Safe Abdominal Exercises for Pregnancy
What are some safe abdominal exercises for pregnant participants that will help get their bodies ready for labor and delivery?
Strong core muscles are vital for helping prenatal participants offset pregnancy-related postural changes that can cause back pain and other discomforts. The following basic exercises are appropriate for virtually all prenatal and postpartum women. The moves are also excellent for nonpregnant class members who need to learn how to engage their core muscles. Prenatal women should master these exercises before they do any other core or abdominal exercises. Keep the following in mind:
* As with all prenatal exercise, participants must get a physician’s approval before they start.
* Class members should empty their bladders before beginning.
* It is important to maintain neutral spinal alignment (except during the pelvic rock-and-roll). “Neutral” is different for every person and may change as pregnancy progresses.
* If a participant feels discomfort or pain during an exercise, she should stop and be encouraged to discuss her condition with her healthcare provider.
Abdominal Compressions. Perform these moves in seated, standing or quadruped ( all fours) position. In seated or standing position: With spine in neutral alignment and shoulders relaxed, place hands on lower abdomen and let abdomen relax completely. Keeping hands where they are, pull navel toward spine and away from hands while exhaling slowly. Hold contraction, exhale fully, inhale and allow abs to relax back to hands. Do this slowly with the breath, or more quickly, using various music tempos. In quadruped position, perform same maneuver, but work against gravity as abdomen lifts away from floor. Keep shoulders and upper back as still as possible.
Opposite-Arm-and-Leg Horizontal Reach. In quadruped position, tighten abdominal and squeeze glutes. Simultaneously extend one leg and opposite arm parallel to floor. Try to hold body in still, planklike position from fingertips to toes, spine in neutral. Hold for 15–60 seconds and switch sides. In addition to transversus abdominis and obliques, this exercise engages glutes, hamstrings, back extensors and shoulders.
Pelvic Rock-and-Roll. On stability ball, sit up tall and rock hips side to side, causing ball to roll slightly. Do this with control. Continue rocking motion for 30–60 seconds, then tilt pelvis anteriorly and posteriorly, rolling ball front to back for another 30–60 seconds. Shoulders and ribs remain mostly stable without much movement. Adventurous exercisers can also roll ball in a circle, first clockwise then counterclockwise.
Why is my belly not flat when I do my cruches?
Most of us don’t stress about a bit of belly fat hanging over our waistbands during the winter—after all, damage control is just a body-shaping undergarment away. But now you’re headed to a place where not even Spanx can save you: the beach. The frustrating reality is that the midsection is one of the trickiest areas to tone. That’s why even women dedicated to regular exercise often can’t iron out their abs. Fortunately, with expert help, we’ve come up with the ultimate tummy—flattening plan. Not only is it super effective, but it’s likely loads easier than the agonizing ab workouts you’ve been putting yourself through.
Get Flat Abs
Rule #1 – Attack your hidden core muscles
Crunches target only superficial muscles, so they aren’t the most efficient way to work your abs. Hard fact: To burn one pound of fat, you have to do 250,000 crunches, according to researchers at the University of Virginia. That’s 100 crunches a day for seven years. Uh, no thanks.
Instead, you need to target the muscles that lie beneath the superficial ones: your transverse abdominis, multifidis, and internal obliques. Strengthening them pulls in your middle like a corset, keeping the area looking flat and toned. “Not only are these muscles weak in many women, but most of us don’t have a clue about how to engage them,” says celebrity trainer Valerie Waters, whose clients include Jennifer Garner and Elizabeth Berkley.
The core moves here target these “hidden” muscles. To practice engaging them, try this drill from Waters: Lie on your back and place your palms just below your navel. Exhale and allow your tummy to expand as far as you can, then focus on pulling your belly button toward your spine, drawing your abdomen toward the floor. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 8 to 10 times.
Rule #2 – Move your butt
Your booty and your belly are unlikely partners in crime. Here’s why: Over time, sitting around too much renders your glutes practically useless and causes your hip flexors—the muscles that connect your hipbones to your legs—to become stiff. This couch-potato combo tilts your pelvis forward, which increases the arch in your back and puts stress on your spine. From a cosmetic standpoint, it pushes your abdomen out, making even a relatively flat stomach bulge. That means that to lose your gut, you’ve got to work your butt.
The glute bridge march and hip-thigh raise will help you get a stronger behind. Combat tight hip flexors with this stretch: In a lunge position, lower yourself so your back knee is resting on the floor. Push your hips forward, keeping your back upright, until you feel a stretch in the front of the hip. Hold for 10 seconds, relax, and repeat. Switch legs. You can increase the stretch by reaching your arms over your head.
Rule #3 – Eat flat-belly foods
You can’t see ab muscles if they’re buried under a layer of fat. Excavate them by following these easy dietary guidelines.
Pump up your protein intake Substituting meat, fish, dairy, and nuts for carbs can reduce the amount of fat around your middle. Researchers at McMaster University in Canada assessed the diets of 617 people and discovered that when they exchanged carbohydrates in favor of an equal amount of protein, they reduced overall belly fat.
Eliminate added sugar The average American eats about 20 teaspoons of sugar daily in the form of processed foods like soda, baked goods, breakfast cereals, fruit drinks, and even flavored yogurt. That’s about 325 empty calories every day. All that sugar increases insulin production, which slows your metabolism.
Don’t fear fat Research shows that diets containing more than 50 percent fat are just as effective for weight loss as those that are low in fat. “Fat is filling and adds flavor to your meals—both of which help you avoid feeling deprived, so you can stick to your diet,” says Alan Aragon, M.S., a nutritionist in the Los Angeles area. Eat foods rich in monounsaturated fats, such as olives, nuts, and avocados; research has even found that it’s OK to enjoy whole foods that contain saturated fat (including milk, cheese, and butter) in moderation.
Beat the bloat No matter how much ab fat you lose or muscle you tone, if you’re bloated, you won’t look (or feel!) your best in a bikini. Carbonated beverages, and even good-for-you foods such as beans and broccoli, can make your stomach swell. And keep your sodium intake in check: Nutritionists suggest you stay under 2,000 milligrams to avoid retaining excess water. (Most of us get closer to 5,000 a day.)
Rule #4 – Stop stressing
Your stock portfolio. Your in-laws. Your never-ending to-do list. We get it—life is hard. But anxiety can produce extra cortisol, a hormone that encourages the body to store fat, particularly in your belly. According to researchers at Yale University, your midsection is four times as likely as the rest of your body to store stress-induced fat. Help keep anxiety in check by taking little breaks from work every 90 minutes. “It’s almost like recalibrating your body—reminding you to breathe and relax,” Waters says.
Another way stress sabotages your abs: When tension runs high, we reach for fattening foods. To keep your hand out of the office candy jar, keep it out of reach. In one study, participants who had to walk six feet to reach the candy ate up to seven fewer chocolates per day than when the jar was conveniently located at their desk.
Is your “you-know-what” bothering you? Do you experience discomfort when you, um, well, you know?
Is your you-know-what bothering you? Do you experience discomfort when you, um, well, you know? These women-focused health practitioners know exactly what you mean, and they can help you find relief.
When something’s not right “down there,” it affects how we feel everywhere else. Fortunately, there’s a growing field of medicine devoted to treating these unique complications. Practitioners of women’s health physical therapy help women (and some men) who have problems with sexual intercourse, urination, fertility, pregnancy preparedness, postpartum recovery and cancer recovery. They deal with the stuff we’re too embarrassed to talk about, and because they’ve seen it all, they can reassure patients that their issues are at least treatable, if not always curable.
This specialty started in 1995, when a group of orthopedic physical therapists recognized that their clinics were filling up with women whose concerns weren’t being addressed. Women’s heath physical therapists (WHPT) are often the problem solvers that gynecologists, obstetricians, urologists and other doctors call when confronted with a gender-specific medical mystery, like discomfort during sex, after childbirth or while going to the bathroom. All WHPTs (find one near you by going to the American Physical Therapy Association locator) have stories about patients who were told by a former doctor that their problem was just “part of being a woman.”
Like other types of physical therapists, they specialize in treating functional problems, but they say they also offer proactive services, like helping pregnant women prepare for an easier delivery and preventing complications like C-sections. Here are six situations where a women’s health PT might be able to help you.
Incontinence
“Fifty percent of adult women will have incontinence at some point,” says Jennifer Klestinski, MPT, communications director for the Section on Women’s Health of the American Physical Therapy Association, who has a private practice in Madison, Wisconsin. “Because of anatomic differences, the effects of pregnancy and childbirth, and the effects of decreasing estrogen, women leak far more often than men. But with proper strengthening, the data shows there’s an 85-percent chance of complete resolution.”
The regimen: Weak pelvic muscles are a major factor in incontinence, so in addition to Kegel exercises, Klestinski recommends doubling up: “Engage the pelvic floor muscles while doing other daily core exercises—like Pilates—to strengthen the abs, back and hips.” Another surprising cause is osteoporosis, because a rounded back causes our thoracic cavity and abdomen to press on the bladder. A WHPT would recognize this during an evaluation and could prescribe appropriate exercises for bone density loss.
Make sure you’re practicing Kegels correctly and learn the other pelvic workout you should be doing
Organ Prolapse
Think of prolapse as a hernia that mostly affects women. When the muscles that hold the pelvic organs become weak or stretched, the organs—the bladder, uterus, small bowel, rectum—can drop from their normal spot and push against the wall of the vagina. As many new mothers know, pregnancy is the most common cause of prolapse. However, it’s not just the trauma of the childbirth that’s a factor—it’s also the extra pounds. “There could be 15 to 25 pounds plus the weight of a baby pushing on the perineum,” says Klestinski. This means that excessive weight gain (no baby necessary) can also put you at risk. Weight maintenance is key to avoid risk of prolapse.
The regimen: Klestinski explains how a WHPT would take a holistic approach to address organ prolapse. “We work from the top down and from the bottom up. From above you may have extra body weight and extra downward pressure from poor posture, dysfunctional bladder habits or from adhesions due to prior surgeries or injuries. From the bottom up, we have the pelvic floor muscles, which act as a supportive hammock to the pelvic organs.” Many WHPTs can help women work on weight management through exercise. To further improve the “top down” issues, the therapist would use manual techniques, patient education and posture training. At the other end of the, um, spectrum, she’d put the patient through workouts to strengthen and tone the pelvic muscles. This gives us yet another reason to do those darn Kegels.
Pregnancy and Recovery
Pregnancy causes profound anatomical and hormonal changes to our bodies. “Some women’s bodies accommodate those changes quite well, and some women require a fair amount of work and assistance,” says Jill Boissonnault, WCS, PT, PhD, past president and founder of the International Organization of Physical Therapists in Women’s Health.
The prenatal regimen: Pushing out a baby is never going to be easy, but some WHPTs say that massaging the perineum with a lubricant, as well as stretching the hip and pelvic muscles, can help a woman “open up” during delivery, which could make her less likely to tear. There’s also evidence that pregnant women can be taught how to bulge and flex their pelvic muscles correctly during labor, which can help avoid C-sections.
The postpartum regimen: “There are things a woman can do to mitigate some of the risk for future dysfunction, like strengthening her pelvic floor with Kegels throughout her pregnancy and after she delivers,” says Boissonnault. She adds that in France, where postpartum wellness visits are included under national health coverage, new mothers are likely to be advised by a WHPT about strengthening their pelvic floor muscles, their abs and their posture.
Pelvic Pain
Because many women avoid talking about this with their friends, family members and even their sexual partners, pelvic pain can be emotionally exhausting as well as physically unbearable.
Vulvodynia: An excruciating affliction of the vulva which affects an estimated 16 percent of women at some point in their lives, vulvodynia is described in this video from the Dr. Oz show as feeling like “acid burning the skin” or a “constant, knife-like pain.” It can be caused by trauma to the pelvis, which may result from chronic yeast or bacterial infections, physical force, accidents, surgery, or physical or sexual abuse.
I know a woman in her mid-20s who has suffered from vulvodynia since childhood. She suspects the cause may have had something to do with an ill-fitting waist harness on a forceful carnival ride. In her quest for relief, she was referred to gynecologists, dermatologists and psychologists, and tried topical anesthesia, antidepressants, talk therapy and the patronizing advice to “have a glass of wine and you’ll be fine.” She was finally told that pain-free sex would require surgery, and her doctor advised her to visit a women’s health physical therapist to prepare for the procedure.
“Many doctors assume that women’s health physical therapy can only take you to a certain point,” says my friend’s therapist, Gopi Jhaveri, PT, DPT, co-owner of Brooklyn Health Physical Therapy, “but we know it can take you all the way to recovery.” Jhaveri discouraged the surgery and instead worked with my friend to develop a rehab program. Four months later, my friend joyfully credits Jhaveri with her “cure.”
The regimen: This varies depending on the patient’s anatomy and type and severity of symptoms, but treatment often includes regular in-office manual therapy, at-home stretching using dilators, exercising daily to strengthen the pelvic muscles, avoiding harsh cleansers like soap in favor of sweet almond oil, and using a local anesthetic like lidocaine during sex.
Vaginismus: A 2010 episode of MTV’s True Life featured three women in their 20s whose pelvic conditions prevented them from having intercourse. Tali, an aspiring singer, had a condition called vaginismus, which involves painful, involuntary spasms and tightening of the vagina. As part of Tali’s treatment, Isa Herrera, MSPT, clinical director of Renew Physical Therapy in Manhattan, showed Tali and her boyfriend how to manually stretch Tali’s vagina (it was more clinical than kinky).
Herrera specializes in intra-vaginal massages to release tight or uncooperative muscles, and also in teaching patients and their partners to do this as home. “One out of three women has some sort of pelvic pain,” says Herrera, who is also the author of Ending Female Pain: A Woman’s Manual. However, she says, many women don’t admit it. “I’ve heard excuses like ‘it hurts unless I keep changing positions’ or ‘it hurts because my partner is so big.’ But the vagina is a wonderful thing and should be able to accommodate just about any man.” Herrera says WHPTs empower women to recognize and alleviate their physical discomfort.
The regimen: Techniques vary, but Herrera says she often follows a full pelvic muscle evaluation with manual massage, including trigger-point release technique to “release knots.” Herrera stressed that although the pain may occur in the pelvic area, the most successful approaches are holistic and involve the entire body. “Pain during sex can cause enormous anxiety, which results in the tensing up of different muscles groups, from the pelvis and the legs to the neck and back.” An important aspect of treatment includes diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation techniques to help the patient deal with the anxiety as well as the pain.
The Two Exercises Every Woman Should Be Doing By Corrie Pikul
The Two Exercises Every Woman Should Be Doing
By Corrie Pikul
Oprah.com | August 03, 2011
Women’s health physical therapists swear these pelvic workouts help forestall all kinds of female-specific problems. One’s a classic, and the other will forever change how you look at your watch.
If you have never felt pelvic pain, a “little spritz” (thank you, Whoopi Goldberg, for that phrase), or organ prolapse, you probably want to keep it that way. The best strategy for shaping up “down there”? Yep, that old standby, the Kegel. We know you’ve heard this before, but that’s because experts agree that Kegels are the most effective exercise to improve the muscle tone of the pelvic floor. “After the age of 35, we lose 5 percent of our muscle mass every 10 years,” says women’s health physical therapist Kristi Latham. This reduction occurs in muscles everywhere in the body—including those in our most private regions. Here’s a full pelvic workout, including Kegels and “pelvic clocks.”
Keep in mind: Just like you wouldn’t run sprints with a sprained ankle, you shouldn’t do these exercises if you have a painful pelvic condition (like vaginismus) without first checking with a women’s health physical therapist.
A Kegel Refresher Course
These wonder clenches can increase sexual arousal, improve your ability to reach orgasm, help you master control of your bladder and, says Latham, support your pelvic organs in avoiding dreaded conditions like prolapse.
Fitness instructor: Kristi Latham, PT, CLT, is the pelvic health and lymphedema program director at Metro SportsMed Physical Therapy in Brooklyn, New York.
Warm-up: When you’re just starting out, it’s best to lie down so that you can concentrate solely on your pelvic floor.
The exercise: Squeeze the muscles around your vagina and anus. These are the muscles you use to prevent gas from passing, stop the flow of urine and the muscles that contract during orgasm. Think about trying to pull the muscles up and in (if your pelvic floor is weak, you will only faintly feel this contraction). You’ll know you’re doing these exercises correctly if you feel the muscles tightening but don’t have movement in your abs or buttocks. Isolate your pelvic floor so if somebody looked at you while you were doing the exercise, they wouldn’t think you were moving at all.
The routine: For healthy women without symptoms of pelvic floor impairment, do the following three times per week: 5-second squeeze followed by a 10-second rest period, 10 times, 3 times per day (30 total). With practice, you should be able to do them while sitting at your desk or driving.
Advanced:
Endurance training: Increase hold time and decrease rest time: 10-second squeeze followed by a 3-second rest period.
Sprints: Add in what Latham calls “quick flicks”: Squeeze and relax 5 times, as fast as you can, followed by a 5-second rest period. Do 30 per day, 3 times per week (as above).
Form drills: Try any of the above routines while standing up.
Note: You’ve probably heard that you should practice Kegels by stopping the flow of urine while going to the bathroom. Using Kegels to frequently stop or slow the flow of urine can cause backflow, which creates infection, and can also disrupt your pelvic muscle coordination. Most WHPTs discourage practicing Kegels while urinating. Latham suggests paying attention to how your muscles feel just after urination, then follow up later with a Kegel to feel the difference between relaxed and contracted.
Pelvic Clocks
These exercises can improve circulation to the pelvic organs; decrease tightness, stiffness or congestion from prolonged sitting or standing; increase pelvic flexibility; improve balance and—not enough for you?—help you gain a better awareness of spinal stability.
Fitness instructor: Gail Wetzler, PT, EDO, is the owner of Wetzler Integrative Physical Therapy Center in Newport Beach, California, and instructor of pelvic physical health courses for the American Society of Physical Therapists.
Warm-up: Lie on your back to be sure that the back side of the pelvis has a full range of movement. Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor. Keep your spine in a neutral position. Imagine that there is a clock on your lower abdomen, where 12 o’clock is at the bellybutton, 6 o’clock is at the top of the pubic bone and your hip bones are at 9 and 3.
The exercise: Bring the bellybutton down to the spine. This will make the “clock” tilt, down at the 12 position (bellybutton) and up at the 6 (pubic bone). Move your hip and pubic bones to rotate your clock to the side so that 3 o’clock hip is lower. Move around the clock, tilting the pelvis until the 6 o’clock position is lowest. Continue around the clock, hitting every number, until the 12 position is again the lowest position. Repeat two or three times, then reverse to repeat the cycle in the opposite direction, two or three times.
The routine: For healthy women without symptoms of pelvic floor impairment, the clocks should be done once per day to keep the pelvic girdle in shape. Those experiencing movement restrictions can try these two times per day (a.m. and p.m.).
Advanced: Vary up the routine each day: Try going from 1 o’clock to neutral, then 2 o’clock to neutral, and continuing like that around the clock. Wetzler suggests repeating one movement, such as 4 o’clock to 5 o’clock, five to six times “to really feel the pelvic activity.”
7 Ways To Eat Smart and Lose Weight!
7 Ways to Eat Smart and Lose Weight
By Chrissy Wellington M.S., C.N.S., L.D.N., C.P.T
For Active.com
With fall right around the corner, how can you stay consistent in the months ahead and maintain your beach body?
The weight-loss industry confuses us on a daily basis. Many diets have been created and promoted that drastically differ from one another. These diets have gained popularity even with very little research to support their claims. Weight loss should be as simple as addition and subtraction. To lose weight, burn more calories, eat your vegetables and pass on the dessert. Yet, the component of weight loss we often forget is not necessarily the “what” we are eating, it’s the “how” we are eating.
The A-Z Diet study compared the Atkins (extremely low carbohydrate), Zone (low-carbohydrate, high protein), Ornish (very low fat), and USDA Guidelines/LEARN (Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitudes, Relationships and Nutrition) (high carbohydrate/moderate-low fat) diets for one year and results show that all dieters lost weight over the course of the yea. Yet Atkins seemed to hedge out the most weight lost. Theories about why this group lost just a little bit more are very clear: when these folks eliminated refined foods and sweetened beverages from their diet, they also eliminated empty calories.
The bottom line when it comes to weight loss is to burn more calories than you take in. You can easily do that by shaving extra calories from food and beverages and increasing caloric burn through physical activity.
How much should I weigh?
A healthy weight is defined as the weight you would attain after a sustained period of time, (12-18 months). During this time you must eat the best that you can eat, and exercise to the best of your ability.
Take Care of Your Metabolism
Eat Breakfast
Eating breakfast is a daily habit for “successful losers.” Insulin sensitivity is higher after eating breakfast. Insulin is a hormone released in response to eating. Insulin sensitivity refers to how well the body responds to the hormone insulin. When you eat more earlier in the day, your total caloric intake throughout the day actually decreases. Wake up with protein. When consuming lean protein in the morning, don’t forget to add omega-3 rich eggs or egg whites; low-fat, organic dairy; lean and clean breakfast meats; as well as high protein, whole grains like steel cut oatmeal or quinoa.
Count Calories
Calories are the energy in food. Regardless of where they come from, the calories you eat are either converted to physical energy or stored as body fat. If you eat 100 calories a day more than your body needs, you will gain approximately 10 pounds in a year. About 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound of fat. For a one pound weight loss, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in or cut 500 calories from your daily diet each day.
Portion Distortion
Choose satisfied over stuffed. The sizes of your portions affect how many calories you’re getting. Double the amount of food equals double the number of calories. Most Americans underestimate how much they’re eating, especially when dining out. Always plate your food. Eating out of the box or bag gives you no sense of what or how you are eating. Serve foods with measuring cups, or spoons to see how much you are actually eating. The average woman, with moderate daily exercise should be consuming approximately 3 to 4 oz. of lean protein per meal, half to 1 cup of whole grains per meal, and 1 to 2 cups of brightly colored fruits and vegetables per meal.
Eat Fiber
Fiber comes from plants, particularly legumes, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Foods which are high in fiber are usually low in calories. More of these types of foods can be eaten without consuming too many calories. Fiber rich foods can be quite satisfying. They need a longer amount of time to break down. Fiber slows the rate of digestion helping us feel full longer. Aim for 25 to 50 grams of fiber rich foods daily. Be sure to balance the intake of the soluble and insoluble forms (i.e. fruits, vegetables and whole grains.)
Snack
Although snacks are part of a healthy diet, they can become a source of extra calories. Always keep moderation in mind. The goal for snacking is to limit snacks to 150 to 200 calories. Always include the three macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Always understand the ingredients, avoiding anything artificial or refined.
Small meals consumed approximately every three hours can contribute to stable blood sugars throughout the day. Choose treats that are high in fiber (5 grams or more per serving) such as, bean dips, fruits and vegetables with peanut butter or hummus, and low-fat dairy. Choose whole grains that have a low glycemic index and include a small amount of protein with them to keep your cravings in check.
Sleep Enough
According to the National Sleep Foundation, 63 percent of American adults are not getting the recommended eight hours of sleep a night. When afternoon hits, most people are confusing fatigue with hunger. The trip to the vending machine is justified. These foods do make us feel better, because they quickly raise blood sugar due to the large amount of saturated fat and refined carbohydrates. Poor sleep quality and sleep deprivation can elevate levels of ghrelin, which is our appetite-stimulating hormone, and lower levels of leptin, our appetite-suppressant hormone. As a result, we take in more calories throughout the day leading to ultimate weight gain.
Exercise
The key to successful weight loss and improved overall health is making physical activity a part of your daily routine. The key to weight control is balancing your intake with expenditure. Exercise along with cutting calories helps to improve your weight loss. A 2011 JAMA article shows that approximately 150 to 200 minutes of exercise each week regardless of duration or intensity may result in weight loss.
10 Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight
10 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight
By Jaylin Allen
There are obvious things that can derail your diet and exercise plan. Over-eating, consuming too many calories via foods loaded with sugar, fat and carbohydrates, or skipping breakfast are certainly behaviors we know can contribute to struggles in your weight loss and fitness plan. But, there are hidden, unlikely culprits that can stagnate your healthy lifestyle.
1. “Health Foods”
Now, this sounds like an oxymoron. Since when have healthy foods caused problems in a diet? Well, since every major chain restaurant has adopted a “healthy foods menu” it has confused the average person trying to change his or her eating habits for the better. It’s easy to think that choosing a salad over a steak is the better option. However, when that salad is loaded with cheese, croutons, bacon, and heavy dressing, it can rival any high calorie food on the menu.
Instead: When choosing a salad option, choose to hold the dressing on the side and be sure that you don’t request all the trimmings that can easily take your low calorie food into high calorie, high fat territory.
2. Skipping Meals
Many people think that eating less over time is the way to lose weight. That’s only partially true. If you skip too many meals, over time your body begins to hold on to every calorie you consume. In short, your body begins to hoard and store the calories you put in because it is convinced that you may be going into starvation mode otherwise.
Instead: Eat more small meals throughout the day. Instead of one or two large meals, eat five or six small meals that consist mainly of fruits, veggies, and protein.
3. Being Cold
Admittedly, if you’re anemic you can’t help being a bit chilly most of the time. But, when you are chronically cold, you run the risk of wanting foods that are warm, soothing and hearty to help warm you. However, most of those hearty foods are also high in calories.
Instead: This is an easy fix. First, find the real reason for your constant cold condition. If you’re anemic, see if you need to supplement your iron intake. If that’s not the case, then layer up. Carry a sweater and make sure you dress for the weather. If you live in a colder climate, add a workout to your normal routine and eat more calories in the form of a high protein snack.
4. Not Getting Enough Sleep
When you don’t establish a regular sleeping pattern, your body is sent into a hormone wreck. Your leptin levels, which reduce appetite, are lowered and your ghrelin levels, which increase appetite, are raised. The result? Your lack of sleep contributes to overeating and indulging, when all you really need is more sleep.
Instead: Go to bed 30 to 45 minutes before you normally would and continue building more sleep into your nightly routine.
5. Eating Too Fast
Eating too fast is a major culprit in over-eating. Once you begin eating, you need at least 15 to 20 minutes to begin to process food and feel somewhat full. Scarfing down a meal in under six minutes may have been a great thing for frat guys to brag about in college, but it has no place in the food habits of the healthy.
Instead: Take time to savor your food and slow down. Be sure to enjoy a meal away from the computer or television to ensure you reasonably pace yourself.
And speaking of television and computers…
6. Munching In Front Of A Screen
Regardless if it’s a computer or television screen, when you are distracted by what’s being shown it’s easy to lose track of how much you are eating.
Instead: Sit at the dinner table and allot a decent amount of time (usually 30 minutes will do) for your meal.
7. Using Large Plates
Using large plates are a recipe for disaster on your diet. The problem with large plates is that most people feel the urge to fill those plates with food. Larger plates means larger portions and larger portions mean more calories and more chances to over-eat.
Instead: Use a medium to small size plate for all your meals. You’ll consume less calories and your eyes won’t notice the difference.
8. Scale Back
When you weigh yourself daily or worse, several times a day, you create an environment where you are constantly in turmoil over every fluctuation you see. While it is helpful to maintain your weight with some monitoring, constant monitoring is more harmful than helpful.
Instead: Set a day and time to weigh yourself and stick to it. Know that your weight will change throughout the day so weighing yourself at the same time weekly, will give you more accurate and comparable results.
9. Stress
Some people respond to stress by eating less and others respond by eating more. Either way, stress is a surefire derail to your healthy habits. Cortisol is raised when you’re stressed and that can lead your blood pressure and sugar levels to become out-of-whack. Once that happens, the chances of over-eating increase.
Instead: Indulge in things that help you relax. Reading, listening to soothing music and yoga are excellent ways to de-stress after a long day.
10. Your Friends
When you hang out with people, do you tend to eat more? Do you eat different types of foods? Monitor your eating habits when your environment changes and notice if you’re the type of person who’s eating habits change dramatically with the company that you keep.
Instead: Don’t turn into a recluse in order to keep to your diet. Do choose your foods wisely and, when possible, bring your own food to dinner parties—share your healthy and delicious dishes.
When you take all things into consideration, maintaining a life-long healthy lifestyle takes work. But, when you are mindful of all the big and seemingly small things that can take you off-track, you will be well on your way to coasting into a great, healthy lifestyle for years to come.
Sign up for a fitness class.
NEWS FLASH! Pilates can be as good as Physical Therapy for Pelvic Floor training!
Mind-Body-Spirit News:
Researchers have found that a 12-week Pilates program can improve muscle strength in the pelvic floor just as effectively as 12 weeks of pelvic-floor muscle training (PFMT). The findings were published in the International Urogynecology Journal (2010; 21 [4], 401–408).
While incontinence is widespread among women, adherence to typical PFMT programs is low. Healthcare professionals need ways to motivate women to perform exercises consistently in order to maintain healthy pelvic-floor muscle function over time.
Researchers from the Atlantic Health Division of Urogynecology in Morristown, New Jersey, wanted to determine whether a Pilates exercise program and a PFMT program could provide similar improvements in pelvic muscle strength. They randomly assigned 62 women with little or no pelvic-floor dysfunction to either Pilates or PFMT. Twice a week for 12 weeks, each group had 1-hour sessions with either a Pilates instructor or a physical therapist. Researchers measured pelvic-floor muscle strength and provided questionnaires at baseline and at the end of the program. Data analysis showed that all participants improved pelvic-floor muscle strength, and there was no significant difference between groups.
Patrick Culligan, MD, director of urogynecology at Atlantic Health and lead study author, said, “The Pilates group received all the pelvic-floor benefits enjoyed by the PFMT group, but they also received [the] full-body benefits of Pilates as well. Therefore, the Pilates program was the clear winner. All of the benefits enjoyed by the PFMT group were rather ‘private,’ whereas the Pilates group received those benefits plus better overall strength, flexibility, posture and confidence. The drawback of PFMT treatments is that they were ‘medicalized’; in other words, the patients had to go to a medical office and get undressed. On the other hand, the Pilates group received their instruction in a comfortable studio, fully clothed.”
Do you need exercises to help you find your core?
Here are some exercise I do with my students in class to help gain a better understanding of how the deep abdominal muscles can be activated.
Imagine the core as a cylinder–extending from the upper two ribs down into the depths of the pelvic floor. The whole system of muscles, bones and other tissues works together in a coordinated way. As you inhale, the diaphragm lowers; the ribs expand, articulating with the thoracic spine; the upper two ribs dance with the fascia of your cervical spine; and the pelvic floor stretches, freeing the hip joints.
The awareness exercises below can be integrated into a exercise warm-up that has a functional, postnatal or mind-body theme. These movements do not require great effort. In fact, large, forceful movements restrict the brain’s ability to make sensory distinctions, while small movements allow the central nervous system to integrate more efficient movement patterns (Peck 2008).
Perform all movements lying on your back with knees bent and feet hip-distance apart. Do sets of 5 repetitions with a short rest after each movement.
Exercise #1: Grounding the Feet to the Pelvic Floor
This exercise brings awareness to the pelvic floor, the base of the cylinder and its connection to the foot. Return to this awareness in other exercises like bridge, lunges or squats.
•Gently engage your pelvic floor to about 30%, and slowly let it go. Do you co-contract your abdominals as you do this? Your buttocks? Do the left (L) and right (R) sides of the pelvic floor engage equally?
•Slowly tilt the R knee toward the midline without letting the pelvis rock. Feel how this movement causes the ischium, or “sit bone,” to move away from the midline, causing the pelvic floor to stretch.
•Move the R knee away from the midline and feel how the ischium comes toward the midline and the pelvic floor shortens.
•Shift the weight on the R foot toward the outer edge, so that the inside of the foot lifts slightly away from the floor, and sense what happens in the pelvic floor.
•Shift weight to the inside of the R foot. What happens now?
•Repeat with the L leg.
Exercise #2: Sounding in the Cylinder
This exercise brings awareness to three areas of the cylinder. Integrate this exercise into dynamic exercises like medicine ball slam or jump-squat prep.
•Place your hands 2 inches below your navel. Inhale through your nose and allow your abdomen to expand in all directions. As you exhale, softly draw in the space just below your navel and make a “sshhh” sound. Feel how the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor gradually contract.
•Lay your hands on the outside of your ribs with your elbows on the ground. Inhale, feeling the ribs expand into your hands. Exhale, making a snakelike “s-s-s” sound as the ribs move away from your hands.
•Rest your hands on your chest, elbows on the ground and fingers on your clavicles. As you inhale, allow the breath to rise up into the space under your hands. Exhale with a “hhhhaaaa” sound and sense how the sternum softens downward and the throat expands.
Come try a class or persaonl traning session to learn more!
Do you pee your pants when you sneeze or cough?
Urine Leakage: A Common Health Problem for Women of All AGES! MEN TOO!
Women of all ages have bladder control problems.You may think bladder control problems are something that happen when you get older. The truth is that women of all ages have urine leakage. The problem is also called incontinence. Men leak urine too, but the problem is more common in women.
• Many women leak urine when they exercise, laugh hard, cough, or sneeze.
• Often women leak urine when they are pregnant or after they have given birth.
• Women who have stopped having their periods-menopause-often report bladder control problems.
• Female athletes of all ages sometimes have urine leakage during strenuous sports activities.
Urine leakage may be a small bother or a large problem. About half of adult women say they have had urine leakage at one time or another. Many women say it’s a daily problem. Urine leakage is more common in older women, but that doesn’t mean it’s a natural part of aging. You don’t have to “just live with it.” You can do something about it and regain your bladder control.
What causes bladder control problems and how can Pilates help correct this?
Weak muscles. Most bladder control problems are caused by weak pelvic muscles. These muscles may become stretched and weak during pregnancy and childbirth. Weak muscles let the bladder sag out of position, which may stretch the opening to the urethra. Pilates focuses on correctly activating and strengthing the pelvic floor muscles- schedule a complmentary consultation today to find out how Studio M Pilates & Fitness can help you!
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