UNDERSTANDING YOUR NUTRITION

Healthy eating is important from the prenatal period throughout life, in order to maintain a high level of wellness.  Food provide the body with the nutrients required to produce the energy, repair damaged tissue, promote tissue growth, and regulate psychological processes.

Physiologically, these nutrients – carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and water –are essential in adequate quantity.  In addition, the production, preparation, serving, and sharing of food enriches our lives in other ways.

STAYING FIT DURING PREGNANCY

Like many other attitude, our thinking on fitness during pregnancy has changed in recent years.  No longer is a pregnant woman treated as fragile.  A woman needs to be quite careful when carrying a baby, but these days a doctor is more likely to advise against a sedentary lifestyle for a healthy pregnant woman.  Exercise during pregnancy can increase a woman’s muscle strength, making delivery of the baby easier and faster.  Exercise can also help control her weight, making it easier to get back to normal weight after delivery.  The baby may benefit from mother’s exercise program as well.

Importance of Exercise for Pregnant Women

Exercise in general is beneficial to human body, and it is even more important for pregnant women to exercise regularly. 

FITNESS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Along with six necessary elements to include in your fitness program, you should consider many additional issues when you start a fitness program.

Should I see My Doctor Before I get Started?

This issue has probably kept thousands of people from ever beginning a fitness program.  The hassle and expense of getting a comprehensive physical examination is an excellent excuse for people who are not completely sold on the idea of exercise.  We should state that it is highly desirable to have regular checkups with your family physician as part of your overall health plan.  However, the question still applies to many.  The surgeon General suggested that most adults can safely increase their activity level to a moderate amount without the need for a comprehensive medical evaluation. 

DEVELOPING A CARDIO RESPIRATORY FITNESS PROGRAM

For people of all ages, cardio respiratory conditioning can be achieved through many activities.  As long as the activity you choose places sufficient demand on the heart and lungs, improved fitness is possible.  In addition to the familiar activities of swimming, running, cycling, and aerobic dance, many people today are participating in brisk walking, rollerblading, cross-country skiing, swimnastics, skating, rowing, and even weight training (often combined with some form of aerobic activity).  Regardless of age or physical limitations, you can select from a variety of enjoyable activities that will condition the cardio respiratory system.

Many people think that any kind of physical activity will produce cardio respiratory fitness. 

GUIDELINES FOR STATIC STRETCHING

Take the following precautions to reduce the possibility of injury during stretching:

·         Warm up using a slow jog or fast walk before stretching.

·         Stretch only to point at which you feel tightness or resistance to your stretching.  Stretching should not be painful.  Hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds.

·         Be sure to continue normal breathing during a stretch.  Do not hold your breath.

·         Use caution when stretching muscles that surround painful joints.  Pain is an indication that something is wrong – it should not be ignored.

STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS OF CARDIO RESPIRATORY (AEROBIC) FITNESS

Aerobic fitness can help you to do the following:

• Complete and enjoy your daily activities.
• Strengthen and increase the efficiency of your heart muscle.
• Increase the proportion of high- destiny lipoproteins in your blood.
• Increase the capillary network in your body.
• Improve collateral circulation.
• Control your weight.
• Stimulate bone growth.
• Cope with stressors.
• Ward off infections.
• Improve the efficiency of your other body system.
• Bolster your self-esteem.
• Achieve self-directed fitness goals.
• Reduce negative dependence behavior.
• Sleep better.
• Recover more quickly from common illness.
• Meet people with similar interests.
• Receive reduced insurance premiums.