Proper Hydration During Exercise for Expectant Mothers

It is important for anyone who is exercising to stay properly hydrated, however; it is especially important for expectant mothers.

According to Penn Medicine, during pregnancy, women "should drink up to 1 pint* of liquid before exercising and 1 cup of liquid every 20 minutes during exercise to maintain enough hydration for you and your baby. Even if you don't feel thirsty after exercising, it is important to refresh the fluids that you lost during the exercise. You can lose up to 1-2 quarts of fluid per hour in perspiration."

*For those of you who are wondering how much a pint is (like I was):
1 pint=2 cups or 16 fluid ounces

There is often a controversy as to whether it is better to drink water during exercise or a sports drink. Sports drinks claim to not only refresh fluid loss but to also replenish lost electrolytes, sodium and potassium. However, unless you are in a hard core training situation (like marathon training), this is not necessary. Plus, you should always beware when drinking sports drinks, as most of them contain a high amount of sugar and calories.

Listen to your body. If you feel thirsty, take a break for some water. Some other symptoms of dehydration are:
-Dizziness;
-Headaches;
-Urine that is dark yellow or has a strong smell;
-Less frequent urination;
-Nausea or vomiting;
-Weakness.

If you feel any of these symptoms, take a break to grab some water (sometimes a piece of fruit will help as well). If the symptoms persist, stop exercising and contact your doctor or midwife.

Remember, your water bottle should be your best friend during exercise!

A Simple Exercise for Pregnancy and Delivery (Part 2)

Another great exercise that is good during your pregnancy and also prepares you for labor and delivery is hip circles. In class, we do this on the ball, but you can also do this standing.

To do hip circles on the ball:
-Sit tall on the stability ball with your shoulder blades back and down, abs engaged and the top of your head towards the ceiling. Your feet are hip width apart (or a little wider).
-Without moving your upper body, begin to move your hips clockwise in a circular motion. Start by making small circles, with each one getting a little bigger.
-Once you have made the biggest circle you can, begin to move your hips counter clockwise in a circular motion. Start with making the biggest circle you can, with each one getting a little smaller.

Click here for a video demonstration (towards the end of the video).

This exercise can be done every day to start to prepare your hips for delivery. In my classes and during personal training, we do this exercise as a "break" between other strength exercises. This may not seem like much of an exercise in early pregnancy, but you will be happy that you did it during delivery. This can also be done during labor as a comfort technique.

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.

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!

Training for the Main Event

Are you looking to stay healthy and strong during your pregnancy while training for labor and delivery? Check out my FREE Pre-natal workout.

Before you start, however, make sure that you have your doctor's/midwife's consent to engage in physical activity. You know, just to be on the safe side.

Once you have his/her consent, it's time to get fit!

http://www.monkeysee.com/play/13573-how-to-work-out-during-pregnancy

Get on the Ball!

If you only ever invest in one piece of fitness "equipment" in your life, you should invest in a stability ball.

I love to show my clients how to do exercises on the stability ball. Almost any exercise that you would do on a traditional, stationary machine at the gym, can be done on the stability ball-only better.

Using the stability ball is better because you are forced to use your core muscles even while you are strengthening other muscle groups. Traditional, stationary machines at the gym only allow you to work one muscle group at a time. Using the ball is much more efficient by forcing you to recruit at least two muscle groups at once. (Try doing an exercise on the ball without engaging your abs)

This is where body awareness comes in. You have seen people on the quad machine before, doing their exercise while reading Us Weekly. They are not even paying attention! You can not do that while working on the ball. (Don't worry, you can read about John and Jen breaking up again when you are done.)

Expectant mamas will want to have one to use for exercises that help to open the hips and to use during labor.

The good thing is that these things are literally sold every where. You will find them at specialty sporting goods stores and websites but also in the fitness aisle of your favorite big box store, near the fitness section and your favorite big book store and even at your favorite discount stores.

The stability ball also serves as a great extra chair for guests!

Pick up one this weekend!

The Expectant Yogi

Yoga has a lot of benefits for expectant mothers. But what if you have never done yoga before? Read my article "The Expectant Yogi" to find out the benefits that yoga has for both veteran and newbie yogis.

Exercise During Pregnancy Benefits Mother and Child

This is a very interesting article about the benefits of pre-natal exercise on both mom and the baby.

http://www.naturalnews.com/025261.html

Yoga Pose of the Week-Pigeon

There is another pose that I would suggest doing every day during your pregnancy. (Actually I would suggest doing this pose every day for ever.) It is a wonderful pose for opening the hips. It also helps to alleviate or prevent those nasty sciatica pains.

To get into the pose:
1) Begin on all fours, with your knees directly below your hips, and your hands slightly ahead of your shoulders. Slide your right knee forward to the back of your right wrist; at the same time bring your right shin across your body on the floor. The outside of your right shin will now rest on the floor.

2) Slide your left leg back, straightening the knee and descending the front of the thigh to the floor. Lower the outside of your right buttock towards the floor. Place a blanket or pillow under the right buttock to stabilize the hips and keep them even. Push the left hip forward and the right hip back.

3) Walk your hands back toward the front shin and push your fingertips firmly to the floor. Lift your torso away from the thigh. Lengthen the lower back by pressing your tailbone down and forward.

4) To go deeper or to increase the stretch in the hips, you can walk your hands forward to extend the arms and rest your head on the mat or cross the arms to rest the your head on your forearms.

5) Hold the pose for as long as you feel comfortable, then switch sides.

Vionna’s Top Ten Reasons to Exercise During Your Pregnancy

1) You will lower your risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension and gestational diabetes.

2) You will increase your upper body strength so you will be able to carry the baby, the car seat, the stroller, that cute baby bag your best friend bought you……

3) You are less likely to experience urinary incontinence and abdominal separation.

4) Exercise helps to reduce many of the discomforts of pregnancy including cramps, back pain, fatigue, nausea, varicose veins, swelling, and cramping.

5) Maternal weight gain and fat accumulation is reduced.

6) You can continue to improve your cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance.

7) Your energy levels will be much higher than non-exercising expectant mothers.

8) You will be able to maintain good posture and a positive body image.

9) You can meet other expectant mothers in pre-natal fitness classes.

10) You are likely to have an easier, shorter and less complicated
labor.

Pre-natal Exercise Benefits for Baby

Rest assured, you will not be the only one benefi ting from your exercise routine. Your baby will, of course, be benefiting too.

Dr. Clapp also studied the effects of prenatal exercise on babies and found that expectant mothers who exercise have “tougher” babies. The stresses of late pregnancy and labor do not produce as many warning signs in the babies of exercising mothers. They are also lighter and leaner, with no signs of growth retardation. “Exercising” babies have also shown that they respond better to
their environments after birth, and are more likely to develop a selfsoothing
instinct, perhaps hastening a baby’s ability to sleep through the night.

Pregnancy and motherhood are life-changing events that are filled with highs and lows, good days and bad days. By exercising during pregnancy, expectant women can
begin the new chapter in their lives with optimism and a sense of doing what is best for themselves and for their babies. With such an auspicious beginning, the best is yet to come!

Pre-natal Exercise Benefits for Mom

We all have known women who have complained about aches and pains they experienced during their pregnancies. Although pregnancy requires the female body to undergo
major physical changes, regular and sustained exercise is the secret to alleviating many of the discomforts and health conditions that accompany a pregnancy.

Women who exercise throughout the nine months are able to maintain and often improve their cardiovascular fi tness levels, as well as increase muscular strength and endurance. Balance, coordination and posture are problems for most pregnant women. However, women who exercise tend to experience these problems to a lesser degree than their non-exercising counterparts.

Maternal weight gain and fat accumulation is also reduced in exercising women. Studies conducted by Dr. James F. Clapp III, a leading authority on the effects of
exercise on pregnancy, have shown that pregnant women who exercise at least three hours per week over the duration of their pregnancies gain an average of eight pounds
less, and their body fat percentages increase three percent less than nonexercising
women. The end result is that, through exercise, women can maintain a leaner appearance while pregnant—a boost to most expectant mothers’ body image!

Pregnant women often complain of having problems with varicose veins, back pain, leg cramps, swelling, constipation, nausea,insomnia, anxiety, depression and incontinence. Imagine a pregnancy free of such discomforts! Exercise can help. In fact, exercising helps to reduce the incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension and
gestational diabetes, too.

Women who continue regular weight-bearing exercise throughout their pregnancy tend to have easier,shorter and less complicated labors. Dr. Clapp’s studies have shown that exercising women have a 35 percent decrease in the need for pain relief during labor, a 55 percent decrease in the need for an episiotomy and a 50 percent decrease in the need to induce labor. Also, among women who have vaginal births, the length
of labor was shorter.

Exercising women also tend to have more positive attitudes, higher energy levels and lower incidences of colds and flu. Plus, most of these women are able to return to their prepregnancy weight within a year.

It is important to note that women are more likely to achieve the above benefits if they are able to continue their exercise program throughout the duration of their
pregnancy.

How Often Should I Exercise?

In order to take advantage of all of the benefi ts that prenatal exercise can bestow, it is important to make exercise a regular part of your life. Aerobic activity should be performed three to six days per week, while strength training should be done two to three days per week.

However, remember that your rest days are just as important. You need to give yourself one day off each week from aerobic activity, no matter how great you are feeling. This will prevent fatigue. Also, you should perform your strength training exercises on non-consecutive days. For example, if you do a full body workout on Monday, you should not repeat these exercises until Wednesday. If you only do upper
body exercises on Monday, you can do lower body exercises on Tuesday.

Stretching can (and should)be done every day.

You will also want to practice the concept of “rest/activity cycling” when one hour of quiet time is set aside for every hour of exercise performed in one day. This also helps prevent fatigue.

Who Should Exercise?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the American College of Sports Medicine,recommend that 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise should be performed on most, if not all, days of the week. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists suggest that pregnant women also adopt this recommendation. However,consulting your physician before performing any exercise is very important. Even for those women on bed rest during pregnancy, performing low impact upper body, abdominal and pelvic exercises is often permissible. Your physician will let you know if you have conditions that would contraindicate exercise.

Some of these include:
• Heart disease
• Lung disease
• An incompetent cervix (i.e., the cervix is too weak to remain closed during pregnancy)
• Carrying multiple babies that may be delivered early
• Persistent second or third trimester bleeding
• Placenta previa (a condition caused by the placenta covering the cervix)
• Premature labor during the current pregnancy
• Ruptured membranes
• Pregnancy-induced hypertension

If none of the above apply to you, get ready to begin exercising!

http://www.fitindc.com/hot_mama.php

Pre-Natal Fitness

So you are expecting a new addition to your family? Congratulations!

The next nine months will be filled with excitement, anticipation and a wide variety of decisions. In between choosing a pediatrician and deciding what color to paint the baby’s room, make sure you set aside time to get your body ready for labor, delivery and the demands of motherhood.

Gone are the days of spending a pregnancy in front of the television with a bowl of ice cream. Now, more than ever, expectant mothers are taking control of their pregnancies with the help of exercise.

http://www.fitindc.com/hot_mama.php