure to not harm yourself or lose your balance on one of your walks. Just keep the following in mind: Be sure to watch your posture while you are walking! Keep you abdominals between your hip bones pulled in so that you’re back doesn’t go into “sway back.” This could cause of intensify back strain and pain. Keep your chest out and shoulders back and down. Think of a string attached to the top of your head and it is pulling you towards the sky. Try to keep your feet straight ahead, not turned out to the hips. However, don’t watch your feet, this will cause you to lean forward, destroying your posture and putting more strain on your head, spine, and back. Swimming, another excellent pre-natal cardiovascular workoutSwimming is one of the best exercises a pregnant woman can do. It helps keep you from overheating and keeps you safe from injury by avoiding jarring movements. It also makes your body bouyant so the extra pounds don’t feel so hard to carry. I loved swimming during my pregnancy, even though I am not a particularly good swimmer, it just felt good. The Benefits of Swimming While Pregnant:
-It’s good for anyone, no matter your fitness level!
-No matter how much weight you’ve gained, you’re “weightless” in the pool! -Being in the pool aids your posture. The water can also act as a sort of massage! -Being shoulder-deep water can help decrease your overall blood pressure! -It can increase circulation and relief from swelling!
-It’s relaxing
June 29, 2009An Awesome Choice for Pre-natal Cardiovascular WorkoutsOften in our technological age we have a tendency to think it’s
not really exercise unless we are running, on a treadmill or in a class with a bunch of other sweaty people. But fortunately that is NOT true!!! Walking is exercise too! Walking is simple and quick, just put on an old t-shirt, some shorts, a well fitting pair of tennis shoes and you are off!! You Can walk just about anywhere, on the sidewalk, in the park, at the mall, you can even get a lot of walking done at Disneyland or your county fair! So, if you are doing your cardio work and don’t want to go to
the gym, just check your watch and get out and walk for 30 minutes or so! I enjoy it a ton better than in the gym on a treadmill and you get to see a change of scenery, not just the same old thing minute after minute.
Low impact, appropriate form of aerobic exercise. Since you
Low impact, appropriate form of aerobic exercise. Since you probably already know how to walk, you won’t have to learn. You can make walking as hard or as easy as you want it quite easily. While your balance and coordination get worse, walking doesn’t require a great deal of skill or balance.
probably already know how to walk, you
won’t have to learn. You can make walking as hard or as easy as you want it quite easily. While your balance and coordination get worse, walking doesn’t require a great deal of skill or balance.
June 23, 2009Don’t stop strength training during pregnancy…!
If you begin to wonder as the months go by if strength training is a good exercise for you, worry no longer! Most women don’t want to “bulk up,” especially during pregnancy. Well, that’s good because the goal of weight training during (and even after) your pre natal months is strength and resiliency, not muscle building! The following are some of the many benefits of strength (weight) training during pregnancy: -Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat (which burns next to nothing anytime!) -Effective exercises of strength training require less time than other types of exercise -Weight training helps prevent osteoporosis by building bones -Strength training helps reduce stress levels -Strength training aids rest and sleep -Strength training improves posture, balance, and joint stability. June 18, 2009How to breathe right while weight training.As with everthing else in pregnancy, breathing right is also important in your workouts. Keep in mind that as you breathe, you are also taking in oxygen for your baby. The same oxygen that helps you with your workout, nourishes your little baby. As you exhale you are “detoxifying” your body by releasing carbon dioxide. DO’S: -Breathe normally -Exhale on exertion -Inhale as you lower or return weights to starting position DON’TS: -Don’t hold your breath -Don’t do the “vasalva maneuver.” This involves forcefully exhaling air while not releasing air from your lungs. This is much like the breathing done during a bowel movement. This can cause problems in intr-abdominal pressure and cause problems for your pregnancy. June 4, 2009Exercise & Shortness of Breath.Even if you were in good shape pre-pregnancy, you are probably finding yourself out of breath at the top of a flight of stairs especially in the final trimester. The reason for this breathlessness is that by the time you are in your 36th week, your uterus has expanded to about 1,000 times its normal size. This means the more it grows the more it presses against your diaphragm. Your lungs have less room to operate. This shortness of breath may tempt you to quit exercising. However, quite the opposite is true. A study compared sedentary pregnant women with pregnant women who were rode a stationary bike three days a week for 25 minutes each time. Researchers found the women who exercised had less severe symptoms of breathlessness. This led them to speculate that physical conditioning may make the mechanics of breathing more efficient and may help prevent and treat pregnancy-induced shortness of breath.
The Bottom Line:
If you feel out of breath, slow down or stop and rest. But if your Doctor has cleared you for exercise, don’t stop all together. Stay active and continue to exercise because of the potential benefits to you and your baby!
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