Stress & Excercise
 

Enlist your near and dear ones, including your friends, your husband, your sisters or parents in work that you think they could help you out with. Take their assistance and do not seek perfection in the way they do their work.

 

Similarly at work place, delegate work to subordinates and talk to the bosses on reducing work load for yourself.

 

Share worries or anxieties with your partner or husband or your doctor or your best friend.
  You can continue to enjoy sex. Keep it gentle and you may try out more comfortable positions.
  Enjoy yourself. Watch movies, go for a picnic, read your favourite book, cook your favourite meal.
   
 
Yoga is ideal for pregnant women as it is calming and relaxing both the body and the mind. In yoga, the asanas are calm, controlled and can be done at the own pace of the mother-to-be. Relaxation is inbuilt in yoga and it is found to be healthy for both mother and baby. Signing up for classes or reading up on yoga asanas for pregnant women, could be a good way to get up and start getting proactive about health during pregnancy
   
  Meditation Ultimate Stress Buster
  Meditation is a way to balance your physical, mental and emotional states. It is powerful as a stress buster and increasing body's resistance to stress.
 

How to meditate:

 

Sit in a comfortable position with the spine straight and erect.
 

Close your eyes

  Focus on breathing or an object or a sound
  Take deep breaths slowly
  Do this for 10 -20 minutes

Regular meditation helps in increasing levels of patience and compassion, obtaining of extra sensory perceptions, a deeper understanding of the self and a better concentration and confidence in the self.

Exercise For A Healthy Pregnancy
 
Regular exercise helps to strengthen your heart and lungs. It also improves your blood circulation and body posture. Moderate exercise is recommended. Consult your doctor before you start any exercise program.
 
Commonly asked queries:
1. Why should I exercise during Pregnancy?

Exercise helps...

 

Increase your sense of being in control

 

Boost your energy level
  Reduce constipation
  Prevent wear and tear on your joints
  Reduce back pain, improve or maintain muscle tone, reduce leg cramps
  Improve sleep patterns

 

 

 

 

 

 2. How much should I exercise ?
Even 5 minutes a day is a good start if you've been active. Add 5 minutes each week until you reach 30 minutes.
3.What kind of exercise should I do?
Many women enjoy dancing, swimming, yoga, walking or cycling.
4. What about walking during Pregnancy?
The best exercise for pregnant women is walking, atleast 3 days a week. Add a couple of minutes per week and pick up the pace a bit.
5. How does yoga help in Pregnancy?
Yoga gently works on the reproductive organs and pelvis to ensure a smooth pregnancy and relatively easy childbirth.
Exercise During Pregnancy
 

It is and established fact that women should include some form of exercise during pregnancy as it has many benefits. Make sure that you start out slowly. Take it only as much and as frequently as your body can allow it. Don't overdo it and avoid exercising when the temperature is either too hot or too humid. Overheating the body could harm your child. Drink plenty of water. Do not overstretch.

Do kegel exercises: Kegels involve contracting and releasing the vaginal muscles similar to stopping urine from flowing. Tighten and relax the muscles quickly. Do it several times a day as this will prevent the intestines or bladder muscles from dropping and losing elasticity due to the added weight of the uterus.

Ideally walking, swimming, are the choices for a pregnant woman. You can even do weights if you are in the mood for it. Choose exercises you like and are comfortable with.
 
Top 5 exercises to consider
   
 
 

Lying pelvic tilts: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Keep hands on the sides. As you exhale, pull your tummy towards your spine, tilting your pelvis forward. As you inhale, release. Repeat 8-10 times
 

Heel slides: lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. As you inhale, slide your right foot forward until your leg is straight. Keep your lower back on the floor. Exhale and bring your leg back to the starting position. Repeat on the left side. Do 5-10 times on each side.
 
Single foot touch: Lie on your back with knees bent at a 90 degree angle over your hips. Inhale and bring your right foot down and exhale and bring it back up. Repeat on the left side. Do 5-10 repetitions on each side.
 
Abdominal crunches: Lie flat on the floor, with knees bent and hands on either side of the abdomen to hold it together. Exhale and push your lower back into the floor while lifting head and shoulders slightly off the floor. (avoid flexing head on chest). Inhale and relax head and shoulders. Repeat eight times and progress to two sets of 16 reps. After you've done this for a week you can start to keep your hands behind your head.
 
Back extension: Lie on your tummy, forehead touching the mat and elbows bent and close to your body. Slowly lift the upper body, extend the elbows, increasing the back extension. Slowly come back to the starting position. Repeat two times and go up to 8 reps.