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November 18, 2008
Most pregnant women will be overheated at one time or another, especially if you are pre natal during the heat of summer like I was!
You basal metabolic rate (the rate at which your body expends energy at rest) is up by about 20%! Not only will you be overheated, but also perspire more.
What to do about it:
-dress in breathable fabrics like cotton
-avoid exercising in the heat of the day
-quit exercise before you feel overheated
-stay out of the sun whenever possible, otherwise be sure to wear
sunscreen
-take a tepid bath or shower
-go swimming
-stay in air conditioned comfort whenever possible (I found the
malls to be a great place to spend a little time. I often would go to
the mall and take a walk while “window shopping!)
-DRINK more water (try carrying a water bottle wherever you go,
I did and it really helped me get in all my water!)
Be aware of the cold:
Although most pregnant women are overly warm even in the winter,
you should take some cold weather precautions as well. Lower temps
may reduce blood flow to the placenta therefore reducing the amount
of nutrients to your baby.
-dress warmly in winter months and don’t forget your hat!
-use layers so that you can peel them off if you start to heat up
Rebecca E. Davison, CPT
www.fitandfabulouspregnancy.com
November 17, 2008
The average American gains from 8 to 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and the New Year. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen to you. There are several things you can do to help keep those extra pounds off and still enjoy this wonderful season:
1. Pick one thing everyday that you want to have….a sugar cookie, a peice of pumkin pie, your Grandmother’s special fudge. The trick here is to enjoy but not overindulge.
2. Don’t skip your healthy food or meals. If you do hunger may overcome will power and the candy on your co-worker’s desk may become your lunch.
3. Drink plenty of water. This will help stave off hunger and cravings. 60 to 80 ounces is best.
4. If you are going to overdo it, only do it on Thanksgiving day and Christmas day. Two or three days is better than the whole season.
Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!
Rebecca E. Davison, CPT
www.fitandfabulouspregnancy.com
November 12, 2008
We would love for you to check out Fit and Fabulous Pregnancy’s press release at http://www.prlog.org/10045858.html
We are excited to be part of your life during your pregnancy and we hope to be a big help to you!! Please let us know if you have any questions!! We want to hear from you! Please e-mail me at rebecca@fitandfabulouspregnancy.com
Rebecca E. Davison, CPT
www.fitandfabulouspregnancy.com
November 11, 2008
*If you have ANY of the following warning signs during exercise STOP immediately and call your doctor.
-vaginal bleeding
-dizziness or feeling faint
-increased shortness of breath
-chest pain
-headache
-muscle weakness
-calf pain or swelling
-uterine contractions
-decreased fetal movement
-fluid leaking from the vagina
Rebecca E. Davison, CPT
www.fitandfabulouspregnancy.com
Now that I’m a mother and I’ve been through a pregnancy, I know it is very scary being a mother-to-be. Besides all of the normal worries, most women are concerned with wanting to stay fit and not gaining excess weight. Believe me, I worried about that. I also worried that I would hurt my growing baby by doing my regular strength training workouts that included lifting weights.
Since I’m a trainer you may think that I would already know what I could and could not do during my prenatal period, but alas, I was only certified to train regular women, not pregnant ones! I started asking around, but everyone had something different to say and now instead of just fear, I added confusion to the list of unwanted emotions that I was feeling. So instead of listening to everyone else, I decided to become an authority on pregnancy exercise myself. I became certified in prenatal fitness and exercise. Soon I felt competent to train myself as well as other women who wanted to stay in shape during those important 9 months.
Fortunately I found out that strength training during pregnancy can be perfectly safe, with several crucial modifications. In fact, strength training can be a great way to keep in shape and even improve your fitness level during pregnancy.
Following are some of the benefits of strength training during pregnancy:
- Strengthens and tones muscles
- Gives you more energy and stamina
- Improves your abdominal strength
- Promotes sleep
- Improves fitness of heart and lungs
- Lifts your mood
- Can help alleviate many of the symptoms of pregnancy:Aches and pains
Constipation
Swelling and bloating
Stress and anxiety
Excessive weight gain
Pregnancy is not the time to lift heavy weights, or push yourself to the point of exhaustion. This is the time to lift lighter weights and do more repetitions. You should also monitor your intensity so that you feel good not only during the workout, but the whole day as well. Remember your body is already doing a tremendous amount of work and anything you do now is harder than it was when you were not pregnant. Use your common sense and give yourself rest periods or stop the workout completely if you are feeling too tired.
Rebecca E. Davison, CPT
www.fitandfabulouspregnancy.com
All the pains, hardships, and symptoms are gone, the worries and fears of birth and delivery are over, AND you now have a beautiful little baby to love! ALL great reasons to celebrate and rejoice!!
Unfortunately, pregnancy and delivery often leave their mark on our bodies. Excess weight, stretched skin and muscles that have gotten weaker can all do a number on our self esteem! One of the things that will help us get it all back is working out, strength training, cardio work, core work. So now the question is WHEN?
There is no ONE answer, there are probably as many answers as there are people. First of all, you need to ask your OB/GYN. The first thing you need to take into consideration is whether or not it would be healthy for you. If you’ve had a normal vaginal birth the answer is usually 4 weeks, but if you’ve had a C-Section or a hard birth, the answer is usually 6 or more weeks. Many women want to start the day after, however, that is not always the best solution and can lead to problems and injuries down the road that will make you take even more time off later. Others may want to wait to workout until there “baby” is school age, which usually leads to other health issues and problems.
So, be sure to check with you OB/GYN first, take their advice and decide what feels right, then get moving!!
Rebecca E. Davison, CPT
www.fitandfabulouspregnancy.com
November 10, 2008
Congratulations! You’re pregnant! And now you are eating for your growing baby as well as for yourself. And if you are like most women, you are worried about what and how much to eat during your prenatal months.
You’ve probably heard at least one person say, “you’re eating for two now, so you don’t have to worry about how much you eat!” Many people think that pregnancy is a food free for all. Well, sorry to say, that just isn’t true. You do need more calories, but not nearly as many as you may think.
Your baby will need around 85,000 calories before it’s born. That IS a lot of food, however, if you divide that up between your 9 months of pregnancy that comes out to be only just over 300 calories per day! It is recommended that you eat 200 to 300 calories more than your maintenance calories in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters especially. Although 300 calories may sound like a lot, it is easily consumed especially if you are eating high calorie, low nutrient foods. However, if you eat lower calorie, high nutrient foods, you can eat much more!
Poor Choice: Eat just a small order of French fries and you are already over the 300 mark and not much nutrition for you and your growing baby.
Much Better Choice: If you stick with lower fat, higher nutrient foods you can eat much more. You could have a whole cup of low fat yogurt AND a whole cup of strawberries for just under 300 calories and a lot more nutritional value, your baby will thank you!
*Remember – if you snack on Doritos and Twinkies, so does your baby! If you snack on carrots and cottage cheese, so does your baby!
Rebecca E. Davison, CPT
www.fitandfabulouspregnancy.com
Do you get a gym membership or stay at home to workout? That IS the question!
Have you been considering joining a gym to get in shape? If so, here are some things to consider.
- Do you have someone who can watch your new baby while you go to the gym?
- Do you enjoy being around other people even when you are sweaty and tired?
- Do you enjoy doing cardio on a machine such as treadmill or elliptical?
- Do you enjoy doing exercise classes such as cycling classes?
- Are you more motivated to work out if you are around other people who are doing the same thing?
- Do you mind paying a fee each month to use a facility?
If your answer to the majority of these questions is YES, than you would most likely enjoy the gym atmosphere to workout.
- Do you have more than one baby?
- Are you home by yourself and have nobody to babysit?
- Would you prefer to be by yourself when you are exercising?
- Do you enjoy doing cardio outside? (walking, running, etc)
- Are you highly motivated without outside stimulation?
- Do you have or could you get some minor exercise equipment and keep it at your home?
If your answer to the majority of these questions is YES, than you would most likely enjoy staying at home to workout.
However, in the end it is YOUR decision and you know yourself and your level of motivation better than anyone. Many women love to workout at home and have no problem getting it done and love the freedom it offers because they can workout whenever they want to (as long as their baby is sleeping or happy). Many other women love to workout at the gym because they feel more motivated there and they get to get away from everything at home for a while.
If you don’t mind paying the monthly fee AND getting the equipment, you may want to do some of both. When you can, go to the gym, when it isn’t convenient, and you have trouble getting away from your new baby, workout at home!
Rebecca E. Davison, CPT
www.fitandfabulouspregnancy.com
November 5, 2008
Lose the pregnancy weight quickly
Strengthen and tone weak muscles from pregnancy
Give yourself much deserved “me” time
Helps relieve stress
Can help relieve post partum depression
Boosts stamina for taking care of all your “motherly” duties
Increases ability to lift, carry, and play with our babies
Helps increase energy level
Increases self esteem
Rebecca E. Davison, CPT
www.fitandfabulouspregnancy.com
November 2, 2008
- Check with your physician and/or midwife to find out what a healthy weight gain for you is during pregnancy.
- Add approximately 200 to 300 calories to your maintenance pre-pregnancy diet during your prenatal months, especially in your 2nd and 3rd trimesters.
- Choose foods low in fat, sugar, and cholesterol.
- Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
- Choose lean cuts of protein.
- Cut out alcohol.
- Keep intake of caffeine drinks to a minimum (under 300 milligrams a day).
- Drink plenty of water (at least 64 to 80 ounces a day).
- Eat sugars in moderation.
- Give yourself a break now and then, it’s okay to enjoy a bowl of ice-cream or a cupcake; just don’t eat all your calories that way!
Rebecca E. Davison, CPT
www.fitandfabulouspregnancy.com
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