Archive for January, 2010
Who says that exercise has to stop when you get pregnant? In fact, you can help yourself and your unborn child if you continue. You may have to tone down your previous workout routine but that can be arranged.
Staying in shape during pregnancy has many benefits. First, labor and delivery are not as tough when you keep your body strong and your muscles in shape. Women are prone to hemorrhoids from the act of pushing out the baby. Some can suffer back pain because baby’s growing body puts their body off balance.
Before you continue with your exercise regimen, consult your doctor. He may have some suggestions that will help you to manage your pregnancy better. If you are used to strenuous exercises, you will need to slow down as your pregnancy progresses.
Try prenatal yoga classes. Yoga has many benefits for a pregnant woman. Through a series of poses your body becomes more flexible. This is good for you as your baby grows inside. More pliable muscles may prevent tears or an episiotomy during delivery.
Yoga teaches breathing techniques. As a mother about to go through birth, learning to breathe more efficiently is a good thing. It can also help you to focus on the moves and enhance the mind-body connection.
If you know nothing about yoga, look for classes that are specifically labeled as prenatal yoga classes. The teaching will take into account your condition and give you the most benefit from the exercise, without compromising the health of your baby.
Even if you don’t know how to perform any yoga poses, don’t shy away from joining the class. You can learn to love the movements and continue them after your baby is born. Each trimester, you will face new challenges to your yoga routine.
During the first trimester, you won’t have your growing abdomen to contend with. Here, the focus will be on listening to your breathing and your body. Hormonal changes as well as mental changes are happening.
Yoga is a great way to get in touch with that part of you. Resist the urge to go too fast. Only do as much as your body allows. Morning sickness can become an issue as well.
During the second trimester, your belly is beginning to show. Balance will be important now. Some of the poses will involve hip movements that can ease the birth process.
By the last trimester, you are probably more proficient at the poses and feeling really comfortable in your skin and in the class. Your instructor will make modifications to poses as needed to accommodate the burgeoning abdomen and your comfort.
Prenatal yoga has many benefits for women at all stages of their pregnancy. What you will learn about your body as well as the physical improvements will last far beyond birth.
You are what you eat. That extends to helping your body fight conditions like osteoporosis. If you are at risk, or if you want to prevent osteoporosis in the future, learn what foods are best to eat and which ones you need to consider avoiding.
Foods these days are often ready-made to serve a society looking for convenience. With all of the additives, much of this food is not good for our bodies. If you are at risk for osteoporosis it is even worse for you.
One danger in your diet is salt. Using too much salt can put you at risk for high blood pressure as well. Some studies say that eating too much sodium can result in lower calcium levels in the body. This proves bad for your bones, especially if other body systems are robbing calcium from them.
The daily recommendation for sodium is around 2,000 milligrams. That amounts to about a teaspoon or so of salt. You get more than that in processed foods, even without adding extra salt.
Get as much vitamin D and calcium-rich food as you can each day. Calcium and vitamin D work to help your bones absorb the amount of calcium they need to stay strong. Vitamin D comes easiest from sunlight. You can also get it in fish, eggs and milk that are fortified with it.
Limit the amount of soft drinks you drink every day. Soft drinks contain phosphorus. This mineral plays a role in calcium excretion from the body. If you are already low on calcium and you are drinking a lot of sodas, you are losing even more calcium from your body.
Avoid too much caffeine. The main culprit here is coffee. Coffee is used to pick us up in the morning and any time we feel in a slump. But, caffeine in coffee is not your friend if you are prone to osteoporosis. It robs your bones of calcium. Drinking coffee, tea and soda with caffeine can really be doing a number on your calcium levels in the bone without you even being aware.
Do yourself a favor. Monitor your diet and get a lot of the good stuff you need to keep your bones strong for a lifetime. Loss of calcium doesn’t begin when you are post-menopausal. Dietary choices throughout your life could be setting you up for disaster later on down the line.
To limit your calcium loss from your bones choose, some of these foods:
* Salmon * Lean meat and poultry * Dairy products * Eggs * Fish * Green leafy vegetables
Eating properly gives your body the majority of the nutrients it needs to function each day. Eating foods high in calcium and vitamin D can help prevent bone loss due to osteoporosis.