Exercise While Pregnant

During pregnancy is a time when you will definitely have to modify your exercise program. It can still be done up until a certain point. Exactly when I don't know. Always, always talk to you ob/gyn about your intentions on exercising during pregnancy. I know that there are lots of videos and classes for expectant mothers. A exercise ball can be a great piece of equipment for expecting mothers.

Take all of the necessary precautions and guidelines presented to you by your ob/gyn. If they say that you can still maintain some type of exercise program, then you want to make sure that you take the necessary rest, hydration, and whatever else your doctor says.

I have also heard that women that exercise during pregnancy have easier labor and lose their pregnancy weight much faster than those that do not. Just remember that your first line of communication needs to be with your ob/gyn before you begin or continue to exercise during your pregnancy.

I am saying all of this under the assumption that you are not high risk. If you are high risk, I would reduce all exercise to anything more than walking around doing bicep curls with extremely light weights. That might even be too much. If the ob/gyn means bed rest that is what he means, follow his orders.

Stop Comparing Yourself To Others

I think that so many of you have started and then stopped going to the gym or exercising all together is because you constantly compare yourself to others. The Bible teaches that we are wonderfully and marvelously made. That means that we are all unique in ourselves. You really, really do need to stop comparing yourself to other people. God wants you to be the best that you can be. Read Look Great, Feel Great and/or Donna Richardsons Lets Get Real

In reality what it means in terms of exercise and eating right is that what works for one may or may not work for you. Each and every one of us has gone through individual phases in our bodies. Stick to what you can do, there is always room for improvement for all of us. None of us are perfect.

You have to do this for you, not for someone else. They had to do it for themselves so now you must do the same. Strive to be the absolute best that you can be. There is greatness in you. Be like David when he had to face Goliath. David remained strong and fearless even when everything seemed to be against him. When he did, God gave him the victory.

I said that to say this to you. Don't let yourself fail in taking care of yourself, even when everything seems to be against you. When you remain strong and fearless in your stewardship of your body, then you will have the victory.

Get Moving With Walking

Walking is something that we all do. However, there is a difference between walking for leisure and walking for exercise. I found some pointers on walking for exercise on Dr. Weil's website. Walking is an ideal way to get daily exercise - it strengthens almost every major organ in the body, promotes bone density, and boosts the immune system. But have you considered how to best put one foot in front of the other? Your walking habits can have an impact on how much benefit you get from each outing. Keep the following in mind when walking:

1.Walk with your head erect. If you need to check the ground to avoid obstacles, lower your eyes, not your head.
2.Keep your back straight. Stretch your spine so your shoulders are level and square, and tuck your buttocks in.
3.Bend your arms. Flex your elbows at close to 90-degree angles and let your arms swing at waist level.
4.Take shorter, measured steps, with your feet striking the ground with the heel and pushing off with the toes. Too long a stride can throw you off balance.
Avoid lowering your head, thrusting your trunk forward or letting your arms dangle listlessly at your sides.

So if you don't have any other means of exercise, then you can always keep walking so that you can get some form of exercise.

It Has To Be For You

Exercising and eating right has to be decision that you have to make for yourself. It is something that needs to be a lifestyle change. As much as you love your spouse, children, and family if you attempt to do it for them you will eventually fail. Donna Richardson makes sure that you take care of yourself for you in Exercise Your WeightTo A Healthy Body

You may be successful in the beginning, but if it is not in your heart to make these changes then you will only succeed for a limited time. Before you begin, take it before God. Only God knows your heart and can give you strength. Matthew 7:7 says, " ASk, and it will be given to you, seek, and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you."

Do not allow the negativity of other people influence you into not doing what is best for your health. Only God can judge you. There will be times when you will fall off, do not get discouraged. We are not perfect, just get back on course and start again. Be sure that you learn from your mistakes. Learning has not taken place until there has been a modification in behavoir.

Do this from the inside out from your heart and you will succeed. The trinity knows your heart and will give you the best if you give the trinity your best.

Back Exercises

Your back is also very important to work out. There are a million different exercises that will work the back. In order to get a full back workout, you must do several different variations and modifications of exercises. There are back exercises for free weights, barbells, dumbbells, and cables. It is up to you to become educated and familiar with the many different exercises and then you can switch up your back routine on a regular basis. You can also use dumbbells or you can use the rubber version


1.) Lateral pull. This is either on a machine or cable.
-First sit down and make sure the pad in snuggly against your thighs when you place your feet flat on the ground.
-Stand up and grab the bar or handles. There are a lot of different bars to choose from.
-As you pull the bar down, lean back slightly and push out your chest squeezing your back together.
-Release allowing the bar to stretch at the top of the exercise. Do not allow the weight to pull you from under the pad.
-Remember these may be a horizontal or vertical pull depending on the machine.

2.)Chainsaws. These are also quite common.
-Lean over the weight stack or on a bench. Support yourself with one hand.
-In the opposite hand, hold the weight at a slight angle and then pull back until your hand is by your armpit. Release

3.) T-bar pull. These are done with free weights.
-Place your feet on the platform and grab the handles.
-Pull back so your hands are by your armpits, release.

Your back requires a lot of work and will balance out your frame. When your back is strong, you are strong. It also improves your posture. As many of you know, when your back is weak, you have other problems. Strengthening your back is essential to your improvement in your overall health.

Don't Forget Our Four Legged Friends

Please don't forget about the four legged friends that are animals that require exercise and good nutrition as well. They are subject to weight gain, heart disease, chlolesterol, diabetes, and other diseases just like humans.

They deserve to have a longer and more healthy life. However, you have stewardship over them and the only way they can receive the needed exercise and nutrition is if you provide it to them. Develop a relationship with your vet to determine the proper amount of exercise and food intake for your pet.

There are specific parameters as far as heart rate, weight, etc that are unique to your type of breed. Make exercise fun for your pet, through interaction. Your pet will live a much happier life and thank you for it.

How Do I Get Started With A Exercise Program

Alright, you have made the commitment to change your life and take care of your health. So now you ask, how do you accomplish this without falling off the band-wagon?

Step 1: Make exercise part of your routine. If you exercise when there is time or when you are in the mood. It may or may not get done. Just like you get up for work around the same time, you can exercise at the same time. For example, if you say you’re going to the gym after work. Put together your gym bag the night before and then put it in the seat next to you. Then when you get off the first thing you see is your gym bag. It is too easily forgotten if it is in the back seat or the trunk.

Step 2: Start Slowly. Focus on what you can do not what you can't do. The Bible teaches that we are to do what we can and GOD will do the rest. (2 Corinthians 8:10-14)Once you become stronger you can add to your WORK OUT. If you have never exercised before, it might be doing sit ups, leg lifts, squats etc during television commercials or brushing your teeth.

Step 3: For the first month or so maintain a FOOD JOURNAL and WORK OUT journal. In order to know where you need to make improvements, you have to know what needs improving. It does not have to be every single morsel or every form of exercise that you do on a day to day basis. It does have to be a truthful representation of what you do in terms of eating and exercising. See an example of a WORK OUT AND FOOD JOURNAL provided in the blog. Write down your vision(Habakkuk 2:2).

Step 4: Realize that you were created to be you. Don't compare yourself to the next person. You don't know what they have done. They may tell you one thing and have done something else. Each one of us is unique and our temples react differently. One person may benefit from one form of exercise and other from a different form of exercise. Our temples use food and metabolism completely separate from other people.

Step 5: Stop believing every infomercial for all of these different products. If there was such a product that could keep all of the promises that they suggest, there would only be one! Who ever developed and marketed it would have more money than Warren Buffet and Bill Gates combined. Use your own common sense, if it sounds too good to be true it is.

Step 6: Stop making excuses. We are all perfectly capable of doing whatever it is that we want to do. We can find a way to do things that serve absolutely no benefit or are even detrimental to our well being. So why can't we do the opposite and do something that is beneficial and advantageous to our well being? It is your choice.

Step 7: Don't get in a rut doing the same thing over and over again. If you do the same thing over and over again you will get bored and it will be that much harder to continue. If you do the same exercise all the time without ever switching it up, your body will get used to it and you will plateau and your results will minimize. It is important to do new and different things.

Step 8: Have fun. Exercise can be fun. There is nothing that says exercise has to be boring. Involve the children and/or spouse if possible. It can also be a form of social interaction.