FAQ

 


 

 

  FAQ On Pregnancy Fitness

 

 


Q: I was wondering if you have any good techniques on getting rid of stubborn fat around the ab's. I had a baby 14 months ago, I lost all the weight (and extra) through jogging alone. My problem is I stopped jogging for 3 months due to my schedule at the time and gained weight, all around the stomach...I look like I'm pregnant again; I have been working out 5 days a week for 6 weeks (3 days weights, 5 days cardio for 30-40 minutes) I have also cleaned up my eating, but I have seen barely any results, I am getting discouraged.....do you have any suggestions that will give me results? Would having 1 gram of protein for every pound I weigh make a difference? (I also forgot to mention that I have a cheat day once a week, meaning I eat whatever I want in that day)

Sincerely,
Paula Ginther

A: Paula,

Welcome to www.womenfitness.net ,a complete on-line guide for women to achieve healthy weight and optimum fitness . It has been observed that number of women tend to gain weight after delivery and child birth, which tends to become stubborn fat .

The one and only way of losing fat is by taking up a cardiovascular program balanced with proper diet and a strength training program. What you need is to incorporate an exercise program into your daily routine to begin with. You need to take out time at least 30-45 min to begin with and devote it completely to your health and fitness. Mind you this needs to be an important aspect of your life . Plan out your daily routine in and around your workout program. Try to indulge in activities which will really help to burn out your body fat .

Take up aerobic cross training to achieve a successful weight loss. Here are some of the exercises you can use in your cross-training program; walking, jogging, biking, rowing, stair climbing, swimming, exercise videos, etc. Any combination of aerobic exercises will do.

Aerobic cross-training is beneficial to you in several ways:
1. It provides variety which eliminates the monotony often associated with doing the same exercise for a long period of time.

2. If your exercise sessions are less monotonous and more enjoyable, you are much more likely to exercise more often and for longer periods of time.

3. You are less prone to over-use injuries that sometimes occur from doing the same exercise movements over and over again.

4. You tone more muscles because you are using more muscles. For example, walking tones mostly the lower body muscles and rowing tones upper body muscles also. Even exercises like walking and biking that both tone lower body muscles, tone them at different angles and each tones some small muscles that the other doesn't.

5. Aerobic conditioning is very specific to the muscles being worked. For example, you can walk ten miles a day and still be somewhat breathless after climbing stairs because you haven't trained the muscles for that specific movement. Aerobic cross-training allows you to develop more comprehensive aerobic training.


6. Aerobic cross-training is effective for weight loss because your are toning and training the fat-burning systems of more of your muscles. It turns more of your muscles into 24-hour fat-burning machines! You are also more likely to exercise on a regular basis and for longer periods of time. this also promotes weight loss and fitness.
 
To strengthen the muscles of your abdomen, you can complement your aerobic workout with these abdominal exercises. These exercises should be continued till fatigue after careful warm up and stretching.

Bicycle Maneuver: Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands beside your head. Bring knees up to about 45-degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion. Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee. Keep even relaxed breathing throughout. 

Captain's Chair: Stabilize your upper body by gripping the handholds and lightly pressing your lower back against the back pad. The starting position begins with you holding your body up and legs dangling below. Now slowly lift your knees in toward your chest. The motion should be controlled and deliberate as you bring the knees up and return them back to the starting position.
 
Crunch on Exercise Ball: Sit on the ball with your feet flat on the floor. Let the ball roll back slowly. Now lie back on the ball until your thighs and torso are parallel with the floor. Place hands behind your head (or cross your arms over your chest) and slightly tuck your chin in toward your chest. Contract your abdominals raising your torso to no more than 45 degrees. For better balance, spread your feet wider apart. To challenge the obliques, make the exercise less stable by moving your feet closer together. Exhale as you contract; inhale as you return to the starting position. 

Vertical Leg Crunch: Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands behind your head for support. Extend your legs straight up in the air, crossed at the ankles with a slight bend in the knee. Contract your abdominal muscles by lifting your torso toward your knees. Make sure to keep your chin off your chest with each contraction. Exhale as you contract upward; inhale as you return to the starting position. 

Reverse Crunch: Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands beside your head or extend them out flat to your sides-whatever feels most comfortable. Crossing your feet at the ankles, lift your feet off the ground to the point where your knees create a 90-degree angle. Once in this position, press your lower back on the floor as you contract your abdominal muscles. Your hips will slightly rotate and your legs will reach towards the ceiling with each contraction. Exhale as you contract; inhale as you return to the starting position. 

If you regularly follow a routine of an aerobic workout and follow a well balanced diet based on cereals ,fruits and vegetables ,there is no reason that you will not be able to achieve a healthy weight. Besides, the muscle gain with an appropriate strength training program will also help in burning of fat by Increasing body's BMR.

One more thing if you regularly follow a fitness routine this cheat routine will not interrupt in your weight loss program, Infact it will serve as a treat for keeping up the great job. Women who regularly follow an exercise routine do not really have to bother for what they eat ,for they know, that they will burn it off the next day or eat a little less at the next meal.

For a personalized, fitness and diet program to achieve your weight loss goals ,you can take up WF membership program .You can check out the link for varied health benefits women receive as a WF member.

In fitness
Namita
 

Q: Hi, I'm 25 years old and I'm planning to have a baby in 5 years. That gives me plenty of time to work out and be physically fit. But my question is, were can I get information about preparing my body for pregnancy, during pregnancy and labor?
I want my body and health to be in the best condition before I get pregnant so that I can have a very healthy baby and an easy deliver.

Veronica Perez

A: Hi Veronica,

 Welcome to www.womenfitness.net, a complete online guide for women to achieve healthy weight and optimum fitness . Women Fitness has brought down all the information women look for regarding health and fitness at one stop . WF offers on-line books to women to know themselves better, understand their body ,know about the various aspects that combine to make a healthy women and also principles and guidelines how to achieve lifelong optimum health and complete fitness . Pregnancy is one of the phases in a women's life, a time when she goes through varied physical, nutritional and emotional needs .Women Fitness has taken care of all the factors essential for pre and post-term pregnancy whether related to diet, exercise and medication. WF has gynaecologists, Dr. K Tandon & Dr A Tandon who offer online support to women ,log on to www.womenfitness.net/wfteam.htm.All the recommendations regarding diet and exercise are based on the recommendations By-The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists.

Dr K Tandon is a leading gynaecologists & obstetrician heading a private nursing home, she has served more than two generation women in pregnancy and normal delivery of babies. Information regarding diet, exercise and weight management during pregnancy can be found in the five on-line books on complete fitness, namely cardiovascular, strength training, flexibility, nutrition and weight management . 

Body weight increases at different rates during pregnancy and to know how much is right for you is important to prevent pilling up of fat. Most experts agree that, based upon the limited data available, proper strength training poses little risk to the mother or the developing fetus. In fact, it may be very beneficial for a pregnant woman. WF has laid down guidelines of a strength training program for pregnant and postpartum women .We will guide you as to how much exercise is just right for you.

 

Q. Could this be IUGR? My wife just gave birth to our third child, a 6 lb 13oz baby boy at 40 weeks. Our first child, a girl, weighed 7 lb 8 oz at birth and our second, a boy, weighed 8 lb 10 oz and he was over two weeks overdue. I am wondering why out third child is smaller than the other two. The obgyn said everything looked normal and the placenta looked healthy and the pregnancy was uneventful, still, me and my wife want a second opinion. Do babies come in all sorts of sizes, even within the same family, for completely normal reasons? Thank you

A Dear Jeffery,
Your obgyn is right if everything looks normal to her. In fact, babies weighing 3.3 pounds (1,500 grams) or less are classified as very low birth weight. There are a number of factors which can to some stage affect the weight of the baby like the mother's age during conception, alcohol use and smoking, High levels of caffeine intake, mother's nutrition, health and fitness before and during pregnancy. Nutrition is one of the most important factors affecting the health of your baby.

Its important that the baby be healthy rather than being heavier. Consult your pediatrician for a view on the baby's physical health. I hope the above information helps. Dr Tandon.