Fitness Challenge #3

Now that we are getting the basics down with exercise, here is the weekly challenge at different fitness levels, to be completed along with your cardio: The Squat.
This exercise focuses on the quadriceps, gluts and hamstrings.
Tips for correct form:
*Stand with feet hip width apart.
*Abs pulled in.
*Shoulders rolled back and down- (you might feel like you are sticking out your chest, and that is okay)
*Keep your knees behind your toes.
*When sitting BACK into the squat it is like sitting into a chair, your gluts are reaching behind you.
*As you come up out of the squat, squeeze your gluts together.

Level 1: Learn how to do a squat correctly. Do 3 sets of 8 after walking* each day that you walk.

Level 2: Repeat 3 sets of 8 after walking* five minutes, after 15 minutes, and at the end of your walk. Complete with each day of cardio.

Level 3: With each walk* this week, every 5 minutes, after 5 minutes of warming up, do the following:

8 squats at regular speed

8 squats slowly down, slowly up (count to 2 going down and also coming up)

4 squats holding down for a count of ten. Your goal on the hold is to get low: you want your quadriceps parallel with the ground.

This will be on minute 5, minute 10, 15, and so forth until you have completed your minimum of 30 minutes cardio.

*If you are currently doing something other than walking for your cardio, such as jogging or running, or a different cardio machine, these can still be added in.

Traveling Pregnant

As summer approaches, vacationing is on my mind. If you are traveling a lot this summer, keep these four tips in mind:
Get up and move. Whether you be traveling by car or traveling by plane, take a few moments to stretch your legs every 2 hours. In a plane you can just walk the aisles, and in a car take this moment to get some fresh air at a rest stop or gas station. It doesn't need to be much, just enough to get circulation going again.
There are also ways of stretching and moving your muscles while sitting in your seat. It is a great time to work on your kegel exercises, baby "hugs" by pulling your abdominal muscles in and around your uterus, and gluts and hamstrings by flexing and releasing the muscles- hold for 5 counts, release and then repeat.
When you arrive at your destination, try to work in your regular 30 minutes of cardio per day.
Pack healthy snacks. Our eating habits change quite a bit while we are away from the comforts of our home. Pack a few things that you know you can enjoy that are healthy and familiar. This can prevent undue stress on your digestive system, along with helping you save money from having to eat fast food on the road. Snacks I like to pack include yogurt, pretzels, cheese and crackers, apples, oranges, carrots, celery and PB,
Get your fluids! Just about anything without caffeine will work, as caffeine doesn't help you rehydrate. Water really is best. Keep sugar soda and juices to a minimum as it is better to be getting your calories from other sources.
Keep portions in perspective. We have a tendency to change our eating habits when on vacation or holiday. Don't allow others' motivation of "you are eating for two" convince you to eat more. Remember you only need 300 extra calories to feed that second life, and each of those calories need to count. Go ahead and eat, but keep your portions manageable, and eat more nutrient rich foods than the treats and desserts. Keeping yourself from getting hungry by eating small snacks throughout the day can help prevent over eating when sitting down to a meal.

Best of all, try to keep the stress to a minimum. Vacation should be about taking a break from the stresses of everyday life, not increasing them.

Happy Vacationing!

Nutrition Challenge #2: Time to think about dairy

Dairy is a great way to get calcium for the health of your bones and teeth. While you are pregnant this nutrient becomes even more important, as your baby is requiring LOTS for his bone development. If you are not getting enough in your diet, your body will start taking it from your bones to give it to your baby. This leaves you with weaker bones in the future.

A short list of high calcium foods, with serving size: 1 cup milk, 1 ½ ounces of natural cheese, or 2 ounces of processed cheese (any cheese will do, but cream cheese is a low fat alternative with loads of calcium. Oh, and stay away from soft cheeses that haven't been pasteurized), 2 cups cottage cheese, 1 cup frozen yogurt, 8 fluid oz regular yogurt. Some non-dairy alternatives to getting your calcium are 1 1/2 cup packed fresh spinach (or 1 cup cooked), 1 cup fortified soy milk, 1 cup fortified orange juice, 1 cup cooked green soybeans, and of course supplements.

This week focus daily on how much dairy you are getting, with the daily goal being 3 servings.

Fitness Challenge #2

How was last week? Were you able to get your 4 days of 20 minutes minimum?

This week your challenge is to keep up with last week's challenge, in addition to adding in some toning exercises: biceps, triceps, quadriceps and hamstrings. Do this 2 times, but not on consecutive days.

If you have a membership to a gym, taking one of their group exercise classes is a great way to be coached on correct form and to get ideas of how to work different muscle groups. If you don't have a membership, think about investing in 5 lb and 8 lb hand weights. You can work most muscle groups with a simple set up at home. This will also help you have no excuse when it comes to getting a workout as you progress through your pregnancy.

Get prepared for future workouts to come!

What's all this talk about DHA?

You hear a lot about this from your doctor or midwife and are counseled to make sure you are taking it during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. But what exactly is it? This is a question I ask of any dietary recommendation through supplementation because I am not a huge fan of supplements (there are definitely times when they are necessary...pregnancy being one of those times).
What DHA is:
DHA stands for docosahexaenoic acid and it is an omega-3 fatty acid. Our bodies cannot not produce this fat on it's own, so it must come from food or supplementation.
Why we need it:
Why this nutrient is getting all the hype is because of it's important function in neural development and function development of the central nervous system, the brain and eyes. Many published studies have concluded that children whose mothers supplemented DHA scored higher on IQ tests and were more advanced than children whose mothers did not. There is also a benefit for the mother, reducing the risk of postpartum depression.
How we can get it:
Your developing fetus relies on you for all his/her nutritional requirements, so it is important that you are getting this nutrient in your diet either through diet or supplementation.
There is research that DHA can be formed in our bodies from another polyunsaturated, omega-3 fat ALA, but isn't a guarantee and it is somewhat inefficient. Flax seed, canola and soybean oils, and walnuts all are sources that may have this conversion. On the other hand, seafood has high levels of DHA, particularly fatty fish such as haddock, cod, and pollock (these are the "safe" fishes you can have in pregnancy). The reason for this is actually because of the fish's diet of algae. Therefore, supplementation of DHA, produced directly from the source of DHA, really is the best source of DHA. This is why our health professionals suggest supplementation during pregnancy and lactation.

Don't disregard this nutrient after pregnancy and lactation as it has also been shown to reduce risk of heart disease, breast cancer, and all-cause dementia.

Nutrition Challenge #1

Purchase your DHA supplements this week, and start taking them regularly. I personally have been using Expecta, however, I am not yet convinced that this is the best or the most cost effective. I will let you know if I make a decision otherwise, and I would be happy to have your input as well.

This is also a reminder that you need to regularly take your prenatal vitamins, both for yours and your baby's health!

Exercise in Pregnancy

Now that you are pregnant, this is no time to just sit back and let your body lose it's shape. Exercise is a vital part to yours and your baby's health throughout this pregnancy. It isn't the best time to start a fitness "program", per say, however, there are plenty of things you can do now even if you were not regularly exercising before.

There will be multiple posts on this blog about exercise and fitness. The following disclaimer applies to each of these posts: consult your physician or health care provider before you begin this, or any, exercise program. That is not to dissuade you from trying it out, as I would also add: consult your body and your future desire to not have to work extra hard to lose the extra weight you gained during pregnancy before you refrain from being physically active. There are a few conditions in pregnancy that may require less activity, or activity in a different form, but for the most part, you will be able to do most of the things you did before you got pregnant as long as you are participating throughout your pregnancy. It gets much harder to begin any activity the further along you get.

How do you know if and when an exercise or activity becomes too much? Any pain in the abdomen is a sign to not go any further, while everything else you can just compare to what you would have allowed before pregnancy. Overall, the best advice to follow is your body's. It will tell you if something is too much, so make sure you listen and follow it's cue!

Let's get moving...