So you want to exercise but you just don’t feel that you have the time? I say, “Fit it in whenever, and wherever you can!” While you’re cooking you can strengthen and tone your calfs by doing calf lifts. Begin standing with your feet shoulder width apart. As you lift up on to the balls of your feet tighten your buttocks. Repeat for 10-20 reps. On the second set bring your feet all the way together. As you raise up onto the balls of your feet sqeeze your inner thigh muscles and your buttocks. Repeat for 10-20 reps. For set three stay on the balls of your feet and pluse with your feet shoulder width for ten and ten pulses feet together. While you pulse continue to tighten your buttocks.
Prenatal yoga is a wonderful way to connect with your baby. Try this simple breathing exercise for deeper connection: Sit comfortably and place one hand on your belly and the other on your heart center. Focus on sending love and compassion from your heart to your baby. Notice your babies movement. Become aware of the love you feel for your baby.
If you want to lose weight then break the “fast” and eat breakfast! Many clients say, “I just don’t like breakfast.” Breakfast doesn’t have to be at 6 or 7 a.m., it should be when you first feel hungry. The reason why breakfast is so important is because it starts your metabolism going so you’ll burn calories more efficiently. For this reason breakfast can be the largest of the 3 main meals. Dinner should be your smallest meal because within a couple hours you will be going to bed and that’s when you’ll burn the least amount of calories.
Having been personal trainer for 16 years I’ve heard EVERY excuse in the book why clients didn’t have the time to exercise. You have to decide what your priorities are, and then take action. If you really want to lose weight, do something! Even if you walk for 5 min., that’s 5 min. longer than you did the day before. If each day you increase your walk by 5 min. within a week you’ll be walking for 35 minutes!
My clients are surprised when I tell them that yoga is not just for stress relief, it can give great results in weight loss and muscle tone. Certain types of yoga such as “power yoga” or “ashtanga” really boost the heart rate so you burn a bunch of calories. Yoga also incorporates balancing postures that engage the abdominal “core”, as well as postures that work all the major muscle groups such as the thighs, buttocks, back, and shoulders. Take up power yoga and watch your body,mind, and spirit transform!
It’s important that you realize that there are a myriad of hormones running through your body when you’re pregnant and these will affect your mood. For example, you may notice that during your first trimester you’re more tired, irritable, and have less sexual desire. During your second trimester you may feel more energized and have an increase in your sexual appetite. As you approach your third trimester the exhaustion, irritability, and lack of sexual desire may return. Be sure to share with your husband/ partner about the normalcy of the range of emotions you are experiencing, so they can understand, not take it personally and support you the best they can.
Many people trying to lose weight cut out “real” sugar for an artificial sugar believing it will reduce their calorie consumption and help them lose weight. Research is showing that’s not the case. Their has been found a strong connection between artificial sweetners and weight gain. According to the journal of Behavioral Neuroscience,”The data clearly indicated that consuming a food sweetened with no-calorie saccharin can lead to greater body-weight gain and adiposity [fat] than would consuming the same food sweetened with a higher-calorie sugar.” So when given the choice chose “pure” over artificial, cut back on diet sodas, and replace your diet drinks with water.
