Health and Diet Articles

Archive for the ‘Exercise’ Category

New Moms: How to Get Back Your Pre-Baby Tummy

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

new20momHaving a baby is a wonderful experience, but unfortunately, following up to the birth and immediately after the birth many women are concerned about the weight that has been gained through the duration of the pregnancy. The average woman gains thirty pounds through the duration of the pregnancy, some women gain even more than this –therefore, the process of shedding the baby weight after the baby is born can become easily overwhelming to the new mom; after all, she has many other things to worry about aside from getting her body back to the way that is used to be! 

Losing weight after the baby doesn’t have to be overwhelming. There are many things that the new mom can do to shed the baby weight quick, after the birth of the baby. It can take up to six months for the body to return back to normal but using these techniques can assist in getting your body back into shape, as quickly as possible.
Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways for the new parent to lose the weight that has been carried through the pregnancy and it can help the uterus to shrink back to the normal size and therefore decrease the size of the belly. Breastfeeding is healthy for the baby, as well as being healthy for the new mom! It is an effective way to get your post-baby tummy back in check months sooner than the new moms that chooses not to breastfeed.  
 
Eat healthy. Be sure that the diet includes at least five to ten servings of fruit and vegetables per day to ensure that proper nutrition is being maintained. Use whole grains and eat the extra calories that are required while breastfeeding by getting nutritious foods that can add vitamins and nutrients to the body. Look to snacks like fruits and vegetables and nuts that are full of omega fatty acids and can help to increase the energy levels within the body which can wane in the immediate weeks after the birth of the baby.  

Start slow with walking and other gentle exercises that can be completed with the baby, including post-natal yoga. This is an effective way to maintain the body and burn calories without harming the body from the effects of the birth. It is important to avoid vigorous exercise for at least six weeks until the body has had the chance to heal from the birth. Walking with the baby is safe as little as two days after the birth and can help to speed the recovery process. 

Use low impact exercises like post-natal yoga and water aerobics to ensure that there is as little trauma as possible that can affect the healing process of the birth. These low impact exercises are an effective way to burn calories and begin to retain the muscle tone of the tummy without using intensive exercises that can deter the weight loss of the new mom.  

Living a healthy lifestyle is an effective way to get your pre-baby body back into shape and following these methods will ensure that you have your body back in no time.

The Benefits of Weight Training

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009

000001556Weight training has many positive effects on the body that can be reflected in the pounds that are shed when a weight training program is implemented into the weight loss program. Not only are many pounds shed through the weight loss program, the dieter can see many positive effects on the body even as little as two weeks into the beginning of the program.  

Here are some of the benefits that can be seen from weight training as a weight loss plan:

• Training with weights can increase the metabolism – the more lean muscle mass that is present in the body, the higher the metabolism will be in the individual that is training with weights. The metabolism directly effects how many calories will be burned; a high metabolism can mean that more calories can be burned through the day – even while sleeping!

• Weight training can improve the health of women that are going through menopause or women that are post menopausal as it can strengthen the bones and decrease the instances that the woman will develop bone loss, which is one of the leading causes of diseases like osteoporosis.

• Weight training can help to balance the body and improve the posture – So, if you find yourself suffering from poor posture and are seeking a way to correct the problem consider weight training as the viable alternative.
 
• Weight training can reduce the risk of the dieter developing certain health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Working out with weights on a regular basis has demonstrated an increase in the HDL (The good cholesterol) of the person that is undergoing the workout program. Weight training has also demonstrated the ability to decrease the blood pressure in a resting patient. 

• Weight training causes a surge of energy in the body that does not deplete quickly like the energy found from certain foods that contain high levels of sugars or high levels of caffeine. 

• Are you looking for a way to boost the immune system? Consider weight training as a way to avoid common colds and other viruses that come about during the winter season – as weight training is one of the most effective ways to boost the immune system and increase its efficiency. 

• There are many people that use weight training as a way to lower the resting heart rate and create a higher efficiency bodily system. As the metabolism is increased, the functions of the body are increased and made healthier and this is reflected in the heart rate – which is lower in those who undergo regular weight training sessions. 
 
• Weight training can increase your mood as there are certain chemicals and endorphins that are released through the weight training sessions that are known as “happy chemicals”. These chemicals not only have the potential to increase the mood of the person weight training, but they can also increase the self image and self esteem of the weight trainer!

There you have it, reasons that you should include weight training into your physical fitness routine, aside from the fact, of course, that you can see weight loss quicker!

The Best Exercises to Give You A Shapely Behind

Saturday, March 21st, 2009

butt1While rounder, more substantial butts (read: Beyonce, J-Lo) are all the rage now, most people would like for their rumps to be firm and shapely even if they are a little fuller. The best way to accomplish this is to take action. You likely won’t be able to get a fantastic rump by simply sitting on it. In this article, we will discuss the very best exercises to help you create a shapely, curvy and sexy butt.

 

a. Try Cycling: Getting on that old bicycle in the garage can help you significantly shape up your backside. Not only will it work your glutes but also your hips and thighs. Cycling makes for a fantastic lower body workout. Now you can ride through your neighborhood or a local bike trail if you would like. If you do not have a bike of your own, don’t know how to ride or simply would not like to “take it to the streets,” you can ride on a stationary bike at your local community or fitness center.

 

b. Interval training: Interval training and doing sprints can also help you firm up your backside. This is because sprints can help you build up those glute muscles. These muscles have to be strong in order for sprinters to run fast. If you are not ready for an aggressive sprinting work out, try interval training. This will involve you running and walking. You will run as fast as you can for about 20 seconds and then walk until you have caught your breath and are recovered. Then repeat. Doing a set of 10 will give you a pretty decent work out and should improve your derriere over time (if you are consistent).

 

c. Walking: Walking is another really good exercise for the lower body. This is especially true if you walk up an incline or hill. This is partly what makes activities like hiking or mountain trekking so beneficial. If you do not live near any hills or mountains, try walking indoors on a treadmill. Use the incline feature to get a really good workout and to firm up the thighs, hips and butts.

 

d. Weight Lifting: Weight lifting is one of the best and fastest ways to get a sexy rump. Perform those exercises that work out the lower body. Try squats, dead lifts, lunges, thigh raises, leg curls. These will all focus on the thigh and butt area.

 

You would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t desire to look great in a pair of jeans. Both men and women can appreciate a nice butt. However, for most people, it takes effort to develop a firm, shapely bottom. It doesn’t happen on its’ own. Lifting weights, walking, interval training, sprints and cycling are all great exercises to perform to tighten up one’s backside. Some of these may be difficult to perform at first (they may take some getting used to) and they may leave you sore and tired. However, if you keep with them and continue to perform them on a consistent basis, you should see great results.

 

Although this was not mentioned in the body of the article, eating right is also very important. If your diet is low in bad fats and contains plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains and you consistently work out your total body with special emphasis on your butt, you should notice a big difference.