Should I Continue Weight Training While Pregnant?

If you're planning to have a child or maybe already pregnant and don't know if you should continue to exercise, then read on.

It's good to be physically active when pregnant. It can actually help you during your labor as you are physically conditioning yourself with the movement but it's also healthy for you and your to increase oxygen flow.

Now, take this advise below as educational purposes and do discuss your health and fitness program or any diet or exercise changes with your prenatal nurse or doctor.

If you've been working out before you became pregnant, then continue doing what you're doing.

If you've been running, continue doing it.
If you've been weight training, continue doing it.

However, if you've become pregnant and then decide to start an exercise program,
I say to this: Keep it easy and simple as walking. I would not suggest starting a new exercise program at all.

Mild weight gain is expected but you'll want to stay within 20 percent or under over your ideal weight when pregnant and not over.

The only thing I would suggest is that you keep the workouts moderate to light in intensity.

Also, after the first trimester, avoid any type of crunches or sit ups on your back as this can decrease your blood pressure which can decrease blood flow and oxygen to the fetus.

If you want to tone your abs, do ab contractions while on all fours. Think of the camel hump of rounding your back and then dropping your belly towards the floor while arching your back in the opposite direction and tightening the core and hold the belly in towards the spine. Tighten as if you were to get punched in the belly and how you will tighten your stomach muscles.

You don't want to diet either. Eat in moderation.

Do continue to eat clean and healthy with lots of fruits and vegetables and less fried, sugary, salty, fatty or processed foods. You're habituating the fetus with whatever foods you are eating during this stage when your baby is born.

You'll only need an addition 300 calories per day on top of what you are normally consuming to help nourish your fetus.

If you're eating healthy foods, your baby will crave healthy foods. It's that simple.

If you are training, any type of exercise, the way I like to look at how intense I work out is to train hard enough where you can hold a conversation with a person next to you (if you had one or jus image) but hard enough where you don't feel like talking. Got it?

Remember, keep everything in moderation and not in excess.

I'm Adriel Yapana. As a Glendale, CA personal trainer and boot camp instructor, I know how hard it can be to drop stubborn body fat. To get FREE powerful, life-changing strategies, videos and finally stop the weight-loss battle, visit my website at http://adrielyapana.com/blog

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Tips for Exercising While It's Hot Outside

When it's cold outside it's easier to workout than it is when it's warm or even hot. Exercising in the winter will help you warm up and stay warm. When it's hot outside it's harder to do what's necessary. That's why these tips will help you to get your exercise in each day and stay cool at the same time.

If you enjoy taking walks outside as a way to get your exercise that can be difficult in the summer time when it's hot. One way to still make this happen is to do it early in the morning or later in the evening. When the temperatures are cooler you'll find it'll be easier to do it. Look at the forecast and decide if it'll be better to do it in the early morning hours or later at night.

If exercising outside is not your cup of tea, you need to consider your options inside. This will give you the ability to work out with a fan or air conditioner. This will make it more comfortable for you to work out and get the job done and you'll have control over the temperature so if you get too cold or too hot you can adjust accordingly.

One thing to remember when you're working out is the more you sweat the more fat you're burning and that's where your weight will come off. Even though it's hot and you're sweating, it's still better, but you don't want to get too hot, so it's a good idea to use a fan aimed at your face or upper body.

If you choose to workout at home you have control over the temperature. You can use a fan, an air conditioner, swamp cooler or ceiling fan to control the temperature while you exercise. This will help make it more comfortable during the time you're working out.

Working out in the gym will also help. It won't be nearly as hot as it would be if you exercised outside or if your home doesn't have air. You'll have the ability to exercise in a temperature controlled atmosphere which will make it easier to get the job done.

Working out in the spring and summer is just as important as it is in the fall and winter. When you make it comfortable you'll have the energy it will take to do your workout each day and the tips above will help make it a little easier.

Alisa Robinson is the owner of Art Fitness. She believes every success story starts with a dream; it takes determination to turn it into a vision and passion to make it a reality. Alisa's main passion and mission is to turn lives around and encourage people to start living longer and healthier. If you are ready to start your journey go to http://www.artfitnesstraining.com TODAY!

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The Risk Of Exercising When You Haven't Done It For A While

ByLee Piel

Even though health professionals have trumpeted the health benefits of exercise for over a century, some people are still hesitant to exercise because of the possible risk of injury - especially if they haven't done it for a while. But there is a risk to not exercising as well, which many people fail to take into account.

Someone who hasn't exercised in a while may be hesitant to get on a treadmill and run for one or two miles. What they fear most is a possible risk of a heart attack. And they do have some cause to be concerned. For example, after a huge snowfall, there will always be multiple reports in the newspapers or news shows about the number of people who had heart attacks while shoveling snow. You also hear stories of weekend athletes who tear a ligament or throw out their back when attempting a sports related activity which they haven't done in a while.

So their concern is not without reason. In fact, according to statistics, when a person who has not exercised for a significant amount of time, begins to exercise, their risk of being injured rises an amazing 56 times over the person who has been exercising on a regular basis.

But you should not take the wrong lesson from those statistics. The key to preventing an injury from happening is twofold. One is to be examined by a physician and get his clearance before beginning an exercise routine. And, two is to start to exercise at a slow pace and only gradually increase the amount of effort that you expend. If you do this, statistics show that the danger of you being injured while performing a physical activity drops dramatically.

In addition, there are some exercises where the risks of injury is very negligible. A perfect example is walking. A casual stroll to the park or through a shopping mall, with frequent rest stops, is a perfect good beginning exercise for someone who hasn't done a lot of activity in a while.

Those who are extra cautious can take additional steps to soothe their concerns. One thing that you can do is to take an authorized stress test. Such a test will determine how your body reacts when placed under physical stress. Because the test takes place in a medical setting, you can feel secure that if something goes awry, medical personnel will be quick to respond.

If you pass the test successfully, in this setting, you should be fairly sure that your doctor will give his approval to your exercise program. If you fail, however, at least you know that you will need some sort of treatment before you can start an exercise routine.

For more information on home gyms and general fitness topics such as adjustable dumbbells and bowflex dumbbells, visit our website.

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Exercises You Can Do While You're Waiting Around

ByTina Haines

Most people feel you have to spend an hour or more of your time to get in a good workout. While working out for at least an hour is great, you can also make the most of your time by doing easy exercises that can be done anywhere. A majority of people are busy so fitting in any type of exercise can be a benefit. Let's say you are waiting around for an appointment or just have time to spare. An easy exercise to start off with are calf exercises.

Calf Exercises on the Go - Simply stand with your feet shoulder width apart and flex your calves up and down for about 20 - 30 reps. Turn your toes in and repeat. Turn your toes outward and repeat. Your calves will probably burn and it doesn't take long to feel that burn. However, these calf exercises are easy and can be done anywhere.

Wall Push-ups - Dropping down and pumping out some push-ups may not be ideal depending on where you are and what you are wearing. If you can drop and crank out some push-ups, go for it. Yet, if that isn't the best idea for you, you can do wall push-ups. All you have to do is lean up against a wall as if you were doing a push-up on the ground. Do several reps, rest, and repeat for as many rounds as you can.

Body Squats on the Go - Body squats are another easy body weight exercise that can be performed anywhere. Place your hands on your hips or cross your arms in front of you with your feet shoulder width apart. Squat up and down for as many reps as you can and repeat. Be sure to have good posture and good form.

These types of body weight exercises are great options for when you have some time to spare and want to use it effectively. Another great option is climbing up and down stairs if they are available. Learn to make use of every opportunity. Even walking can be a great way to fit in some exercise.

If you can, bike ride to and from your destinations. Park further away and walk into a store or work. These little steps can make a difference within a week's time. Imagine the effect after a month or even longer. Remember to also change up your eating habits for the better to see even more results.

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10 Ways to Exercise While Watching TV

ByNick Shepherd

After a long day of work, the last thing you are in the mood for is hitting the gym. You want to go home, plaster yourself on the couch and enjoy a bit of mindless entertainment for a few hours.

There is no need for your body to suffer though. You can still get a good workout in front of the TV.

There are several simple but effective exercises that you can do in front of the TV.

1. Jogging on the spot

Everyone remembers this one from gym class. Jogging on the spot is a great way to fit in some cardio. For every hour of TV, there are usually 15-20 minutes of commercials (ridiculous, I know). If you watch 2 hours of TV a night, you can end up exercising for 30-40 minutes daily.

2. Push-ups

You might hate push-ups but they are a great way to work out the chest, shoulder and tricep areas. If you find push-ups difficult you can try doing them on your knees to start off with then work up to keeping your legs straight and dare I say it, one handed push ups.

3. Work out DVD

Work out DVD's were made for exercising in front of the TV. Just pop one in and start moving along. YouTube has some great videos like this one, or you can go the paid route and buy one from Amazon. This one is my favourite.

4. Exercise ball

However tempting it may be to sit down on your couch, use an exercise ball instead. Your body has to respond to the instability of the ball to remain balanced, engaging more muscles. This leads to your abs and back muscles getting a good workout.

5. Exercise machine

An exercise machine like a treadmill, bike, rower or stair stepper all offer a great workout. They used to be very expensive but nowadays anyone can afford one. Here is an inexpensive one.

An exercise machine is the easiest, most convenient way to exercise in front of the TV.

6. Jumping Jacks

Relive the time when you were a kid and had to do jumping jacks in gym class. They get the heart pumping and offer a great high intensity workout. You can burn 10 calories a minute simply by doing jumping jacks. 2 hours of TV a night with 3 commercial breaks per hour lasting 5 minutes leads to 300 calories burnt, all without a minute of missing your favourite TV show.

7. Shadow Boxing

During the commercials, get up off the couch, keep your feet moving and start to throw some punches. It is a great way to tone your arms and lose some calories.

8. Crunches

The best exercise to strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles are crunches. Start off with only 10 (you should feel the burn) and work your way up to 50 without stopping.

If you hate doing crunches then tense your abs and then release them while sitting on the couch. Do 50 repetitions every commercial break and you'll be on your way to a six pack in no time.

9. Switch it up

To keep you from getting bored of doing the same exercises, switch it up. When you watch a comedy, jog on the spot, a drama show, do some push-ups, a reality show, work the abs. This will make sure you don't get bored and all the muscle groups are worked.

10. Lay off the snacks

Lucky for us there are 2 ways to lose weight; exercise and eating less.

Nights will come when you can't seem to work up the motivation to exercise, lay off the snacks as an alternative to exercising that night.

If you enjoyed this article then visit The Zen Approach for more interesting articles

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