Women's Health

herbalremedies asked:


Exercise during pregnancy has so many great benefits for both your and your new baby. Normally, exercise should be light, especially during your first few weeks of pregnancy while your body adjusts to the changes. Any type of heavy exercise can divert the blood flow from crucial areas, and most women that exercise on a regular basis should tone down their workout regimen during pregnancy.

Swimming, walking, and yoga are two very popular exercise activities that are suitable for pregnant women. There are other forms of exercise such as weight lifting that are acceptable as long as it isn’t too strenuous. Most specialists recommend exercise during pregnancy at 3 - 4 times a week, unless you have a medical condition that prevents it.

Being tired is another part of being pregnant and exercise is a proven way to give your body a little more energy throughout the day.

What are some exercises that you can do during pregnancy?

•    Do some light sit ups. Nothing too strenuous here, but perhaps rest your legs on a chair and try bringing your head up off the floor a few inches.

•    Walking is another good pregnancy exercise for more than one reason. Sure, it gives you some much needed exercise, but it also gets you out of the house and clears your head so to speak.

•    Yoga is a fantastic form of exercise that is very low impact and helps in stretching muscles.

•    Another good exercise is swimming. The water gives you the ability to move around and work nearly all of your muscle groups, while at the same time it helps in keeping you balanced.

Any form of exercise can be done depending on the comfort level. However, a pregnant mother should start any physical fitness program only after having a consultation with a physician. All exercises should be performed under the supervision of a well-trained and certified fitness instructor. One should immediately stop doing any type of exercise upon observation of prenatal danger signs that include pain in the chest, back, pubic and hip region, vaginal bleeding along with leaking of amniotic fluid, dizziness, nausea, fainting, breathlessness, palpitations, tachycardia, vomiting, decreased fetal activity, edema and uterine contraction at 20-minute intervals.

You must avoid anything that involves bouncing, getting your heart rate up too high, or the possibility of falling. Non-contact sports are okay to continue with as long as you don’t overexert yourself and you are extremely careful with your body. If you enjoy jogging, this is great to continue. But remember that you shouldn’t jog more than two miles per day during pregnancy.

So if you are planning on becoming pregnant or you are already pregnant, begin an exercise routine right away. Safe exercise during pregnancy is the perfect way to keep you and baby healthy. Since a proper diet is also very important, talk to your doctor or a nutritionist on how to have a healthy diet for the expectant months.

Chiva-Som International Health Resort asked:


  

Pregnancy can be one of the most fulfilling times in a woman’s life. The joy of bringing another human being into the world creates a tremendous feeling of contentment and anticipation, but it is also a time of great physical and emotional upheaval. So the Spa at Chiva-Som has designed a range of new treatments to help pre and postnatal guests enjoy a secure and tranquil experience.

Together with exercise, good diet and rest, these treatments can play an important role in helping you cope with the stresses of nine months of pregnancy and postnatal recovery.

The Pre and Post Natal Body Treatment combines soothing massage with the therapeutic benefits of E’SPA products, and has been carefully designed to improve the tonicity of the skin. It’s performed on a bed designed for comfort and safety during pregnancy.

After deep skin cleansing and a gentle body polish, you will have a luxurious body massage with E’SPA’s specially developed Nourishing Body Oil. Some essential oils such as basil and marjoram should be avoided during pregnancy, so the silky Nourishing Body Oil is based on Jojoba, blended with Calendula, Grape Seed and Sweet Almond Oil.

We then envelop your body in warm Marine Mud to nourish the skin, and end with a deep acupressure point scalp massage.

The Spa at Chiva-Som offers many other treatments for pregnant and nursing mothers. These include Floatation, which induces a deep state of mental relaxation and helps to eliminate stress and tension.

With Oriental Foot Massage you recline in the Chiva-Som Music Therapy chairs as the therapist works reflex points in the feet and ankles to balance the entire body, stimulate the circulatory system and alleviate muscle tension.

For ultimate pampering, try the Bath Of Chiva, performed in the candlelit luxury of your own room as tension is soaked away in a hydrating milk bath with rose petals and chamomile flowers.

Please ask at reception for more details of all these treatments.

Matt Gray asked:


Are you looking for a fast, convenient, and effective way to exercise right from the privacy of your own home? Exercising using just your bodyweight is a great alternative to gyms, weights, machines, and other expensive equipment. Let’s take a look at several of the basics and benefits of bodyweight exercises for women.

Basic Exercises:

Push-ups are a great way to exercise your chest, shoulders, and arms. They also exercise your abs, back, and legs, as well as a variety of other stabilizer muscles. Give them a try in the traditional position or do them with your knees on the ground (when just getting started), and experience for yourself all the different muscles being exercised.

Crunches are fantastic way to isolate and exercise your abdominal area. Crunches are similar to sit-ups, but they isolate your stomach muscles better. Simply lie down with your back on the floor and your legs (bent at the knees) in the air. Cross your feet at the ankles, cross your arms on your chest (with each hand on opposite shoulder), and attempt to sit up by moving your torso and head toward your legs. Slowly go up as far as you can, and then slowly come back down. (Tip: Don’t come down all the way…this will allow you to keep constant tension on your abs and get the best results).

Squats are great bodyweight exercises for women. They isolate the major muscle groups of your upper legs and butt, as well as a variety of stabilizer muscles. The basic squat can be done by standing with your feet shoulder with apart, with back straight, head looking up (not down), hands behind head, and, keeping your weight centered over your legs with your heels on the ground, slowly bend at the knees until your upper legs and butt are parallel to the ground. Hold that position for a moment and then slowly return to your starting position.

Lunges are another exercise that really get results. Start in a standing position with your feet just slightly apart. Keep your weight well-centered so you do not lose your balance. Take a long stride forward with either leg until the knee of your opposite leg barely touches the ground, hold position for just a moment, and shift your weight backwards, returning to your starting upright position. Then repeat with your opposite leg. This will really target your thighs (front and back) and your derriere.

These are some great basic bodyweight exercises for women. These 4 exercises should really help you get started on targeting your core muscles. Both push-ups and squats can be done in slight variations (depending on how close or far apart your hands and/or feet are positioned), and can place more emphasis on different parts of your targeted areas. With push-ups you can target inner our outer chest, and inner and outer thighs can be targeted with squats.

There are also some nice benefits of doing bodyweight exercise. You never have to go to the gym to workout. This saves you time and money, and makes it very convenient to exercise. Another key benefit is you do not have to use or purchase weights and exercise equipment, which can be dangerous to use or expensive to purchase on your own. All of these exercises can be done in the privacy of your own home, allowing you to feel much more comfortable than you might at a gym where you may have an audience. You can do a bodyweight workout no matter where you are, at home or out of town, making it a very convenient and efficient way to exercise.

The biggest benefit is that all of these bodyweight exercises for women will help you get the results you desire. Looking to gain muscle? Wanting to shape and sculpt your legs? Hoping to tone up your butt? Maybe you are trying to firm up your chest, abs, and arms. More than likely you really want all of the above…a whole new and improved you, so to speak. Well, you can have it, and it won’t cost you a fortune. Simple bodyweight exercises are really all you need.

But there is one important key. You need to take action and get started. You are now officially out of excuses. So get started with some of these basic exercises today and start experiencing the benefits and results as soon as possible. You will be glad you did.

 If your lower body is the area you really want to target you can grab your FREE copy of The Leg, Butt, Hip, and Thigh Enhancement e-Guide by clicking on that link. You will learn much more about bodyweight exercises for women, new techniques, tips, and how to maximize your results in a relatively short time.

Linda McClelland asked:


Most women know they should be exercising those hidden pelvic floor muscles, but are daunted by the difficulties.  We share the 7 secrets of successful pelvic floor (or kegel) exercising, to help all women to gain stronger, healthier pelvic floor muscles.

1. Find out how to exercise correctly.  There are many sources of information on correct pelvic floor exercising.  Women often choose to approach a health professional, hoping that they can describe exactly how to produce that elusive squeeze.  Unfortunately, this isn’t always the best strategy, since research has shown that over half of all women are unable to produce a correct correction from verbal or written instructions.  If you are lucky enough to be within reach of a women’s health physiotherapist (called a physical therapist in the US) they may be able to use ultrasound or other equipment to help you learn the correct technique. So explore the services that are available to you.

2. Consider using an exercise aid to help you.  There are many different types of exercise aid available, and research has shown that many are definitely effective. Devices with visual feedback are especially useful in showing you what happens inside your body when you try to contract your pelvic floor muscles, and in motivating you to keep going by demonstrating that your exercises are working. Exercise aids are extremely beneficial to women who can’t – or don’t want to - access specialist health practitioners, but even women who consult a specialist gain substantial benefit from the use of an exercise aid within an ongoing home-based program.

3. Incorporate your pelvic floor strengthening into your daily life.  This doesn’t just mean that you “squeeze and lift” your pelvic floor muscles while waiting at traffic lights, or whilst cooking a meal.  It means learning and adopting correct posture in your daily life and developing coordinated breathing.  There’s increasing evidence that the muscles of the pelvic floor work in coordination with the deep abdominal muscles forming a “girdle” around the lower part of the body, and providing support to the lower back.  Using these core muscles effectively will assist you to gain and maintain a stronger pelvic floor.

4. Avoid activities and movements that damage your pelvic floor. Heavy lifting, straining on the toilet, being overweight, and a chronic cough can all weaken or damage the pelvic floor muscles.  More surprisingly, so can excessive or inappropriate exercising.  Women who participate in sports or exercises that increase abdominal pressure are at risk of pelvic floor damage too.  Sports that involve running and jumping, and activities such as abdominal crunches, can place undue pressure on the pelvic floor muscles.

5. Exercise frequently enough to make a real difference. Recommendations vary, but a daily or twice daily session is usually considered appropriate.  If this sounds a lot, don’t worry, as your exercise sessions need not take more than 10 minutes.  In the early days of an exercise program, you’ll probably need to set aside some dedicated exercise time.  But as you become more certain of your exercise technique, you’ll find that you can initiate a correct contraction at any time.  Even if you choose to use an exercise aid to help you in the early months, you’ll find that you need it less as you build strength.

6. Use an alarm or another signal to remind you that it’s time to exercise.  Research has shown that women who use a simple alarm are far more likely to stick to their exercise program.  Train yourself to respond to the trigger sound and automatically start your exercises, without allowing those “inner voices” to dissuade you.

7. Keep going for long enough. Don’t give up because you can’t see any difference, and definitely don’t give up as soon as you do notice a difference!  At least 6 weeks of regular, frequent exercise is required to create a perceptible improvement in muscle strength.  If you already have symptoms of a weak pelvic floor, such as incontinence, you will probably need to exercise for 12 or more weeks to overcome your problem.

Seven simple secrets can make all the difference. If you want stronger, healthier pelvic floor muscles, listen to the secrets and start today.