How To Select Exercise Clothes For Women
March 5, 2011 By
Whether you are working out at the gymnasium or at home, dressing up in the right way plays a significant role. This stands true especially for women. At the time of choosing workout clothes, women not only need to ensure the comfort quotient, but also need to make sure that the clothes properly fit and cover them. One can find a large variety and style of exercise clothes available in the market for women. However, exercise clothes have to be comfortable, flattering and long-lasting, enabling you to keep dry, supported and relaxed throughout the workout session. Go through the following lines to find workout clothing for women that will help you dress up comfortably and at the same time make you look stylish.
Selecting Female Workout Clothing
Type Of Exercise
Consider the type of exercise that you would be doing, while shopping for the workout clothing. Though most clothes are versatile and go well with most of the exercises, some are designed especially for specific exercises. Also, the exercise gear varies with the type of exercise. For example, jogging and yoga require different footwear as compared to other exercise forms. Also for cycling, you need to have gloves that are not required in general exercising.
Comfort
While selecting your exercise clothes, emphasize on comfort. Whether you choose loose or body fitting clothes, your clothing should be comfortable at the time of wearing. Make sure that the apparel you select must not restrict your movements during exercising. For instance, long sleeves can cause problems while weight lifting and yoga. Also, long loose pants can prevent you from easy movement.
In case you are not comfortable with body fitting clothes, go for regular ones, but avoid the large size clothes. For those of you going for body fitting clothes or the regular ones, look for absorbent fabrics, such as light-weight cottons, elastic or stretchable materials. Keep away from thick fabrics they will make you feel hot and uncomfortable. Do not forget to select a sports bra for proper support, while buying your exercise clothes.
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Variety
While shopping for workout clothing for women, one can find a large variety in sync with the current fashion trends. Nothing serves better than a comfy T-shirt during the rigorous workout session. Avoid buying collar neck or strapless tops. In case you are looking forward for sporting a stylish sweaty look, go for straps, sleeveless or short-sleeved T-shirts. For the bottoms, exercising shorts or regular shots are the best clothes for women in general. Black is the best color to opt for as it gives plus size women a slimmer look. For fuller figures, black legging with black T-shirt or pink T-shirt is the classic option. For outdoor workouts, reflective workout clothing is the best. Mix and match the tops and bottoms.
Add Style Element
Make sure that you add the right style element to your attire by picking the right workout accessories. Buy a sports watch, exercise shoes, headband or wrist band to add a fancy touch to your exercise clothing. Select complementing colors and styles to match the clothing. You can also have matching ankle socks. For those with long tress, tying them up in a pony style and securing them with a matching rubber band would do loads to add a fashion statement to your overall look. Do not wear any jewelry while exercising.
Pregnant Women and Exercise – Is it Safe For Pregnant Women to Exercise?
March 4, 2011 By
There is always some concern when the words pregnant women and exercise are mentioned in the same phrase. We should explain.
Pregnancy Misconceptions
It’s all about those myths and old wives tales which are typically spread throughout the pregnancy world. Chief amongst all of them is the belief that pregnant women and exercise do not go hand in hand.
This really is grossly incorrect as it has been established that expecting mothers that do moderate exercise or take part in a gentle sport or activity like light aerobic exercise or taking walks, in many cases are blessed with much easier labor and much better health overall in the course of their 9 months.
What’s moderate exercise?
This tends to cover a wide spectrum of physical exercise, believe it or not. The key is to make use of good sense and work out at your level according to the difficulty of the activity.
Typically the most popular and common moderate exercise for mothers-to-be is taking walks. Going for a light walk daily and perhaps perhaps a gentle hike or climb once in a while is fantastic for the muscle tissues. Lifting light weights is great upper workout and stretching the limbs is super to maintain your muscles supple and with good blood flow.
Of course, consult with your health care provider should you have any un answered queries or even feel doubtful concerning where to start. Remember to maintain your regular check-ups and discuss along with your physician any fears you might have. In case you are tentative yourself regarding the issue of expectant women and exercise, make sure to share and talk about this at your next visit.
The result of insufficient exercise
It is every bit as essential to exercise when you are not expecting a baby. It is the sensible move to make for greater wellness and function. Most people have read tragic reports and statistics about people who don’t take some time to workout only to succumb to a condition or illness that might have been avoided, had they practiced more caution and self-discipline. A crying shame.
Having this exact same frame of mind while pregnant would be criminal. All things considered, it is not just you, the mom, that endures the sad and possibly tragic results from not exercising throughout your pregnancy. Your child’s life is in your hands so make the correct choice and be sure you find out what kinds of physical exercise are available, especially should you have a particular condition to take into consideration, like experiencing obesity, high blood pressure or heart related illnesses. Insufficient pregnancy exercise could make both your situation and pregnancy worse.
What exactly are you to do?
In addition to keeping close connection with your doctor or health care provider, it is advisable to get a useful and reliable source of pregnancy information, tips and techniques, creative ideas along with standard knowledge about successfully seeing you through this delicate yet extraordinary season of your life. A good maternity book or guide can help you to understand how pregnant women and exercise do go good with each other. You can use the internet or perhaps head to the local book shop to find a good pregnancy guide that will assist you through this special period of your life.
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Bodyweight Exercises for Women: Basics and Benefits of Bodyweight Exercises for Women
February 24, 2011 By
Are you looking for a fast, convenient, and effective way to exercise right from the privacy of your own home? Exercising using just your bodyweight is a great alternative to gyms, weights, machines, and other expensive equipment. Let’s take a look at several of the basics and benefits of bodyweight exercises for women.
Basic Exercises:
Push-ups are a great way to exercise your chest, shoulders, and arms. They also exercise your abs, back, and legs, as well as a variety of other stabilizer muscles. Give them a try in the traditional position or do them with your knees on the ground (when just getting started), and experience for yourself all the different muscles being exercised.
Crunches are fantastic way to isolate and exercise your abdominal area. Crunches are similar to sit-ups, but they isolate your stomach muscles better. Simply lie down with your back on the floor and your legs (bent at the knees) in the air. Cross your feet at the ankles, cross your arms on your chest (with each hand on opposite shoulder), and attempt to sit up by moving your torso and head toward your legs. Slowly go up as far as you can, and then slowly come back down. (Tip: Don’t come down all the way…this will allow you to keep constant tension on your abs and get the best results).
Squats are great bodyweight exercises for women. They isolate the major muscle groups of your upper legs and butt, as well as a variety of stabilizer muscles. The basic squat can be done by standing with your feet shoulder with apart, with back straight, head looking up (not down), hands behind head, and, keeping your weight centered over your legs with your heels on the ground, slowly bend at the knees until your upper legs and butt are parallel to the ground. Hold that position for a moment and then slowly return to your starting position.
Lunges are another exercise that really get results. Start in a standing position with your feet just slightly apart. Keep your weight well-centered so you do not lose your balance. Take a long stride forward with either leg until the knee of your opposite leg barely touches the ground, hold position for just a moment, and shift your weight backwards, returning to your starting upright position. Then repeat with your opposite leg. This will really target your thighs (front and back) and your derriere.
These are some great basic bodyweight exercises for women. These 4 exercises should really help you get started on targeting your core muscles. Both push-ups and squats can be done in slight variations (depending on how close or far apart your hands and/or feet are positioned), and can place more emphasis on different parts of your targeted areas. With push-ups you can target inner our outer chest, and inner and outer thighs can be targeted with squats.
There are also some nice benefits of doing bodyweight exercise. You never have to go to the gym to workout. This saves you time and money, and makes it very convenient to exercise. Another key benefit is you do not have to use or purchase weights and exercise equipment, which can be dangerous to use or expensive to purchase on your own. All of these exercises can be done in the privacy of your own home, allowing you to feel much more comfortable than you might at a gym where you may have an audience. You can do a bodyweight workout no matter where you are, at home or out of town, making it a very convenient and efficient way to exercise.
The biggest benefit is that all of these bodyweight exercises for women will help you get the results you desire. Looking to gain muscle? Wanting to shape and sculpt your legs? Hoping to tone up your butt? Maybe you are trying to firm up your chest, abs, and arms. More than likely you really want all of the above…a whole new and improved you, so to speak. Well, you can have it, and it won’t cost you a fortune. Simple bodyweight exercises are really all you need.
But there is one important key. You need to take action and get started. You are now officially out of excuses. So get started with some of these basic exercises today and start experiencing the benefits and results as soon as possible. You will be glad you did.
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Sex Exercises for Women
February 22, 2011 By
For women learning to control and strengthen the muscles in the pelvic floor is an important health goal. Not just for better sex but for a lifetime of female sexual health. Strong pelvic floor muscles (PFM) are a proven means to help remedy incontinence, correct posture problems, alleviate the discomforts giving birth and maximize orgasms.
Regular exercise of the pelvic floor muscles keep a woman feeling good and feeling good about herself. Most of the exercises need no additional equipment. Maximum benefits are gained when these exercises are combined with 15 to 20 minute brisk walks and changes in nutrition.
This means that you must not only do the exercises you must include walking and nutrition changes. This can include taking additional supplements and changing your food choices.
For the best results start out with 1 or 2 sets of each exercise. Then after a couple of weeks increase to 3 and then 4. These are only guidelines. If you have any medical conditions or injuries consult with a qualified professional.
Chair Squat: Sit in a chair and scoot forward so your bottom is on the edge of the chair. WITHOUT using your arms to push off, stand up. Slowly lower yourself back down until you just barely touch the chair with your bottom, Hold for a count of 3. This is one repetition. Now repeat for 12 to 15 repetitions. Make sure you use good form and posture during the exercise. If you can’t stand up with out using your arms to push yourself up, then use them as little as possible until you can do the exercise without the push off.
Sitting in a chair for long periods of time weakens a woman’s pelvic muscles. Nowadays many jobs require sitting at a computer for long hours. You can do this exercise several times throughout the day while sitting at your desk. Also practice good posture while sitting, torso straight, shoulders back, chin up.
Full Squat: From a standing position squat down fully until your thighs are resting on your calves. Hold this position for 30 seconds then slowly rise back up. Exhale as you rise. This is one repetition. Take a breath and repeat. Do at least 1 set of 8 repetitions and work to increase your repetitions and your hold time at the bottom. You should eventually be able to remain in the bottom position for 10 minutes and longer.
Someone may tell you doing full squats like this in not good, but Joey Atlas, M.S, a certified exercise physiologist and author of The Ultimate Leg, Butt, Hip & Thigh Makeover says this is one of the best exercises a woman can do. Holding at the bottom forces you to use your pelvic floor muscles to keep your balance. You may have trouble balancing at first. Try and not use your hands on the floor to hold yourself. It will get easier each time you do the exercise, so keep at it.
Bridges: Lie face down. While keeping your body rigid, lift your torso up with your arms and rest on your forearms and elbows. You should now be resting on your toes and your forearms. Make sure your body is straight, no arching or swaying your back. Try to hold to a count of 15. Then rest a minute and repeat. Gradually increase your hold time up to a minute. This is a lot harder than it sounds. When you can hold the bridge for a minute you can then add leg lifts. This means after you are in the bridge position lift one leg towards the ceiling for 10 to 15 reps then do the other leg then rest and repeat.
This exercise works your core pelvic, back and abdominal muscles better than sit-ups or crunches ever could.
Kegels: To identify the correct muscles for this exercise try to stop the flow of urine the next time you use the toilet. This is the basic move. You can also insert a finger into your vagina and try to squeeze it closed around your finger. You should feel your vagina tighten and your pelvic floor muscles move upward. Now relax and feel your vagina relax and your PFM move back to where you started. Make sure you don’t flex your buttocks or your abdomen muscles, just use your pelvic floor muscles. This may take some practice. Once you have identified the correct muscles you are ready to start your routine:
Squeeze and hold your PFM for 3 seconds then relax. Rest for 3 seconds. This is 1 rep. Repeat 10 to 15 times. After you can hold for 3 seconds increase your hold time to 4 or 5 seconds then rest for 4-5 seconds. Work your way up to 10 second holds and 10 second rests. Make sure you are breathing normally as you do the exercises.
This is just the beginning phase of Kegels. To truly benefit from this exercise some form of resistance must be used. This first phase just helps you become aware of the muscles and learn some conscious control. Doing hundreds of phase one kegels each day will not give you the benefits of you will get from doing 30 to 50 repetitions using a resistance device. The easiest to use and the most female friendly pelvic exerciser I have found is the ezCOME (easy Clinical Orgasm Muscle Exerciser) another good one is the Gyneflex.
They are well worth the small investment.
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5 Excuses Women Use For Not Exercising Their Pelvic Floor Muscles
February 19, 2011 By
Many women know that strong pelvic muscles are vital for long-term physical, sexual and emotional health, yet they still don’t exercise them. There are five common excuses women use for not doing their pelvic floor (kegel) exercises, and five solutions!
1. “I don’t know how to exercise my pelvic muscles.”
Read one of the excellent online leaflets or buy a book. Talk to a health practitioner, a continence nurse, a physical therapist, or a women’s health centre. All of these services are there to help, but ultimately you need to take the first step for yourself.
2. “I tried but I can’t do pelvic muscle exercises.”
The “squeeze and lift” technique involved in strengthening the pelvic floor is a tricky one to master. Even a visit to a doctor or other health practitioner may not be the answer for many women. In fact research shows that over 50% of women can’t produce an effective squeeze of the pelvic floor muscles based on verbal instructions alone.
So consider one of the many excellent guides to pelvic floor exercising, avaiable both online and in printed leaflets and books. A number of well-designed products are also available that provide feedback and reassurance that the correct squeezing technique is being used. Remember that successful exercising takes practice and persistence, and be kind to yourself while you learn.
3. “I’ve done pelvic muscle exercises in the past but they didn’t make any difference.”
Done properly, pelvic floor exercises will always improve the strength of even the most untoned pelvic muscles. But many women find it hard to do them frequently enough and for long enough, and then become discouraged when they don’t seem to see a result.
Experts agree that regular exercising for at least six weeks will be required before any difference becomes noticeable. Twelve weeks is the usual minimum for an effective result for most women.
But the exercises also need to be done properly. Dr Arnold Kegel, who developed the concept of the pelvic floor “lift and squeeze” exercise technique in the 1950s, never intended the exercises to be done on an empty vagina. Somewhere along the way, his message has become distorted and many women are told to do just that, causing them to feel they have failed when their exercise program doesn’t seem to improve muscle strength.
Research has clearly demonstrated that most women benefit from using exercise devices, such as perineometers, vaginal balls, and weights.
So the solution is simple: choose the best device, commit to giving your pelvic muscle exercise program the time it deserves, and there definitely will be a difference!
4. “I don’t have the time.”
It is true that women find it hard to fit in time for themselves in their busy lives, but it is possible to make it easier. Simple tricks such as setting an alarm clock to signal daily exercise time will help to you stick to your program.
The amount of time that’s needed will vary according to your existing pelvic floor fitness. If you are time-poor but have a low level of pelvic fitness, vaginal weights may be helpful. These can be worn for 20 minutes a day whilst you are doing your regular chores.
If you can already successfully contract your pelvic floor muscles but are seeking to build higher levels of fitness, a perineometer, or feedback device, might be helpful. Fiften minutes each day with a perineomter can be supplemented by doing squeeze and lift contractions throughout the day. Pelvic exercise can become part of your daily routine, so that you squeeze and lift whilst waiting at traffic lights, whilst talking on the phone or standing at the kitchen sink.
5. “I’ve never heard of pelvic floor muscle exercises.”
Some women, especially those who are older, still say that they’ve never heard of pelvic floor exercises. It’s true that humans are not born knowing how to exercise the pelvic muscles, and it is not a part of the body that is challenged during day-to-day activities. So women have relied on finding out at appropriate stages during their lives, often from those who care for them during pregnancy and childbirth, and during their menopausal years.
But nowadays, we are less shy about discussing pelvic health and we have more understanding of its important. We all share the responsibility of passing information onto our daughters and granddaughters.
Increasing awareness of the vital role played by a strong pelvic floor muscles will hopefully ensure that the message reaches future generations of women while they are still young.
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Kegel Exercises Are Not Just For Women
February 8, 2011 By
What are Kegel exercises? These exercises are named after Doctor Arnold Kegel. They are intended to strengthen a person’s pelvic muscles. In the past, these exercises have very often been recommended for women. However, they are rapidly becoming popular for men also.
Why Should Men Care About Them?
The bladder and urethra in men can be supported by undertaking these exercises. These exercises result in the muscles becoming stronger, which may help to increase the control of the bladder and bowel. They are also extremely helpful after a prostatectomy or urinary diversion. They can also assist a man in achieving stronger erections and assist a man in the greater control of ejaculations.
What Causes Weak Pelvic Muscles?
There are numerous amounts of causes for weak pelvic muscles including being overweight, lack of exercise, normal aging, strain on the bladder (hard coughing, sneezing and heavy lifting, straining at stool or urination), and prostate gland surgery.
How Are the Exercises Undertaken?
It is firstly important that the correct muscle is identified. You should not exercise your back, abdominal or upper leg muscles. You can establish the position of the correct muscles by undertaking the following:
- Attempt to stop the flow of urination when sitting on the toilet. If you can successfully do this then you have located the correct muscle. Once the correct muscle has been located, you should only carry out the Kegel exercise when you are not urinating. This will prevent urinary infections.
- Imagine that you have gas, but you are trying not to release it. A pulling sensation in your buttocks and rectum should be felt if you have located the correct muscles.
- Whilst lying down you should place one finger in the rectum. Then imagine that you are attempting to stop urine and BM from escaping whilst you tighten the muscles. The muscle in the rectum should tighten around your finger.
Once the correct muscles have been located then it is time to begin the exercises. You can undertake Kegel exercises anytime and in any place. It is imperative that you begin with an empty bladder. You should now proceed to contract your pelvic floor muscles for 3 to 5 seconds before relaxing them for 10 seconds. Complete 10 repetitions one to three times every day. If you can only hold the contractions for a few seconds at a time, then do not be disheartened, your strength will build with time.
As your muscles strengthen, it is advised to slowly increase the length of the contractions to a maximum of 10 second per contraction. Undertaking these exercises on a daily basis will give the best results. However, it is important to build up slowly in order to avoid exercising and placing stress upon the pelvic floor muscles, which can result in muscle exhaustion and an increased chance of incontinence. It may take four to six weeks in order to see results. In certain individuals it can take three to six months to see a difference in the control of the bladder.
How Can You Remember to Do Them?
Remembering to undertake your exercises in your daily routine can sometimes be the most difficult part of introducing any new exercise to your lifestyle. Listed below are some simple ways in which you can remember to undertake your exercises:
- Always choose the same hour of the day to undertake the exercises. For example, when you wake up, after lunch, or before bedtime.
- Log your daily routine including date, time, length of contractions, and number of exercises.
- Undertake the Kegel exercises during each television advertisement that you watch during the day.
- Undertake your Kegel exercises whilst in the elevator each day.
- When you are traveling in your car, you can undertake Kegels at the stop signs or stop lights.
- Or you can simply come up with your own personal idea.
And one final reminder is that Kegel exercises can be highly beneficial for men as well as women. It is important however, that they are undertaken in the correct manner and on a regular basis in order to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
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Five Fantastic Exercises for Pregnant Women
January 30, 2011 By
When you get pregnant you may think that’s the end of your exercise routine. However, as long as you consider the suitable options you can carry on exercising. In this article I suggest 5 exercises you can do whilst pregnant.
Before you start any exercise you should work out your target heart rate. To do this you first need to determine your maximum heart rate. One way to do this is using the formula:
- MHR = 220 – Age
Your target heart rate will then be 60%-65% of your maximum heart rate. So if you are 40 your maximum heart rate will be around 180 beats per minute (BPM) and your target heart rate will be between 109 BPM and 117 BPM. Once you have determined your target heart rate, try to stay within it. This will ensure that you don’t over exert yourself.
After you have performed the above heart rate calculations you can move onto the actual exercise. As promised here are the 5 exercises for pregnant women:
1) TAKE A DAILY BRISK WALK:- Walking is a good exercise which can be performed within your comfort zone. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes and monitor the distance you have covered.
2) YOGA:- Yoga allow you to relieve the stress, anxiety and worries associated with pregnancy. If you feel at any time you have overdone it when practicing yoga consult your doctor.
3) SWIMMING:- Swimming is another great way to exercise without placing undue strain on your body. It can help reduce the pain and pressure associated with pregnancy and is one of the best possible exercises during the third trimester.
4) PILATES:- Pilates can support more comfortable pregnancies by strengthening the abdominal, back and pelvic muscles. Pilates is also a popular exercise with new mothers because it helps them get their figure back.
5) WEIGHT TRAINING:- Weight training is a good exercise for pregnant women provided it is performed in moderation and light weights are used. The benefits can include more energy and reduced leg cramps.
If you decide to continue exercising when pregnant also make sure to take the following into account so that you do not over exert yourself:
- Make sure you are getting adequate amounts of rest.
- Try not to exercise when it is hot and humid as it will increase your core temperature.
- Do not exercise when you are sick.
- Make sure that you warm up five minutes before you exercise.
I hope this article gives you some ideas if you want to carry on exercising when pregnant. Keeping up your exercise routine will make you feel better, maintain your existing fitness levels and prepare your body for the additional strains and stress caused by pregnancy. Before beginning any exercise routine you are advised to consult your obstetrician and/or gynaecologist to determine which exercises are safest at each point of your pregnancy. However, provided you follow the advice of a professional you can create a fun, fitness routine for your pregnancy.
