Sunday, March 1, 2009

Exercise and well being for pregnant women

Exercise and well being for pregnant women


Exercise plays an important role in promoting health and well being for pregnant women. Women who exercise during pregnancy have reduced weight gain, more rapid weight loss after pregnancy and improved sleep patterns. They also have faster labours and less need for induced labour. Regular exercise also leads to reduced need for painkillers to ease delivery and fewer operative births.To investigate whether or not exercise during pregnancy has long-term effects on the cardiovascular and overall health of women, researchers from America identified 39 pregnant women. Prior to becoming pregnant, the participants reported indulging in exercises such as running, cross-country skiing, and aerobics several times a week. Of these, 20 women continued exercise throughout pregnancy and 19 women stopped or reduced their exercise volume by at least 75 percent before the 12th week of pregnancy. It was found that compared to women who had decreased exercise during pregnancy, those who continued with it while pregnant gained less weight over time and tended to have a higher self-assessed body image. Further, those who exercised through out pregnancy also had a lower resting heart rate and lower levels of bad LDL cholesterol. The researchers noted that continuing a vigorous weight-bearing exercise programme during pregnancy helps women lower the cardiovascular risk profile when they approach menopause.

intentional weight lossIntentional weight loss is the process of consciously making and executing a plan to decrease total body weight. This usually entails the reduction of total body fat. Ideally, dieting should be done by eating a nutritionally balanced low-calorie diet and increasing physical activity.
Who should lose weight?Adults can benefit from weight loss if they are moderately to severely overweight. Adults who are overweight and have weight-related medical problems or a family history of such problems can benefit from weight loss. Some weight-related health problems include diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, or high blood sugar levels. Even a small weight loss of 10 to 20 pounds can improve one’s health. One does not need to lose weight if one’s weight is within the healthy range on the weight-for-height chart.Overweight or obese signifyThe terms ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’ are used to describe excess body weight. Overweight typically refers to weight 10% above the expected body weight for height and build. Obese refers to being 20% over the target. The greater the excess, the more significant the health risk. There are chart and tables that are used to determine what one’s target weight should be. They vary according to gender, height, age, and bone structure. A simpler and more useful piece of information is Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI is calculated by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by the square of one’s height (in meters). To fall within the ‘healthy range’ on the BMI, the result should be within 20 and 25. Results, both, lesser and greater than these values are associated with significant health risks.

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