Healthy happy you.
Being in the last few weeks of my pregnancy, I have to confess that I haven't been keeping up with my kegels. Early in my pregnancy, new moms urged me to keep my pelvic floor strong, but distracted by the impending appearance of my new little one, exercising this area has not been a top priority. That is until now. Helping a fellow instructor out at a postnatal yoga class over the weekend, I Read more
Who doesn't want to make her time under the sheets even better? When in search of the Big O, you may need to look a little deeper, as in deep inside. I'm not talking about touching your heart here — I'm talking about getting in touch with your pelvic floor muscles. I agree that doesn't sound too sexy, and neither does the word Kegels — the name of the exercises used to strengthen those Read more
After pregnancy and giving birth, I now understand what all the fuss is about kegel exercises. I thought strengthening my pelvic floor muscles was about improving my sex life (which isn't top on your to-do list when your belly is expanding), but when I laughed and more came out of me than roaring giggles, I started doing kegels right then and there. Moms and mothers-to-be aren't the only ones Read more
One moment of overextending yourself can lead to years of physical therapy and doctors visits to help keep your sports-related back pain at bay. Trainers and physical therapists constantly remind us to keep the abs engaged when completing any exercise, but to really strengthen your entire trunk, you must work it beyond the gym. Since most of us sit at a desk most hours of our waking day, our Read more
Here in the US, the postpartum Ob/Gyn interaction for a new mom generally involves little more than the six-week checkup, where she's usually cleared to have sex again, and perhaps given some gentle encouragement to try Kegel exercises. So you can imagine the shock of American writer Claire Lundberg, who after giving birth to her daughter in Paris, was prescribed 10-20 sessions of . . . vaginal Read more
Lady Gaga worked it for photographer Terry Richardson's May cover of Harper's Bazaar. She modeled a pink wig similar to the one she sported in a recent Vogue shoot, and inside the magazine Gaga stripped down to pose on a piano then dressed up for another snap. She broke from a huge Born This Way tour, which she caused some headlines during earlier this week with a fall off her piano, to open up Read more
If you're a runner, cyclist, skier, rider, climber, swimmer, or have a Type A, high-energy, can't-sit-still kind of personality, sign yourself up for Ashtanga yoga. This type of yoga is challenging, quick-paced, and just the thing to open your tight hamstrings, hips, and shoulders. Before heading to your first class, here are some things you should know. It's Hot I'm not talking Bikram-yoga hot, Read more
Pelvic floor, or Kegel muscles, rest like a hammock underneath the bladder and uterus, and because these muscles weaken as we get older, it's especially important to strengthen them. When you have strong pelvic floor muscles, you'll experience a better sex life, help prepare the body for the birthing process, and improve bladder control. To locate your pelvic floor muscles, imagine the muscles Read more
Guest writer Kerri Walsh recently shared about taking baby steps on the road back to fitness after having her second child. The post prompted this question: Medically speaking, why does a woman have to avoid physical activity for four weeks after giving birth? — Asche Since DrSugar is in the house, I handed the question over to her to answer. Here's what she had to say. I'm so happy you Read more
Pregnancy gives you the green light to eat whatever you want because you're eating for two, right? Wrong. A pregnant woman still wants to eat healthy in order to nourish her growing baby and prevent excessive weight gain. Gaining up to 40 pounds is normal, but if a woman ends up gaining much more, she could have a more difficult time delivering her baby, develop gestational diabetes, and have a Read more
