Health Improvement Blog

Prenatal yoga has many benefits including an increase in body awareness.  Body awareness means you’ll be conscious of what feels right in your body.  As your belly grows you will be able to do different movements.  Some of the postures you did in your first trimester will no longer be comfortable in your third trimester.  However, you can enjoy a deeper connection with your baby as your awareness grows to the ever increasing size of your baby in your belly.  Try this simple exercise below to connect with your baby and experience body awareness.

Body and Baby Awareness Exercise
*Sit comfortably with your spine tall and straight. 
*Close your eyes and inhale through your nose
*Exhale out through your mouth
*Imagine that there is a cord running from your pubic bone all the way to the top of your head
*As you breath notice the sensations in your body
*Is your baby quietly sleeping or active?
*Imagine that with each breath you are comforting your baby
*Notice if the movement changes
*Repeat the breath as long as desired

I’m often asked which is better to do, cardio or weights.  My answer both!  If you’re short on time and you want to lose weight I say do a combo of cardio and weights (note: your own body weight is just as effective.  You may replace weights with push ups and or tricep dips.)  See how below!

A 20 minute total body workout: I
1. Start with 5 min. of powerwalking followed by
2. 2 min. of pilee squats
3. 2 min. of shoulder work (or pushups)
4.  5 powerwaking or light jog
5. 2 min. of lunges
6. 2 min. of upper back work (or pushups or tricep dips)
7. 2 min. of powerwalking
8. Cool down and stretch

I found that the yoga breath added me greatly for both of my natural labors.  I allowed my body to do what it needed to do vs. resisting and tightening.  I imagined that I was riding a wave.  As I took a deep breath I imagined riding a big wave up, up, up, and as I exhaled I rode the wave back down.  At the top of the wave the contraction was the most intense, and as I exhaled the intensity decreased and I rode the wave down.  In your third trimester I recommend connecting to your breath.  Try this simple exercise:

Connect to Your Breath Exercise
1.  Sit tall and close your eyes.
2.  Inhale and bring the breath to the top of your head, exhale bring the breath to your sit bones. 
3.  As you breath notice how the breath makes you feel.  Are you more calm?  centered? relaxed? focused?
4. Repeat the breath 8-10 times or as much as needed

For more information or to purchase 3rd Trimester Prenatal Yoga DVD visit: www.fitbysara.com .
 

Are you trying to lose weight?  Are you obsessed by the ever increasing number on the scale?  Are you frustrated because you’re counting every calorie and exercising and the number on the scale just won’t seem to budge?

Stop obsessing over the number on the scale and losing weight, and start setting your focus on a healthy lifestyle.  Measure your progress by how you feel.  Meaning after you exercise do you feel more energetic?  Or after eating a healthy meal do you feel less irritable?  When you change your focus from losing weight to a healthy lifestyle your obsessive behaviors will decrease and you’ll feel better AND the weight WILL come off! 

For more info check out my  nationwide Total Body Coaching Program. Learn how to eat to nourish your body, exercise because you want too, and lose weight without ever dieting or depriving your body! Click here: http://www.fitbysara.com.

In your 3rd trimester it will benefit you to do yoga postures that will open up your pelvis in preparation for an easier labor.  A good posture to do is what I call the “modified squat” (see below). 

Modified Squat
*Place your feet approximately 3 1/2 feet apart.
*Place your hands on the floor shoulder width apart and slightly in front of your feet with your legs as straight as possible
*Inhale bend your knees to a deep squat and look up
*Exhale extend your legs as straight as possible
*Repeat 8-10 breathes

You can find this exercise on my prenatal yoga dvd for the 3rd trimester.  Click here to view: http://fitbysara.com/third-trimester-prenatal-workout-program.php