Exercise Classification: Intermediate
Description:
Holding a towel or an exercise band straight in front of stretch it out several inches until you feel it in your upper back muscles. A towel will not have nearly as much stretch but can still be beneficial.
Exercise Classification: Intermediate
This exercise is very similar to an RDL (Romanian Deadlift), as they both involve a great stretch of the hamstrings (back side of your thigh).
In the example, a band is used to add resistance, making the exercise more difficult. A small weight or milk jug could also be used to increase difficulty. This exercise can also be done using just body weight.
Position your hands behind your head, and push your hips straight back. Keep your knees almost straight, and back flat. Go down until you feel a stretch your hamstrings, and then squeeze your glutes (butt) to extend your hips on the way back up.
Complete 10 reps.
Exercise Classification: Intermediate
Description:
After tying a towel or an exercise band to a sturdy material straighten in front of you until it is taught. Then make sure your arms are fully extended and pull the band towards your chest. You should feel it in your upper back muscles and arms. A towel will not have nearly as much stretch but can still be beneficial.
Exercise Classification: Intermediate
beginner pregnancy workouts (no equipment)
Seated on the ground, bend one knee in front of your body
Position yourself so your lower leg and knee are resting on the ground. Your leg should form a 90-degree angle, and your ankle should be neutral so your foot is pointing straight out behind you.
Exercise Classification: Intermediate
Description:
Make sure ribs are down not flaring and out. Make sure your back, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and backs of hands are flat against the wall. Glide arms overhead in snow angel fashion keeping all points of contact with the wall. Go as far as your current mobility allows then return to start.
Exercise Classification: Intermediate
Description:
Stand beside the step you will be stepping up onto. Instead of facing the step stand beside it and take a step up onto the step horizontally with the foot closest.
F.I.T.T. Framework for Pregnancy
F.I.T.T. stands for frequency, intensity, time, and type of exercise. This framework can help you decide on exercise programming that works for YOU and YOUR schedule! The ultimate goal of using BumptUp is to hit 150min of moderate exercise per week. Use this framework to help you do that!
Frequency- aim for exercising at least 3-4 times per week (but work up to daily)
Intensity– Shoot for an intensity that makes your heart beat faster and breath harder, but keep it to where you can still carry on a conversation. This is called the “talk test” and can keep you at a level that is not going to overexert yourself. If you are a very active person and used to more intense activity, it is okay to work even harder!
Time– anywhere from 20-60 minutes. Note: it is okay to break this up into 10min sessions throughout the day!
Type– This part should be based purely on what YOU enjoy doing the most! If you love to walk, walk! If you like to run, run! If you like to cycle, cycle! If you like to play tennis, play tennis! If you like to dance, dance! Choose a mode that sets you up to be successful! And if you don’t know what you like to do, visit our full body workout section of the app!! We can help you pick safe and effective exercises to create your own workouts!
© WKU {2022} All rights reserved.
You’re a day past your due date and anxious to get the show on the road. You may have wondered what you can do to get things started and questioned whether a fast walk around the block may do the trick.
If you’ve been exercising throughout your pregnancy, it’s fine (and even advisable) to continue with your routine past your due date. Even if you haven’t been keeping fit, short walks are an excellent way to keep yourself focused and reduce pre-labor anxiety. As long as your feeling good and your doctor or midwife hasn’t asked you to avoid exercise, keep doing whatever activity feels best.
Although you may have heard other pregnancy women say that a run or fast walk brought on labor, the jury is out regarding whether exercise in itself can nudge labor. What little data there is on this subject hasn’t shown an association between physical activity and going into labor, but that doesn’t mean exercise isn’t helpful during those long days of waiting.
Many women who’ve exercising throughout their pregnancy have biked, ran, walked, or worked out in a gym the day they went into labor. We even know one woman who biked into the hospital to deliver her baby. These women would probably agree that exercising right up to when labor started made a big difference in how they felt during and after labor and delivery. Here are just a few of the perks:
Although you may feel impatient for your labor to start once you’ve reached your due date, it’s important to remember that normal gestation can vary between 38-42 weeks, with some pregnancies (called post-term) can go beyond 42 weeks. The following factors can increase the incidence of going past your due date:
With that in mind, don’t feel that you’re abnormal if you don’t feel anything happening at your due date—you and your healthcare provider can best determine whether you need to be induced or just sit tight until nature takes its course.
Internet Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics
© WKU {2022} All rights reserved.
Constipation is a common complaint during pregnancy likely due to changing hormone levels, diet changes, increased pressure from your growing baby, and a change in activity levels. If you are suffering from constipation, try these tips to get your bowels moving.
Hydrate
Make sure you’re getting an adequate intake of water throughout the day. Pay attention to your body and drink when you are thirsty. Tea, coffee, and soft drinks are not a replacement for water. Hydration is like the three little pigs: you do not want too drink too little, which can contribute to swelling, constipation, and other symptoms, or too much, which can overload your bladder and lead to increased frequency of urinating. You want to find the sweet spot of “just right” which can be accomplished by paying attention to your body. This may mean you need to “check in” a few times a day to ask yourself if you are feeling thirsty.
Fiber
Foods high in fiber such as apples, avocados, and brussels sprouts can help. Aim for 28g of protein per day during pregnancy. You can also consider adding flax seed or psyllium husk to your yogurt, smoothies, or oatmeal for added fiber (start with 1 teaspoon per day and increase to 2 tablespoons depending on tolerance).
Activity
Move your body to help reduce constipation. Go for a walk, try a yoga or mobility flow, or lift weights to get in your recommended exercise intake plus help your bowels become more regular. There are also several specific exercises that can help. These include hip swings, hook-lying trunk rotation, and quadruped rocking.
Positioning
Using a stool or squatty potty to get the knees above your hips can help your bowels move more freely while on the toilet. Working with a PFPT to learn how to fully relax your pelvic floor may also be beneficial.
Food Sensitivities
Some foods may be contributing to your constipation during pregnancy. If you’ve tried all of the tips above and still experience constipation, ask your OBGYN, midwife, or pelvic floor physical therapist for a referral to a prenatal Registered Dietitian that can help you work through your diet.
Self or Partner Abdominal Massage
This massage designed specifically for constipation is sometimes called the “I Love You” massage because you are tracing the letters “I” “L” and “U” over your belly. While you are not actually pushing stool through your intestines, this massage technique helps to move the tissues around your organs to help things move more easily through the system. It is normal and safe to hear your tummy talking back to you with gurgles while performing the massage but if you do not hear or feel gurgles that is ok too! This is usually performed for 10 minutes and performance is recommended just before bed or as soon as you wake up in the morning.
Watch video below on abdominal massage:
https://vimeo.com/forerunnerbg/download/686023078/48b5dd6d05
Habit Training
The best time to have a bowel movement is in the morning about 30 minutes after waking due to gastrocolic reflex. Waking up and drinking a water beverage (i.e. warm water), moving (i.e. walking around the house), and eating (specifically the mechanical action of chewing) all augment the gastrocolic reflex. Another good time to try and have a bowel movement is 30 minutes after a meal. You can go in the bathroom and sit on toilet for no longer than 5 minutes. This can “train” the bowels. This can be even more effective postpartum.
Toileting Mechanics
When on the toilet, pull pants and underwear down to ankles to allow legs to relax out to the side
When you bear down, instead of holding your breath, blow out through your mouth as if blowing through a straw. You can also make a sound like “SSSSHHHH” “HHAAAAA” “GGGRRRR”. You can also hum or sing. The goal is to be breathing as you push to protect your pelvic floor.
As you bear down, imagine “belly big belly hard”, trying to make your belly big like a basketball.
If nothing is happening, you can rock side to side, front and back on the toilet. You can also make circles with you pelvis and trunk clockwise and counterclockwise.
References:
Jewell D, Young G. Interventions for treating constipation in pregnancy. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2001, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD001142. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001142. Accessed 29 January 2022.
Rungsiprakarn P, Laopaiboon M, Sangkomkamhang US, Lumbiganon P, Pratt JJ. Interventions for treating constipation in pregnancy. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015, Issue 9. Art. No.: CD011448. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011448.pub2. Accessed 29 January 2022.
Casey Thomas-Hardesty, MS, NTP & Jenny LaCross,PT, DPT, PhD(c), WCS, ATC, CLT-LANA
© WKU {2022} All rights reserved.
Welcome to the 2nd trimester. Now that you (hopefully) have your appetite back, you may feel more comfortable incorporating meats and vegetables back into your diet. Below are some tips and ideas to help you through these next several weeks.
Salads
While leafy greens may have been a turnoff during the first trimester, many people find them appealing once again during the remainder of their pregnancy. Don’t just opt for plain lettuce though. Here are some salad toppers that can help you increase your nutrient intake:
– salmon, diced chicken, or hard boiled eggs
– nuts and seeds like pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, or walnuts
– fruits and vegetables like apples, carrots, and broccoli
– don’t forget the dressing and healthy fats
Easy Meals
Similar to snack plates, putting together quick and easy meals can be a great option for weekday meals.
– tuna salad (look for skipjack or brands with low mercury), whole wheat crackers, apples, and carrots
– breakfast for dinner – scrambled eggs with veggies, whole grain toast with butter, and a side of berries
– sheet pan dinners – one pan dinners help make cooking and cleanup easy. Try mixing vegetables like baby potatoes, carrots, and zucchini on a sheet pan. Toss with olive oil and your preferred spice blend, add in chicken thighs, and cook until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Note: For food storage safety guidelines, click here.
Casey Thomas-Hardesty, MS, NTP
Two Peas Wellness
© WKU {2022} All rights reserved.
