A Simple Exercise for a Better Pregnancy and Delivery (Part 1)

There are a couple of very easy exercises that I like to do with expectant mamas that help to relieve discomforts during pregnancy and prepare them for labor and delivery. In class, we do them on a stability ball but they can be done standing and seated as well.

The first is called pelvic tilts. To do pelvic tilts:
-Sit on top of the ball with your feet hip width apart and flat on the floor.
-Engage the abs and roll the shoulder blades back. Sit as tall as possible.
-Slide your hips slightly forward on the ball. (The ball will move with you)
-Slide your hips back (moving past your starting position so that your tailbone is tilted behind you.)

Click here for a video demonstration.

You can repeat this exercise as many times as you can. Start with a small amount of repetitions (10) and increase as you go along. If you are early in your pregnancy, this will seem easy, but it is good to do to prepare your hips for labor. This exercise is also good for relieving lower back pain and can be done after you have the baby as well. (Babies love to be held during exercises on the ball.)

In class we do a set of these in between other exercises as a "break" but you can also do pelvic tilts as an exercise on their own.

Getting the Arms Ready for Beach Season (Part 2)

The other great exercise for sculpting wonderful arms for the summer is tricep dips. The triceps are the muscles in the back of the arms.

Dips are great because they are a body weight exercise and can be done anywhere there is a chair or bench.

First, make sure that the bench or chair is stable and won't move.

1) Sit on the very edge of the bench/chair with your hands on the edge of the bench very close to (touching) your body.
2) Pull your elbows in towards each other behind you and roll your shoulder blades back.
4) Bend your knees and walk your feet back so that your ankles are under your knees.
3) Slide your body forward so you are no longer sitting on the bench but your back and butt is touching the bench.
4) Bend your elbows and lower your body down as far as possible.
5) Push straight back up.

Repeat this as many times as you can working your way up to 15 straight reps. When you can do 15 reps without a break, you can try doing dips with your legs straight out.

It is important that you keep your body against the bench and that you use your arms to perform this exercise. Do not move your hips or any other part of your body.

Do 2-3 sets of these 2-3 days a week with your pushups and your arms will be the envy of all your friends!

Here is a good video of how to do tricep dips. (I know he is a man, but he shows good technique) :)

More Fun with Pushups

Here is another way to build strength, work up to doing pushups on the floor, sculpt beautiful arms and have fun. Read a good article from Women's Health Magazine.

P.S. To all you moms out there who think that doing pushups is impossible, just think how strong your arms already are from lifting children, car seats, strollers, groceries...Pushups will be a piece of cake!

P.S. again Expectant moms can do pushups too!

Getting the Arms Ready for Beach Season (Part 1)

The best exercise for getting your arms ready for the summer is pushups. (Did I just hear a groan?) :) It's true, pushups will sculpt your arms much better than bicep curls.



My clients know, I do not believe in "girlie" pushups where your knees are on the floor. But there is a way to work up to doing pushups on your toes:incline pushups.

To do incline pushups, all you need is an elevated surface: a window sill, a counter top, a bench, table, sofa, etc. The surface just needs to be wide enough so that your hands can be wider than your shoulders when you perform the pushup. From here, everything else is the same:

1) Walk your feet back so that your body is straight.
2) Tuck your tail bone under and come up onto your toes, shifting forward so that your chest will land between your hands.
3) Your hands are wider than your shoulders but in line with your shoulders.
4) Bend your elbows and lower your chest towards the bench (or table or window sill, etc) Make sure that your whole body comes down in one piece.

If it is too difficult and you can only do a couple of pushups, find a higher surface. The reason why regular pushups on the floor are so difficult is because gravity has a greater effect when you are parallel to the ground. (yes, I did pay attention in physics on occasion.) :) The higher the surface you choose the less challenging the pushup will be. You want to be able to do at least 10 and then work your way up to 15 repetitions. Once you can do 15 with no sweat (figuratively) then find a lower surface to use. You will be doing pushups on the floor in no time!

Do 2-3 sets of these 2-3 times per week to get your arms ready for the summer and to be stronger than you ever thought possible!

Act Like a Kid Again

Want to find ways to sneak some cardio into your day? All you need to do is think like a kid again! Remember all those things that you used to do for fun at the playground, on the black top at recess or in the back yard? Well, they are good options for fun and fitness as an adult!

Here are some examples of how you can act like a kid again to get yourself in shape:
1) Jump Rope-It used to be so easy and we used to do it all the time for fun! Now it is a great way to burn calories!
2) Do Jumping Jacks-another great way to burn calories.
3) Go roller skating (or roller blading)
4) Run or jog (Have you ever noticed how little kids run all the time?)
5) Play kickball! This was one of my favorite games growing up. Even if I had a dress on, you could not stop me from playing kickball. There are adult kickboxing leagues that you can join. Kickball isn't your thing? There are plenty of organized adult teams that you can join. The DC area has several flag football leagues. Most work places have softball teams.

What are some things that you used to do as a kid that would make good, calorie-burning activity now? Watch your kids while they are playing. What do they do that inspires you?

Mama Said Knock You Out

No, this isn't about LL Cool J. It's about Jennifer Salinas, a DC area mother of 2 who has a passion for boxing.



You may not be interested in going pro, but boxing classes (or DVDs) are a great way to stay in shape. And they are not just for men, anymore. The constant movement involved in boxing will help you burn a lot of calories, while sculpting your upper and lower body. Most gyms offer some variation of boxing on their group fitness schedule (kickboxing, cardio boxing, etc.) and boxing gyms that offer group fitness classes are becoming very popular these days.

Morning Sickness Mender Shake

Having morning sickness? Try this smoothie from "The Ultimate Book of Smoothies" by Cherie Calbom. It is very thin and helps when you can't keep much down. It includes ginger root, which helps an upset stomach (this is why I have always considered ginger ale to be a miracle drug). The mint helps with digestion.

*If you use fruit juices, try to find ones with low or no sugar.

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups apple juice (3 apples juiced)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 to 2 inch chunk of gingerroot, juiced or grated
8 fresh mint leaves
6 ice cubes

Pour the apple, lemon and ginger juices into a blender and add the mint and ice. Blend on high speed until smooth and serve immediately.

Try it out and let me know what you think!