Exercising safely while Pregnant

EXERCISES

A number of health clubs now offer their members pre / post Natal classes. These can be a good in both learning correct exercise techniques from a qualified fitness instructor, and also meeting new mums to be.

Weight bearing exercises, such as walking, aerobics, steppers have a much better effect on easing pregnancy discomforts and complaints than non weight bearing exercises such as swimming and cycling.

Weight training for the upper body will help improve the muscle tone, however avoid exercises that place strain on your lower back, and lifting the weights above head height. If you're used to lifting weights, concentrate on good technique, reducing both the weight and reps, but increase the sets, making sure you avoid over exertion. If you have no experience with weights, seek guidance from a qualified professional.

During pregnancy both your heart rate (15 beats per minute) blood volume (40 %) and respiratory rate are increased. This enables a greater flow of nutrients and oxygen to be supplied to the developing foetus.

This in turn reduces the amount of oxygen and blood flow for the mum to be to use during the initial phase of exercise, and can cause dizziness, therefore any exercise should have a gradual increase in effort.

Whilst exercising blood is transferred to working muscles, therefore any over exertion will transfer the nutrients carried within the blood away from the developing foetus.

Remember to know your limits, and don't get carried away with your workout, especially if you train regularly and have a competitive streak.

GETTING BACK INTO SHAPE AFTER BIRTH

Listen to your body, generally you will need 4 - 6 weeks postpartum for a vaginal birth, and 6 - 8 weeks for a surgical birth.

Getting back into shape, or returning back to your pre pregnancy weight will depend greatly on the amount of exercise that you have done both prior and during your pregnancy.

For those that are used to exercise, start back gradually at your own pace with the exercises that you like, stopping immediately if you feel any pain or discomfort.

Again a number of gyms offer post natal class's, these are an excellent way to learn how to get back into shape and meet new mums.

 

 

Walgreens 3B Baby Coupon

All you need to do is click on it , print it and take it into you nearest Walgreens store to redeem.

Exercising and Pregnancy

When I was pregnant with my first child I didn't really exercise much at all, unfortunately this led to me gaining over 20kg and not feeling the best towards the end of my pregnancy. Now having lost that weight and feeling fit and strong and about to start trying for our next baby I have decided there is no way I am going to let this happen to me again. I am planning to exercise the whole way through my pregnancy (if everything is going well) I did some research because I wanted information about exercising while pregnant . This is what I found.

Research has shown the following benefits from exercising whilst pregnant:

Greater ability to handle the discomforts of pregnancy and labour.     

• Easier to get back into shape and regain you're normal weight after pregnancy.
• Fewer caesarean surgeries, and less likely to require epidural analgesia.
• Faster labour, with less need for induction with pitocin.
• A more positive, healthier feeling pregnancy.

With exercise improving your muscle tone, strength and endurance, woman who train regularly throughout their pregnancy are greater prepared for the physical stress that carrying a baby and labour produce.

Make sure you have the all clear from your doctor to exercise, Here are some guidelines to follow while exercising during pregnancy.

• Drink plenty of fluids, before, during and after any exercise; be careful not to get overheated especially during your first trimester and in warm humid conditions. Exercise causes sweat, the bodies natural way of cooling down, remember your baby has no way to cool down, so drinking fluid is vital.
• For woman who trained prior to pregnancy, regular exercise is preferable to sporadic exercise, ideally 3 times per week. Varied research has suggested that woman who have not exercised previously should not begin to after 26 weeks gestation due to the development of the placenta.
• Avoid any form of exercise that may cause you to lose your balance, especially in the third trimester. Sports with a high risk of hard falls, such as skiing or basketball should be off limits.
• Dress wearing loose fitting clothing, with a good support bra, and comfortable non slip supportive shoes.
• Don't exercise flat on your back after your first trimester, as your uterus would have grown out of your pelvis, and the weight of it, when you are on your back reduces your blood and oxygen flow to your baby.
• During aerobic exercise, you will have less oxygen available for yourself, so lower the intensity of your normal routine. Monitor your heart rate regularly to avoid exercising to exhaustion and slow down if you can't hold a conversation comfortably.
• Stop exercising immediately if you have any of the following; vaginal bleeding or fluid leaking, contractions, light-headed or feeling faint, shortness of breath, dizziness and nauseated.
• Avoid bouncing and jerking exercises, and deep knee bends, as your joints are more prone to injury because of the pregnancy hormone relaxin, which softens ligaments and tendons to allow your bones to spread for the birth of your baby.
• Your metabolism speeds up during pregnancy so remember to eat a well balanced diet with an additional 300 calories a day.

Diabetes and Your Feet

 

I have a few family member that have type 2 diabetes and some friends who have type 1. I was talking to them about how it affects there lives and the subject of feet came up and how they really have to take care of them because of the diabetes.

I found out that when you have diabetes you have to take very good care of your feet every day to prevent serious complications. Your feet are at risk because diabetes can cause damage to the nerves and the blood supply.

Damage is more likely

You have had diabetes for a long time

Your blood glucose levels have been too high for an extended period

You smoke

You are inactive.

Poor blood glucose control can cause nerve damage to feet. Symptoms include:

• Numbness
• Coldness of the legs
• A tingling, pins and needles sensation in the feet
• Burning pains in the legs and feet, usually more noticeable in bed at night.

These symptoms can result in a loss of sensation in the feet which increases the risk of accidental damage because you can’t feel any pain. An injury to the feet can develop into an ulcer on the bottom of a foot which can penetrate to the bone. This could lead to osteomyelitis and a chronic infection in the bones and joints. If an infection isn’t treated at the earliest signs, this could result in ulceration (an infected open sore) and eventually amputation (removal of a toe, foot or limb).

My sister in-law and friend use a diabetic insole in there shoe. This provides better pressure distribution ,soft tissue arch support and cushions and protects the entire base of the foot. They have found that having the insole makes it a lot easier to be on their feet all day as they do have sensitive feet.

Testimonial:
I bought these after suffering achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis in both feet for 2 plus years! The inserts have given me a good measure of relief that I never thought I would ever get again! Still a long way to go but at least I can walk around the house without wanting to cut my feet off! I am using them in a sling back sandal as I can't stand a shoe yet and am having trouble getting them to stay in place without having to resort to glue. I guess I will just have to buy more and glue them into every shoe I have :)
Jen

www.neatfeat.com

The Love of Zori's

After posting about Zori's Sandals I have had quite a few people get back to me on what they think about them. They really are the best alternative to wearing thongs as you get no foot pain as they support arches of your feet. Unfortunately thongs/flip flops cause you to take shorter steps and changes the way your walk which generally give people pain in their lower back.

Here are a few testimonials on Zori's

I bought them last year when I saw the add on TV. I have been struggling with my feet for over a year now and nothing seems to help. The zoris do the trick. And yes it sounds weird but I do not want to take them off at all. This is how comfy these shoes are!
Can you make other shoes just like this?!

Tanja

I bought a pair for my son who was constantly having back pain and arch pain in his foot. I thought I would try a pair for him to see if they would help. To my surprise they did he no longer has pain and combined with really good walking shoe he is a new boy. Also I have now bought a pair for my wife and I . Thanks Neat Feat

Dan
Sunshine Coast , QLD

I bought a pair of these whilst travelling in New Zealand and where them constantly now lm back in the UK. There are extremely comfortable and give far more support than a normal flip flop, my legs definitely ache much less in these. I have received many compliments whilst wearing these and they definitely do not look like and orthotic shoe. Excellence value for money.

Janice Hammet

I have a pair of Zori sandals that I got before I went to Bali.
I wore them everyday and walked a lot and never had sore tired feet. I was extremely happy with them. They are a few years old now and am going to get the new design that I saw in a chemist.

Chris

www.neatfeat.com

Getting kids to eat fruit and Vegies

I have had many mothers ask me how I get my daughter to eat fruit and vegies. I don't give her a choice. From the time she started having solid foods she has been eating fruit and vegies. When she was first eating solids I would cook up a whole heap of vegies and blend them together with a bit of mince and would pack it into little containers and freeze them. I would do at least a week at a time. She never has the packaged or bottled food.

Once she got old enough to chew her food I no longer blended the vegies but gave her them individually. I made it so that mummy would eat the same thing and she loves to do what mummy does. We have our days where she would sometimes sit in her high chair for half an hour or more until she ate most of her Vegies but I wouldn't give her a choice and eventually she would eat it and now knows that it is just easier to eat it at the start instead of challenge the issue.

Also after her dinner she has yoghurt and fruit as a dessert and only on special occasions we will have dessert. We also have one night a week which is chocolate night where she is allowed a chocolate of her choice. I think this is a good start to get children to eat vegies and fruit and also to start a healthy life.

Ouch!! Back Pain During Pregnacy

I don't think there is a single woman that has not experienced back pain at some stage during their pregnancy. With all the hormonal and physical changes to your body while pregnant there is no surprise that back pain occurs but there is plenty that can be done to help ease the discomfort and prevent it from becoming a long term problem.

I suffered with back pain while pregnant with my daughter and by the end of the day it was always worse. After suffering with back pain for a few weeks, I was in my twentieth week so I decide to see if I could make myself more comfortable as I still had 20 weeks to go.

I went and saw a physiotherapist and this was what they told me.

• Massage: This soothes tired, aching muscles. Lean forwards over the back of a chair or lie on your side. Ask your partner to gently massage your lower back and the muscles that run either side of your spine. A trained massage therapist, your midwife or a physiotherapist may be able to help you further.
• Heat and water: A warm bath, a hot pack or a warm jet of water from a shower head can ease discomfort.
• Good Shoes: Have good shoes that support your feet and arches which will help to keep your hips and back in good posture while standing with the increasing flexibility in your joints.

As I was heavily pregnant heading into summer in Queensland, I was did not particularly want to head into summer wearing closed in shoes all the time and wearing thongs was not an options according to my physio I needed orthotic thongs.

ZORI's were the ones that fixed the problem. They are an orthotic thong that helps prevent curvature of the spine, has high arch support which preserves foot structure, promotes good posture and absorbs impact shock forces which was why the physio recommended them and not only for while I was pregnant but to wear from now on. I wouldn't go back they are so comfortable and I wear them everywhere. Now my Partner, mother in law and many other family members now wear ZORI's and the best thing is that they are reasonably priced at $49.95.They are available at selected CVS and Walgreens store in the USA and most Pharmacies in Australia. 

www.neatfeat.com


  

 

Avocados Super Fruit

My daughter absolutely loves avocados, she would eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I think this is wonderful as avocados are extremely good for you and also a bonus we run an avocado farm so we are never short of them. :)

She has avocado on wholegrain toast every morning which sets her up for a great start to the day. Half an  avocado can give the average adult 5g of fibre (17% of adult fibre needs) ,36% of the recommended dietary intake (RDI) for folate, 31% of RDI for vitamin K, 24% of RDI for vitamin E and 15% of RDI for potassium.

Some of the benefits of avocados are:

• They are rich in vitamin c
• Good source of fibre
• Strong antioxidant capacity
• Contains vitamin E
• Important during pregnancy for the developing foetus
• Great for maintaining a healthy appetite

I started her from a very young age including avocado in her diet. It is defiantly better nutritionally to have then most other things that are out there and is giving her the best start to life as well as teaching how to eat well.

www.avocado.org.au

Foods for a Healthy Heart

Foods for a Healthy Heart

Oats

Why- The soluble fibre in oats binds with acids in your small intestine to block the re-absorption of cholesterol.

How- For breaky, mix ½ cup of oats with skim milk. Sweeten with fruit, like bananas or prunes.

 

Fatty Fish
 
Why- The omega 3s they supply have been shown to lower triglyceride levels, which means your heart will beat more happily.

How- Put fish in the menu twice a week. Good choices are salmon, sardines, mackerel and tuna. Bake or poach the fish to preserve the fatty acids.

 

Nuts and Seeds

 Why- Almonds, flaxseeds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, pinenuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds. They are all particularly high in plant sterols, which can help reduce bad LDL cholesterol. 

Pine Nuts- they have the most protein of any kind of nut or seed, and their pinolenic acid stimulates powerful hunger suppressing hormones.

How- Grab a handful of nuts for a simple snack.

 

Apples

 Why- Research suggests that eating apples may slow the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and help prevent plaque build up.

How- The perfect snack! Make sure you eat the skin for the antioxidants and fibre.