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Approaches to improve the experience of exercise during pregnancy

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Approaches to improve the experience of exercise during pregnancy

Bodily exercise throughout being pregnant is helpful for each maternal and fetal well being. Wholesome pregnant girls are suggested to take part in not less than 150 minutes of reasonably intense bodily exercise, equivalent to brisk strolling, each week.

Research: A Qualitative Exploration of Train Q22 Q1 Throughout Being pregnant. Picture Credit score: Kamil Macniak / Shutterstock.com

The significance of bodily exercise throughout being pregnant

Common bodily exercise reduces the chance of extreme weight achieve, gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, macrosomia, gestational hypertension, preterm start, and each pre-and post-partum melancholy in pregnant girls. Moreover, common bodily train reduces maternal fatigue, improves sleep high quality, and augments neuromotor expertise in neonates.

Regardless of the identified advantages of bodily exercise throughout being pregnant, solely 9% to fifteen% of pregnant girls meet the bodily exercise suggestions of the American School of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) throughout being pregnant. Thus, it’s crucial for clinicians to grasp why girls fail to take part in common train constantly.

Researchers have beforehand explored girls’s perceptions and experiences of bodily exercise throughout being pregnant. Some limitations that have been discovered to forestall pregnant girls from taking part in common bodily actions included lack of time, considerations/concern for security throughout train, bodily well being signs, lack of entry to amenities/assets and childcare, and lack of social assist.

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To beat these limitations and enhance adherence to bodily exercise throughout being pregnant, some interventions have been recognized, equivalent to in-person counseling, pregnancy-specific train teams with social assist, and well being skilled assist all through the being pregnant interval. Importantly, correct data and counseling on prenatal bodily exercise should be simply accessible.

Concerning the examine

A latest Nursing for Girls’s Well being examine explores girls’s expertise of partaking in bodily exercise throughout being pregnant. This examine is part of the bigger Beginning Being pregnant With Robustness for Optimum Upward Trajectories (SPROUT) pilot venture, which is split into two elements. The present examine is related to the second half, which takes a qualitative strategy.

A thematic strategy was used to investigate information obtained from individuals’ experiences, which might be utilized in scientific practices. As in comparison with content material evaluation, thematic evaluation offers extra flexibility, through which a participant’s expertise may be described in codes/themes.

Members who have been between 11 and 13 weeks of gestation have been included within the SPROUT Challenge. They have been randomly assigned to any of the three train teams, which included a supervised train intervention group, house train group, and management group.

The primary group concerned three individualized train classes every week on campus with supervision. The individuals of house train teams have been supplied with train handouts and on-line movies for resistance coaching actions and an train/sleep log. The third group is the management group, which allowed their individuals to observe their regular exercise ranges.

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The burden, peak, and a submaximal take a look at of cardio health often called the Balke strolling treadmill take a look at of all individuals have been carried out at baseline, in addition to three and 6 months postpartum. The individuals of all three teams have been supplied with an exercise watch to watch their bodily and sleep exercise. These exercise watches additionally enabled measurement of their coronary heart fee at relaxation and in response to exercise. 

Research findings

The present examine documented girls’s views on taking part in a being pregnant train program. The researchers additionally report the facets of concurrent train interventions that supported taking part in bodily exercise. Taken collectively, these findings are extraordinarily vital for creating pointers for bodily exercise throughout being pregnant

Bodily exercise doesn’t require costly tools or a health club membership. In reality, train may be carried out in numerous conventional varieties, equivalent to yard work, home cleansing, and power coaching workout routines utilizing one’s physique weight. The present examine supplied girls with cheap resistance bands for power coaching workout routines.

People’ perspective in the direction of train throughout being pregnant is a vital issue linked to motivation and adherence to bodily exercise packages. Human connection was discovered to be a key issue for assist, accountability, and schooling.

Whatever the teams, individuals have been motivated by receiving counseling on ACOG pointers. They have been additionally motivated if particular workout routines have been suggested to them via in-person conferences or somebody checking in with them via telephone, e mail, or textual content. 

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Girls within the supervised train group mentioned the significance of getting a healthcare knowledgeable information them via their one-on-one classes, which motivated them to stick to this system.

Apparently, the exercise monitor additionally served as a supply of motivation and accountability for all three teams. To this finish, the examine individuals acknowledged that getting day by day suggestions about their bodily exercise degree via an exercise monitor helped them meet their targets.

Conclusions

The supervised train program was most fascinating if versatile scheduling and individualization in program content material have been accessible. Human interplay, even weekly interplay, enhanced motivation, accountability, and confidence amongst individuals. individuals.

The dearth of correct train steerage from obstetrics was discovered to be the most typical barrier for pregnant girls to enroll in train packages. This difficulty must be addressed sooner or later.

Journal reference:

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  • Holliday, Okay., Sames, C., Hoose, D., et al. (2023) A Qualitative Exploration of Train Q22 Q1 Throughout Being pregnant. Nursing for Girls’s Well being. doi:10.1016/j.nwh.2023.01.010

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University of Mobile earns award for ‘Exercise is Medicine’ global health initiative | The Alabama Baptist

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University of Mobile earns award for ‘Exercise is Medicine’ global health initiative | The Alabama Baptist

A student-led project to establish a Ram Fitness Trail on campus, along with university-wide efforts to develop a culture of wellness, earned the University of Mobile a silver-level designation for 2024 in the national “Exercise is Medicine” global health initiative.

“The dedication of our students to promoting health and wellness on campus has been instrumental in achieving this recognition,” said Lori DeLong, dean of the School of Health and Sports Science in the College of Health Professions.

UM is one of only 145 colleges worldwide to be honored through the “Exercise is Medicine” initiative as a university that encourages faculty, staff and students to work together to improve the health and well-being of the campus community.

The American College of Sports Medicine, the world’s largest sports medicine and exercise science organization, co-launched “Exercise is Medicine” in 2007 with the American Medical Association. UM will be recognized May 29 at the Exercise as Medicine recognition ceremony at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting.

UM Kinesiology Club Projects

The silver-level designation highlights UM’s significant efforts in encouraging physical activity and healthy lifestyles within its college community. Previously, the university held the bronze-level designation.

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Heather Smith, visiting instructor of kinesiology, said, “Initiatives such as the establishment of the Ram Fitness Trail, hosting health fairs, providing information about campus wellness resources and conducting surveys to assess physical activity needs have contributed to UM’s elevation to the silver level.”

Smith said the University of Mobile’s Kinesiology Club, along with the leadership team dedicated to this initiative, played a pivotal role in driving these efforts forward. The Kinesiology Club is one of more than 20 academic and student life organizations available for UM students.

Ram Fitness Trail

The Ram Fitness Trail was dedicated during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 28, 2023, and follows sidewalks along the university’s scenic Pollock-Altmayer Drive. Walkers on the Ram Fitness Trail start at Weaver Hall, where a QR code provides a campus map of the trail and distance markers.

DeLong said future plans are to extend the trail and take advantage of the university’s 880-acre wooded campus in north Mobile County.

The dean said the university’s Exercise is Medicine initiatives are in keeping with the motto for the School of Health and Sports Science: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. The scripture describes the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit and urges Christians to “honor God with your bodies.”

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For more information about the School of Health and Sports Science and other healthcare degree programs at the University of Mobile, visit umobile.edu/healthcare.


EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Marlee Montalvo and originally published by the University of Mobile. 

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Fitness Myths From TikTok You Should Immediately Stop Believing – Health Digest

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Fitness Myths From TikTok You Should Immediately Stop Believing – Health Digest

If you love to dance, you should continue to dance for your health and your overall wellbeing. But don’t focus strictly on TikTok’s “weight loss dance,” because it just won’t yield results that you hope to see. This was popularized when a TikTok user posted a video of herself performing a now-viral dance that purports to burn body fat and help you lose weight fast. While the user claims to be a fitness instructor, there are no credentials or otherwise notable details that impart any confidence in the dance claim.

It’s not limited to one user, though. As these TikTok videos go viral, people begin to believe every word. Certified nutrition coach Joanne Schell says to Shape, “Posts like this put value primarily on outward appearance; in truth, a six pack is either genetically created or takes significant diet and exercise changes — often to the point where sleep, social lives, and hormones [can be] disrupted and disordered eating [can] arise.”

As the user responsible for the viral dance video claims that the routine will “reduce” the abdomen, it’s important to be mindful of what you’re watching and falling prey to fad diet trends. Psychologist Sirin Atçeken tells Cosmopolitan, “We are constantly bombarded by adverts selling us unrealistic expectations, ‘quick fixes,’ and easy way-outs. In a time where we are calling out fake news, it can be quite dumbfounding that certain content even passes advertising standards.”

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How to train your brain to truly enjoy exercise, according to science

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How to train your brain to truly enjoy exercise, according to science

Truth: They woke up like this. Some people really are more inclined to find joy in exercise. But! You can rewire your brain to join that ‘love it’ group, research shows.

When experts measured the electrical connectivity in the brains of people who are recreationally active, they found that those who perceive themselves as being highly tolerant of physical effort had greater levels of ‘remembered pleasure’ afterward, according to the new study by Florida International University. Meanwhile, those who said they were not as tolerant had a certain amount of ‘anticipatory dread,’ or negative feelings, before the work even started.

The good news is that you can teach yourself to be more accepting, physically and mentally, of movement—which will help you feel excited about exercise in general and crave it more often. By trying some (or all!) of these tactics, you’ll likely notice benefits immediately, says study lead Marcelo Bigliassi, PhD. To extend the effect, keep efforts ongoing, so subtle changes compound over time. Onward!

Meet the experts: Marcelo Bigliassi, PhD, is an assistant professor of neuroscience and psychophysiology at Florida International University. Diogo Teixeira, PhD, is a professor on the physical education and sport faculty at Lusófona University in Lisbon, Portugal.

1. Add appeal to the flavour of exercise you already like.

Let’s say you don’t mind weight lifting but definitely don’t have the can’t-wait feels leading up to a workout. You can create artificial motivation and enjoyment by listening to music or a podcast while you sweat, using virtual reality, or even just engaging in positive self-talk, Bigliassi says. Or perhaps lifting with a group or a friend is the missing ingredient for you. ‘You’re creating outside signals that can help you push a little bit harder and a little bit faster.’ The goal is to foster positive experiences with your sweat sessions. Gradually, the emotion will become second nature without these external cues.

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‘You’re creating outside signals that can help you push a little bit harder and a little bit faster.’

Not sure where to start with finding your best-match activity? Think back to your recent past, and even to your childhood, says Bigliassi. ‘There are usually clues.’ For example, if you used to love swimming at your neighborhood pool, maybe that could translate to swimming laps at your local gym. Or perhaps you were a dancer at one point in your life. Taking a virtual or IRL dance fitness class could spark passion.

2. Challenge yourself *just* enough.

No matter what you’re doing, the activity needs to be tough enough that you’ll have a feeling of accomplishment that makes you want to repeat it. But it should also be within your capabilities, in order to protect your sense of self-efficacy (that is, your belief in your abilities), says Bigliassi. When people experience an exercise intensity that’s not aligned with their preference or tolerance, they exercise less in the future, research shows.

Take this thinking a step further: By choosing, say, a running pace you consider pleasurable (read: not all-out), you may find running more enjoyable—and more easily repeatable in the future. This ‘autonomy promotion’ also applies to resistance training, says researcher Diogo Teixeira, PhD. So if resting longer between sets makes you feel better, do it. (It’ll create those positive associations in your brain.) ‘More is not always better, and a pleasurable activity will be more easily sustained over time,’ Teixeira says.

Monitoring with a tracker can also allow you to see the work you’re putting in, which improves mindset around fitness and, therefore, happiness pertaining to exercise, found a study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

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3. Send your mind a motivational sign.

Humans are wired to save as much energy and store as much fat as possible. So, sometimes—and especially when exercise gets intense—you need to remind yourself why you’re going through this perceived insanity. ‘It’s difficult for some parts of our brain to make sense of exercise,’ Bigliassi says.

For example, recalling that cardio is important for both heart health and cognitive function can act as a motivational signal. That helps you feel more positive in the moment and be more consistent with exercise down the road; you now associate the activity with purpose and appealing health outcomes. Surprisingly, negative thoughts can also act as positive signals (e.g., envisioning your energy and mood tanking from not moving that day can be incredibly powerful). Consider this your sign to go for a walk or gear up for a workout right about…now.


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