Posts Tagged ‘Avoid’

We all know that exercise is one of the essential ingredients to a healthy body and healthy mind and the same goes for pregnancy.

Pregnancy fitness is really important to condition your body to carry the extra pregnancy weight, avoid postural problems like pregnancy back pain and manage your pregnancy weight gain. After all, you only want to put on “good pregnancy fat”, i.e. the fat neccesary to support your pregnancy and not excess fat that will slow down your body and the development of your baby.

However, that said, not ALL exercise during pregnancy is good. In fact, if you don’t know what you are doing you can make some very risky mistakes.

So here are the 7 things you MUST be aware of before starting any pregnancy exercise programme:

1. Don’t Forget To Warm Up!

The warm-up is an essential part of any exercise programme but particularly in pregnancy. Your warm-up will increase your heart-rate and circulation sending essential oxygen to the muscles that you’re going to be working. It also signals your body that more strenuous activity is coming and prevents injury by releasing muscle tension.

Your warm-up should be enough to raise your heart rate a little and start to make you sweat, but gentle enough that you should be able to breathe easily.

2. Never Forget Your Water!

You know the scenario, you just arrived at the park or the gym and you unpack your bag only to find you’ve forgotten your bottle of water. But you’re all ready to go and you don’t have time to go get another one so you think you’ll make do with the water fountain – or worse you’ll grab some water on the way home…DON’T DO IT – EVER!

Your pregnant body is already more susceptible to overheating and dehydration as it is and exercising without water can be extremely dangerous for both you and your baby. Just 2% dehydration can seriously affect your body’s ability to function.

3. Avoid Exercising in Hot or Humid Conditions

Overheating in pregnancy is not good for you or your baby. Hot or humid conditions will reduce your ability to workout properly and make you feel dizzy, nauseous and faint. But there are more serious implications for your baby – especially in the first trimester. Temperatures of 39 degress celcius or more could cause problems for your growing baby and may lead to birth defects.

So to ensure your safety, avoid exercising outside during the hottest part of the day (10-3pm) and opt instead for an air-conditioned environment.

4. DON’T Do Traditional Abdominal Work!

Traditional abdominal exercises use the “six-pack” muscles that run vertically down your belly. These muscles insert into a midline called the linea alba. In pregnancy these muscles become extremley stretchy to allow your belly to grow with your baby, and become very prone to “abdominal splitting”.

This is where the muscles literally split apart down that midline and seperate. This can be rectified after birth but it takes a LOT of time and effort and it’s best to avoid the scenario in the first place.

Any traditional abdominal exercises, such as crunches, or oblique work will put enormous pressure on the already weakened muscle.

This is not to say that you shouldn’t be working your deep abdominals, but you need to refer to specific pregnancy core exercises rather than crunches.

5. Never Forget Your Back!

Your back is going to take a lot of stress as your body shape changes and your pregnancy grows. One area that women commonly neglect is the mid-back area. Training this area encourages good posture and will pull your shoulders back and lift your chest up and support the extra weight in your breasts.

Try exercises like rows, scapula squeezes and reverse flys to strengthen and tone in this area.

6. Don’t Overdo It

Exercise with caution and remember you should never exercise so hard that you struggle to catch your breath. At the peak of your workout you should feel that you are exercising “somewhat hard” and you should always be able to hold a conversation.

7. Avoid Jerky Movements

Now that you are pregnant your body is producing a lot of hormones which relax the ligaments in your joints, making them very unstable and much more suceptible to injury.

Games like Squash which require sudden changes in direction at high speed can esily result in a severely sprained ankle or twisted knee.

Not to mention that as you get heavier your centre of gravity will shift, affecting your balance and making falls more likely.

It is ALWAYS adviseable to seek professional help once you have found out that you are pregnant. Pregnancy fitness is a very specialised area and you want to be certain that you are getting the best care possible to ensure a healthy pregnancy for both you and your little one.

It is very important which foods you choose during pregnancy. Now you must provide vitamins, minerals, and protein for you and your baby. These nutrients must meet the needs of your growing baby and get your body ready to deliver and nurse your baby. Food is the main source of these nutrients, but no one food can supply them all. Too much of one nutrient will not make up for too little of another one. To ensure this, you will need to chart out a menu that constitutes healthy nutrition for the entire length of your pregnancy. In fact, the pregnancy diet menu can be used even after delivery of the newborn to continue living a healthy lifestyle.

Pregnancy weight gain is on every new mothers mind. That’s why losing pregnancy weight is every new mothers concern. That is also why an after pregnancy diet plan, as daunting as that sounds, is not really that hard and is a very good practice for new mothers. I am sure losing baby fat is not at the top of your list of things to do when your baby is born, but losing weight and regaining your figure is certainly in the back of your mind.

Iron should also be a part of your pregnancy diet menu since it helps to carry the required amount of oxygen to the growing baby in the womb. Constipation is a general pregnancy related problem, and it can be avoided by consuming fibers. Fibers are present in vegetables, whole grains and fruits. Metamucil and Citrucel, which are fiber supplements of fiber are safe to consume during pregnancy.  In case your weight gain is very slow, you must eat smaller meals. Also, marginally increase the fat component of your diet. You must eat whenever you feel hungry. This is because you are now consuming food on behalf of two people as against one person.

To decrease your overall intake of sodium throughout the day, focus on eating fresh foods instead of packaged foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables are fantastic, low sodium options that are good for you and your baby. If you fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables before you eat other foods, chances are that you will have much less room for all of the high sodium foods that you used to put on your plate.

Proteins are very much essential for any pregnant woman. A minimum of at least three servings of proteins is required per day. This could be either received from three glasses of milk, or 2 cups of yoghurt and 3 ounces of cheese. Proteins could be brought into your body by varied patterns of intake. They are quite rich in amino acids which contribute in building the baby tissue to a maximum extent.

Pregnant women need to gain weight not only for their own health but also for the growth and development of their unborn child. Gaining weight means gaining the necessary nutrients and vitamins you and your baby needs for a healthy and safe pregnancy. Women with healthy or normal weight prior pregnancy need to gain between 25 to 35 pounds. It is important to gain enough weight and avoid unnecessary pregnancy weight. Gaining too much weight can be dangerous for you and your baby.

Excess weight during pregnancy will increase your risk of developing pregnancy complications. Caesarean deliveries are also common to obese pregnant women. To avoid unnecessary pregnancy weight, here are some tips:

Eat healthy. It is important to have a healthy eating habit to avoid unnecessary pregnancy weight. It is best to develop a healthy eating plan that includes a variety of foods rich in nutrients and vitamins. Seek the advice of your doctor or nutritionist regarding the proper diet for your condition to avoid unnecessary pregnancy weight gain. Pregnant women have special nutritional needs for their growing baby. Eat a well balanced diet more on fruits and vegetables. Include foods high in folate to prevent birth defects. Vitamin supplements may be necessary but talk to your doctor before taking any supplements. Eat high fiber foods to prevent constipation which is a common problem among pregnant women. Drink lots of water to flush out toxins from your body.

Have a healthy lifestyle. You are now pregnant and it is necessary to modify your lifestyle to avoid unnecessary pregnancy weight and have a healthy pregnancy. Get rid of drinking alcohol but instead drink fruit juices, water and other non-alcoholic beverages. Cut down on caffeine if you are a heavy coffee or tea drinker. Avoid sweetened foods like cakes, cookies and candies because they are high in calories and lack the nutritional value you and your baby needs. Avoid salty foods because they can cause water retention in the body. Cigarette smoking is a big NO during pregnancy. Smoking is not only harmful to your own health but it can also harm your baby. Healthy lifestyle can help you avoid unnecessary pregnancy weight.

Physical activities. Pregnancy is not a reason to just sit down and become inactive. Yo need to stay active if you want to avoid unnecessary pregnancy weight. Regular physical activities can help you reduce the discomforts brought by pregnancy like backaches, headaches and leg cramps. Before engaging in any physical activity, ask your doctor about the level of exercise safe for your condition.

You can go through your pregnancy without feeling bad about your appearance. To learn more on how to stay fit while pregnant, visit All About Pregnancy.

To know more about women visit  All About Women.

Pregnancy is a gift but it is also accompanied by a lot of discomforts including gaining weight. It is inevitable to gain weight during pregnancy because it is necessary for your own health and the nourishment of the child inside your womb. A woman of healthy weight before pregnancy should gain between 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. Unfortunately, most pregnant women gain more than what is required. To be healthy and look good while pregnant it is important to know how to avoid excessive pregnancy weight gain.

Gaining too much weight during pregnancy can be dangerous not only to the mother but also to the unborn child. Women who are overweight during pregnancy are at higher risk of having babies with birth defects. Obesity increases your risk of pregnancy complications like hypertension or pre-eclampsia. Avoid excessive pregnancy weight gain if you want a healthy and safe pregnancy.

Here are some tips to avoid excessive pregnancy weight gain:

Work with your doctor. It is important to have a regular check up and talk to your doctor about the necessary weight gain to keep you and your unborn child safe and healthy. Base from your current weight, your health care provider can give guidelines on how and when to gain the necessary weight. It is important to work with your doctor and monitor your weight to avoid excessive pregnancy weight gain.

Exercise regularly. It is not healthy to be a couch potato during pregnancy. There are physical activities suitable for pregnant women. Exercise is good for you and your baby but you have to know how to properly do it. Before doing any physical activity, talk to your doctor about the exercises that you can do to avoid excessive pregnancy weight gain.

Eat healthy. Do not make pregnancy an excuse to eat all you want.  It is important not to overeat. Eat the healthy foods to get all the nutrients you and your baby needs. Avoid junk foods and fast foods which are high in fats, calories and salt. Cut down on sweet foods like cakes and drinks like sodas and coffee because they do not have the nutrients and vitamins you need. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Seek the advice of a nutritionist or ask your doctor about the proper diet for your condition to avoid excessive pregnancy weight gain.

Be healthy, look good and feel good while pregnant. Discover more on how to go through pregnancy without the unnecessary weight, visit All About Pregnancy.

To know more about women visit All About Women

Pregnancy is a period that most women wish to experience and cherish but there are certain pregnancy risks that could create complications. If you are planning on getting pregnant it will help if you observed certain precautions that can avert some of the pregnancy complications.

Pregnancy Risks : An Overview

All women would love to have a healthy pregnancy and it can help if they take necessary precautions from the pre pregnancy days itself.

There are several types of pregnancy risks such as the age and physical structure of a woman. Obese, short women have more chances of suffering from complications during pregnancy and childbirth. It is recommended that women consult their physician and consider taking up mild to moderate exercises to keep them healthy and fit.

It is also a risk if the women suffer from diseases and disorders such as heart, lung or kidney diseases, diabetes, hypertension, sexually transmitted diseases and epilepsy. Women who have disorders of the reproductive organs are also at risk. Some women may have problems during pregnancy such as placental pervia, multiple babies with complications (such as Siamese twins), ectopic pregnancy, Rh factor etc.

The chances of pregnancy risks are increased if the women have had previous pregnancies with complications. Couples who have had children with birth defects, genetic disorders etc. have to consult their physician and opt for genetic counseling before they consider having a baby.

Women who are under the age of 15 and above 35 are more at risk too. Younger mothers are more prone to be associated with pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, under weight babies and pre term babies. Older mothers (above 40 years) have the risk of suffering from health complications such as hypertension, gestational diabetes and they also have a higher risk of giving birth to babies that suffer from genetic disorders and birth defects.

Women need to take proper care and nourishment before, during and after their pregnancy. Proper, well balanced diet that includes generous helpings of fresh fruits and vegetables is necessary. It is also vital to include supplements of vitamins, calcium and folic acid in order to ensure a healthy and risk free pregnancy.

Other factors that could pose as pregnancy risks include exposure to toxins, radiations, heavy metals and chemicals. It is recommended that smoking, drinking alcohol and drugs be avoided from the pre pregnancy days itself.

The mental health of a woman is also a very important factor. It will be much better if the woman is happy, healthy and has a positive frame of mind. Stress, tension and worrying may not only be pregnancy risk factors, but may also be the causative factors of unnecessary complications. It is recommended that women who are planning to have a baby read as much as they can about pregnancy and childbirth. This will help them identify any potential pregnancy risks and help them to learn how they can be avoided if possible.