exercises

Exercising and Pregnancy {Pregnancy} [Part – I]

Swathy · July 31, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Guest Post by Punam

We have a beautiful lake in Bhopal and I am lucky to see that every morning from my balcony. Every evening, when I used to go there for walk even unknown people used to tell me to not come here and why am I walking, doing yoga and exercise *frowns*.

I have seen many people believing that exercising is not good during pregnancy but this is not true. So, I will be talking about this topic in few parts like benefits of physical activity during pregnancy, changes associated with pregnancy, general exercise suggestions during pregnancy, how to exercise safely during pregnancy and exercises to be avoided during pregnancy.

Regular physical activity can provide health and social benefits for many pregnant women. Suggestions for exercise during pregnancy include walking, swimming and supervised classes such as yoga or Tai chi. Pelvic floor exercises are also important before, during and after pregnancy.

Unless you have complications, it should be possible to enjoy some level of physical activity throughout most of your pregnancy. The first step is to consult your doctor, physiotherapist or health care professional to make sure your exercise routine won’t harm you or your unborn baby. You may need to modify your existing exercise program or choose a suitable new one if you were sedentary before conceiving.

While exercise during pregnancy is usually encouraged, under some circumstances exercise can be detrimental to both the expecting mother and the growing fetus.

Benefits of physical activity during pregnancy
Exercise during pregnancy offers many physical and emotional benefits. Physical activity may also help manage some symptoms of pregnancy and you’ll feel better knowing you’re doing something good for yourself and your baby. Some of these benefits include:

More energy
Stronger back muscles which can help manage back pain and strain as your belly grows
Improved posture
Weight control
Stress relief
Improved sleep and management of insomnia
Preparation for the physical demands of labour
Faster recuperation after labour
Faster return to pre-pregnancy fitness and healthy weight
Increased ability to cope with the physical demands of motherhood.

So, welcome back Punam with this series of posts on exercising during Pregnancy. She blogs at be beautiful with Punam and I always keep on insisting her to provide me material for my blog 😀 This was a one huge article which I am breaking down for the benefit of you. So, see ya next week with the second part in the series. I guess it will come to four posts.

What do you think about exercising during pregnancy?

Exercises and Health {Health}

Swathy · February 25, 2013 · 14 Comments

I have come to realize of one important factor. And, that is that if you are regular at exercising from the earliest in your life, any disease you might have developed can be controlled. Be it heart issues, blood pressure, diabetes, PCOS, any other hormonal issues, or any major chronic diseases, the exercise is your only savior.

The reason I am doing this post is because I have lately seen so many people who try to control what they eat in order to control their weight. Well, a conscious diet a very good habit but one has to remember that exercise is an integral part of your routine.

You might go for crash diets or leave milk or take to fruit diets or go for healthy diets (which is very good) but all of them can not do what exercise does for your body. Without exercise, your body wouldn’t have proper blood circulation or properly toned muscles or stronger bones. And, these are very important to prevent any kind of diseases in the long run.

Yoga is one of the best ways to regain the body strength. But, how so ever much you want to avoid exercise, you can not do without it. So, do exercise for a healthy life and not just for weight loss. Think that as an added incentive.

The reality is that a person who has exercised all his life reaps the benefits during old or middle ages when a normal person is actually prone to feel the lack of energy. And, here comes one important message for even the thin people who don’t ever feel the need to exercise – you do!

Just Gossip Vol. 3 – My Yoga Classes and changes in my Body!

Swathy · December 25, 2012 · 36 Comments

So, why I have not been regular on the blog is because I have joined artistic yoga by Bharat Thakur. Now, don’t ask me how they were in the starting because I was literally dead in the first week 😀 Second week was scary as well but a little less scary!!

Now, third week has commenced and I was down on Tuesday so I was in a dilemma to continue or not. Anyways, that’s for another post. I wanted to join some activity which would keep me healthy and help me test my body limits even more and this came.

Man, abs exercises are killing!!! Anyways, I want to just list down how my body has changed in the past few weeks. Btw, these classes are for an hour and only on the weekdays. They will end in January and I am tensed how will I keep up. Because, right now, the compulsion and community is working as a motivation.

How my body changed?

I lost weight, of course!!
I have more energy, I am less tired and more active.
I am happier.
My body feels lighter.
I have surprised myself by doing some things which I never thought I could do.
I sleep really well.
I sleep early.
And, I am getting up in the morning at right time!! And, without feeling groggy or anything.
The best part is even now that I am down, I am finding that my periods time is going on a lot smoother.
Another great thing is that my PMS was literally non-existent!! Yes, there were mood swings but not as intense as past few months.
I am less stressed out and probably my productivity is better (not sure though)!
I am more positive in outlook and I have a positive aura.
Now, whether my skin is glowing or not, I don’t really know!!
My blood circulation has definitely improved. I can feel more blood flowing in my head.
I am feeling more hungry, enjoying the taste of food and I am a lot less negative in outlook.
This is the first time I have ever joined such classes and that’s one thing which has made me happy!
My head aches are a lot more in control now 🙂
My body is so much lighter!! I can find more agility in my body as well 🙂

These are a few things right now I have noticed in myself which is making me very reluctant to not continue the next month but, honestly, there are financial considerations as well so I am kind of double-minded about it. I will probably try out something else!!

PS: This post is written on 19th December, 2012.