Anaerobic Exercise At Home

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Anaerobic Exercise At Home
Anaerobic Exercise At Home
Start strength training for delivery (life's most grueling workout) right from the start and you'll reap the benefits everyday, on the big day and beyond. Strength training is building up muscle strength through the use of resistance, either using weighted objects (free weights) or the weight of your own body. Keep each activity quick and it won't become boring. Music helps, too.

If you're new to strength training, you'll be pleased at the results to your body in a just a few weeks. You'll feel them even sooner. If you use free weights, start out conservatively, with light weights (one to two pounders). If using your own body weight for resistance, take pleasure in the workout your expanding body is giving you.

Body Resistance

Leg lifts

1. Get down on the floor on all fours, keeping arms straight.

2. Slowly raise your right knee, bringing it toward the chest (as close as your belly will allow).

3. Slowly bring leg back to original position, then continue past original position without stopping, bringing leg to an extended position behind you (parallel to the floor).

4. Hold for five seconds.

5. Bring leg back to original position.

6. Repeat with left leg.

7. Repeat five to ten times per leg.

Ballet Plié

1. Place a chair in front of you, back of chair toward you (as if it were a ballet barre). Stand with your feet hips' width apart, with feet and knees turned outward.

2. Pull in your abs and lift chest; shoulders should remain in a relaxed position.

3. Place your hands loosely on the chair back for support. Bend your knees, keeping feet flat on the floor and weight centered on the heels.

4. Lower yourself downward as far as you can go without changing your back or hip positioning.

5. Raise up to straight leg position, always maintaining good posture.

6. Straighten knees, squeeze thigh muscles and rise up onto the balls of the feet in one fluid motion. Heels will come off floor, weight should be centered on balls of feet. Remember, keep hands on chair back for support.

7. Lower feet back to floor.

8. Repeat ten times.

Abdominal curls

1. Lie on your back with your legs bent at the knee. Hands can be behind your head in standard sit-up position or crossed on your chest.

2. Raise head and shoulders, reaching elbows and chest toward the knees just until shoulders leave the floor. Do not do a full sit-up.

3. Slowly lower yourself to original position.

4. Repeat. Do three sets of ten with a rest in between. (After the fourth month of pregnancy, avoid laying flat on your back for periods longer than three minutes at a time).

Back press

1. Stand up straight with your back against the wall. Plant your feet a foot away from wall.

2. Press against the arch of your back, pressing your lower back against the wall, holding for ten seconds.

3. Release the press and relax.

4. Repeat ten times.

Free weights
Break out those one, two, three or five pound weights. Not ready to invest in weights? Use a can of soup. Use a family size can of soup if a single serve can doesn't give you enough of a workout.

Overhead press

1. Sit on a chair, holding a weight in each hand (one to five pounds depending on your ability).

2. Bend elbows, holding hands and weights even with shoulders, slightly to the side of shoulders.

3. Exhale and press weights straight up over the head. Straighten, but do not lock, elbows.

4. Slowly lower weights back to shoulder height.

5. Inhale. Repeat the press up to eight times.

Bicep curl

1. From standing or seated position, separate knees to approximately hips' width apart.

2. Hold a weight in each hand, keeping hands at sides with palm side toward ceiling.

3. Raise weight in right hand toward shoulder, keeping palms toward ceiling the entire time.

4. Lower slowly to original position.

5. Switch arms and repeat movement with left arm.

6. Repeat until each arm has curled eight times.

Parallel press

1. Sit on the edge of a chair with knees bent and separated approximately hips' width. Feet should rest flat on the floor.

2. Hold a weight in each hand, keeping palms facing inward toward one another.

3. Lift weight to shoulder height, raising bent elbow outward until it aligns with shoulder. Arm will be parallel to the floor.

4. Lower slowly to original position. Follow with opposite arm.

5. Can be done one arm alternating with other, or both arms at once.

6. Repeat until each arm has pressed eight times.

Working out is good for you and good for baby. You will find that once you are in the habit of exercising, you will actually look forward to your workout. It's a tension buster, energy enhancer, and body toner. Not to mention it's preventive medicine for so many of the things which plague pregnant women. Exercise... it's one of the best things you can do for yourself, and you deserve the best.

If you find your routine getting a bit mundane, it may be time to spice things up a bit.

Workout equipment that might come in handy.

Looking for things to keep your workout interesting?

• Exercise DVDs
• Free weights (dumb bells)
• Fitness ball (a great place to sit when you're not exercising)
• Elastic exercise bands/ Pilates stretch bands
• Yoga mat
• Wrist band heart rate monitor

You may find that activities that were easy to do in the early stages of pregnancy are not as easy toward the end. A simple way to adapt exercise is to make the movements smaller. Don't bring your knees as close; don't extend your arms as far, etc. Don't let pregnancy get in the way of a sound exercise routine. Instead, adapt your activities to your pregnancy.