Short and Handy Guide To Workout after Pregnancy - Women Fitness

After delivery the first question naturally is how is my baby? The second question asked by workout – alcoholics often is “When can I begin exercising now that I’ve given birth?”

There are no clear cut answers to this question. You can ask your doctor about when he or she feels you are ready to begin exercising, and restarting your regime also will depend somewhat on how you feel. (This is another time when it is a good idea to listen to your body.) Unless your had a particularly complicated delivery, walking probably can begin fairly soon after giving birth. Taking as little as 15 to 30 minutes while maid watches the newborn so you can get some fresh air, plus a little time to yourself will probably be one of the best things you can do shortly after having a baby. When your infant is a little older taking him or her with your on your walks will be good for both of you. As long as the weather cooperate put the baby in a snuggle or a stroller and get out of the house.

• Begin by working out for about 30 minutes a session three days a week.

• Try for an intensity level of about 50 percent of your pre-pregnancy workouts.

• Gradually build in duration, intensity and frequency.

Go about making the following exercises a part of you daily postpartum recovery.

Kegels

Alternately contracting and releasing the muscles of the pelvic outlet and birth canal.

Purpose: Strengthening supports the contents of the abdomen, preventing your uterus or bladder from falling through these muscles, especially after you have had children.

Description: Sit upright on a chair with a hard, flat surface; make sure your weight is on your "sits bones," the two rocker-like bones on either side of your vagina, and you are not slumped down on your tailbone; squeeze the muscles between your sits bones and lift them up inside; hold for 10 seconds (keep breathing), then relax them slowly, noticing how they fall toward the chair surface. Start with five, and then work up to sets of 10 done two or three times each day.

C-Curves

Exhaling and contracting the deep abdominal muscles and curving the lumbar spine (back of the waist) into the C shape.

Purpose: Provides abdominal support, relieves low back discomfort after pregnancy and labor.

Description: Sit upright on your chair or floor, relax your abdomen and inhale; then exhale, tightening your deep abdominal muscle and rolling back slightly onto your tailbone so that your lumbar spine can make the C shape; relax your chest and shoulders; inhale and return to upright. Also do 10 of these two or three times a day.

Wall Push-Ups

Perform wall push-ups when you have a minute or two by placing your hands at chest level with your feet several inches behind your body. Lean forward toward the wall, and then slowly push back.

Leg Lifts

one your legs and bottom with leg lifts when you're on the phone or any time you're standing for a few moments. In a standing position, lift one leg with knee bent up toward your body, and return your foot to the floor. To tone hip and thigh, raise your leg from your side up 12 to 14 inches, and return to the starting position. To tone the buttocks, lift one leg toward your back with the knee slightly bent, and slowly return your foot to the floor.

To wind up, Stretch your entire back and shoulders by standing with your back against a wall, hands at your sides and heels, hips, and shoulders pressed against the wall. Slowly raise your arms over your head, keeping your hands and elbows touching the wall.

Bridge

This exercise will strengthen abdominal and back muscles while providing mobility to your spine. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet firmly on bed hip width apart. Raise buttocks slowly off the ground and lift your hips about 2-3 inches off the floor to form a straight line. Place your hands on your buttocks to feel the muscles tighten. You should feel the weight primarily in the legs and buttocks, not your lower back. If you feel in the lower back, then lower your hips slightly.

Repeat 3-5 times.

Leg Sliding

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Do the pelvic tilt (do not arch). Inhale, then slowly slide one heel up the floor or bed, exhale and slowly lower the leg. Keep your back flat at all times and only work within the range that you can maintain a flat back. Repeat 5 times with each leg.

Postpartum workouts should always include a warm up period and a stretching and cool down phase. Remember to drink lots of water to stay hydrated. Most important have fun and don’t fatigue yourself so much that you cannot enjoy your new days.

Perhaps your were not into fitness before your pre-pregnancy but you have become interested in starting a program now that you’ve looked at yourself in the minor. It’s good to start your new life as a mother with healthy new habits. As with any startup program a trip to the physician is essential before you begins. Find out what your fitness baselines is and set realistic goals that you will have the time and energy to meet. Refer to - for guidelines about setting up your fitness plan.

Exercise can help you meet and enjoy the challenges of motherhood. Combine it with a healthy diet and you will be on your way to regain pre-pregnancy figure.

Diet Tips

• When planning meals, focus on whole grains, breads, pasta, vegetables, and dried beans, peas, or legumes.

• Eat 5 fruit or vegetable servings every day. Low in calories, but high in vitamins and minerals, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables fill you without fattening you.

• Eat breakfast (and other meals for that matter). By skipping meals, you'll only be extra hungry at the next meal and more likely to overeat. Besides, research shows that a person who eats breakfast burns more calories at that time and during the day.

• Broil foods rather than deep-fat or pan frying them.

• "Sauté" foods in a bit of broth instead of butter or oil.

• Top off salads with fat-free yogurt, cottage cheese, or low-fat dressings rather than traditional high-fat dressings. For a fat-free dressing mix rice vinegar or citrus juices with a little seasoning.

• Use reduced-fat or fat-free dairy products in place of the regular products. For example, drink reduced-fat or fat-free milk rather than whole milk, serve fat-free ice cream or lower fat frozen yogurt in place of premium ice cream, or substitute reduced-fat cream cheese, sour cream, or yogurt for their regular counterparts in cheesecakes, puddings, parfaits, and dessert toppings.

Tags : pregnancy excercise, pregnancy excercise, women's workout, weights fitness,diet fitness

10 tips to Fitness Success!

How many times have you put your exercising, weight training and cardio on the back burner when you are following a strict nutrition plan? When life gets busy and you have a million things on your plate, this is the first thing that is usually forgotten! For many, an effective fitness regime is essential for losing weight the healthy way.

There are many excuses that come up such as, procrastination, lack of motivation, exhaustion and the biggest which is lack of time. Most people continually put off their training until tomorrow and of course we all know that tomorrow rarely comes - at least when it is time to indulge into your work out regimen.

Physical activity is a major piece of the weight-management puzzle! You will not achieve optimal results without this integral piece. It increases your lean muscle mass, speeds up weight management and fat loss, raises your metabolism, increases your energy level and keeps your heart healthy!

Here are 10 tips to guide you in staying on track with your fitness goals:

1. Believe in yourself now! Whatever you believe in you can and will achieve including your health and overall well-being goals! Use the “I can do it” attitude and you are on your way to success!

2. Plan ahead: It is essential to establish a work out regimen plan to keep you on track. Set mini milestones and goals to keep you focused. Commit to your fitness appointments like you would as any other and put them into your scheduler.

 

3. Use the S.M.A.R.T Principle: This allows you to evaluate your progress and change your program if need be. S – Specific = Is it clear and identifiable? / M - Measurable = Can results be determined? / A - Attainable = Is it Possible? / R - Realistic = Is it probable? / T - Time = When will it conclude?

 

4. Record your workouts, energy levels and accomplishments: This will help fine tune your program and is also therapeutic, inspirational and rewarding! Make sure to celebrate your victories! Buy yourself something nice or plan an event when you reach a goal!

5. Persistence is key: Being consistent in your work out routine is a major component of success. Do at least three cardio based activities for a minimum of a half hour as well as three resistance based activities for a minimum of a half hour per week. Ideally hour sessions will get you better results. If you have the luxury of time to commit to training then workout Mon-Fri different muscle groups each day and take your weekend off. Mon = Chest, Tues = Back, Wed = Legs, Thurs = Shoulders, Fri = Arms. Do abs to finish off each workout and rest on the weekends. Repeat. Add in your cardio right after your workout or early in the morning to burn the most calories.

6. Moderation is important: By gradually increasing your intensity, frequency and duration, you are less likely to injure yourself, get discouraged or quit.

7. Variety is the spice of life: Every workout changes something a little bit. Make it faster, slower or heavier. Do a variety of different cardio exercises each day and change your entire routine every month. Challenge your body by trying to do something it is not use to doing so it is forced to learn.

8. Find a training partner: Make sure you pick a partner whose goals and interests are similar to yours and who will inspire you to do your best. This will help make working out more fun, inspirational and safe as well as give you added accountability which we all need sometimes.

 

9. Use visualization: Picture yourself engaging in exercise in total detail. How will you feel during and after your workout? How will you look and feel when you hit your goals? Focus on each muscle group as you train it. Think positively and use imagery to see yourself as fit and healthy. Many of the world’s greatest athletes rely on this powerful tool to help them succeed at their chosen activity.

 

10. Rest and recovery: THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!! Recovery time is when your muscles actually repair themselves and become bigger and stronger as well as increases your energy level. The time in between your exercise sessions is just as important as the exercise itself. Make sure to listen to your body and if you feel fatigued or exhausted, a day of rest may be more productive than intense exercise.

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Supplement Guide Vitamin D

Build strong bones and improve your overall health

Where it comes from: Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble prohormones that's introduced to your body through delicious dietary sources such as fish, eggs, fortified milk and not-so-delicious cod liver oil. The sun is also considered a source, as exposure to UV rays triggers the body to produce vitamin D naturally.

There are two important forms of vitamin D to note: ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). They're collectively known as Calcitriol and play an important role in the maintenance of several organ systems.

What it'll do for you: Vitamin D's main job is to increase the flow of calcium into the bloodstream by promoting the absorption of calcium and phosphates from food in the intestines and the reabsorption of calcium in the kidneys. That means vitamin D plays a key role in maintaining strong bones and protecting against osteoporosis. Experts and recent studies say Vitamin D plays a role in a few other positive effects as well:

Improves longevity
Studies of more than 57,000 subjects found that people taking supplements with at least at least 500 IUS of vitamin D were seven percent less likely to die than those who didn't take daily supplements. Researchers credited this to the protective effect of vitamin D against diseases—including cancer—and the vitamin's possible boost of blood vessel efficiency and the immune system.

Lowers the risk of heart disease
Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Murray, Utah, studied 9,400 patients whose blood tests revealed low vitamin D levels during a routine trip to the doctor. The patients who raised their vitamin D levels by their next follow-up were 33 percent less likely to have a heart attack and 20 percent less likely to develop heart failure compared to their counterparts who did not increase vitamin D levels.

Prevents high blood pressure
It has been noted that blood pressure is often elevated during the winter—when the body is producing lower levels of vitamin D through sunlight. This suggests a possible direct correlation between higher levels of vitamin and low blood pressure levels.

May lower risk of certain cancers
European researchers have found that people with higher blood levels of vitamin D have a much lower risk of colon cancer. In one study, doctors examined the lifestyles of more than 520,000 patients between 1992 and 1998. The results, which were reported in January of this year, found that those with the highest blood levels of vitamin D had a nearly 40 percent decrease in colorectal cancer compared to those with the lowest levels.

Helps fight against influenza
After a four-month long study of Japanese schoolchildren, researchers found that taking vitamin D supplements during the winter and early spring help prevent seasonal flu and asthma attacks. There was no consideration of the effects of the supplements on adults but other studies have found that vitamin D dramatically stimulates natural killer cells and play a major role in protecting the lungs from infection.

Reduces muscle pain
Limited research has reported vitamin D deficiency in patients with low-back pain, and that supplementation may help to reduce the pain. Supplements may also help with chronic fatigue, headaches and other types of pain.

Suggested intake: The recommended intake of vitamin D for males up to 50 years old is 200 IU (or 5 micrograms) and increases 200 IUs every 20 additional years. "The average man seems to be deficient in many vitamins, especially vitamin D," says registered dietitian and American Dietetic Association spokesperson Jim White. Not surprisingly, he recommends a varied diet. White adds that the richest sources of vitamin D are egg yolks, some types of fish (salmon, tuna and mackerel), butter, liver and cheese. "But it is important to stay within you calorie needs," White adds.

It's been reported that 10 to 15 minutes of sunshine three times a week is enough to prevent deficiencies. However, many people living in sunny climates still do not make enough vitamin D and need more from their diet or supplementation. "Individuals with limited sun exposure need to include good sources of vitamin D in their diet or take a supplement," White adds.

Those who take a multivitamin should note that most pills do include vitamin D, usually in strengths from 50 IU to 1,000 IU. White says supplements are okay to take but that you should consider the IUs you're already getting from your diet and work with your doctor to find a supplement that supplies the right amount of IU's for your diet or lifestyle.

How important is vitamin D? Deficiencies have now been linked to types of cancers, heart disease, depression, weight gain, muscle pain and other maladies. "Lack of vitamin D may lead to a condition called rickets, especially in children, in which bones and teeth are weak," explains White. "In adults it may cause a condition called osteomalacia, in which calcium is lost from bones so that they become weak. This is very rare in men but has been seen in extreme cases."

Associated risks/scrutiny: Too much vitamin D may lead to vitamin D toxicity, which is a buildup of calcium in the blood, causing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness, confusion, heart rhythm abnormalities and kidney stones. The calcium build up could also lead to kidney stones and calcium deposits in soft tissues such as the heart and lungs, reducing their ability to function.

Most cases of excessive amounts of vitamin come, not from sunlight or from foods, but from overdoses of supplements.

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Winter Hair Care Tips

Winter is at the door and taking care of our hair is a must if we desire to have gorgeous luscious tresses. Here are some tips to help you protect your hair from the damages cold weather and wind can cause.

Summer is gone and the winter season is on the way. The influences external factors have over our tresses are well known, this is why people change their hair care routine every season. Warmth, cold, the sun's UV rays, the winds, all these factors can affect our tresses and cause them damage which can be difficult to repair.

The cosmetic industry has been constantly trying to develop new and improved formulas to maintain the hair healthy and protected against damage. Winter is characterized by cold temperatures and winds, factors which can leave their print over our tresses. These factors are the key ingredients in damaging the hair and causing it do over dry. Dry hair appears dull, brittle and lifeless, a combination which is not something you wish for. Stressed hair, hair that has lost it's moisture can be difficult to style because hairs moisture is the key ingredient in easy styling bouncy hair.

To make sure your tresses are protected against the damaging factors winter brings with her you need to learn the proper winter hair care routine:

Always dry out your hair completely before you go out, because the wind and the cold temperatures will cause the hair to dry out.

• Wash your hair with a moisturizing shampoo, a shampoo which doesn't contain harsh ingredients which can strip the natural oils off the hair. Natural oil produced by the scalp acts like a natural barrier against damaging external factors, this is why it is important not to remove hairs oil completely.
• Deep condition your hair at least once a week to restore and maintain the hairs moisture. Deep conditioning treatments are treatments which require a little bit of time, they usually have to be left on the hair for about half an hour. Allowing yourself a little bit of time once a week to pamper your hair doesn't seem like such a hard thing to do.
• Scalp massages can definitely help your hair maintain it's health because by massaging the scalp you improve blood circulation at scalp level, making sure the oxygen levels and the nutrients necessary for a healthy hair are increased.
• Get your hair regularly trimmed to ensure that you remove split ends. The cold temperatures and the powerful winds can stress the hair and cause split ends.
• Brush your hair with a boar bristle brush every day because this way you will help to evenly distribute the oils throughout the hair, making sure the ends of the hair will also be naturally protected.
• Care for your tresses because healthy looking hair is the only solution to obtaining gorgeous hairstyles whenever you wish.