But what exercises are safe for pregnant women? Most forms of physical activity are safe as long as they provide little risk of serious injury to the abdominal region, and are performed with caution and are not overdone.

Yoga can be one of the best forms of exercise for those expecting. The low-impact nature of yoga is highly recommended, and can provide pregnant women with additional benefits during their pregnancy.

Reduce unwanted pregnancy pains. Yoga movements elongate the pelvis and reproductive organs, possible generating a smoother pregnancy and possibly alleviating pregnancy symptoms such as fatigue and mood swings. Integration movements and breathing in yoga may also reduce swelling in the legs and decrease pain in the waist, back and various joints. Prenatal yoga can also facilitate the movement of the digestive and circulatory systems of the body.

Improved fetus health. In addition to benefits to the expecting mother, yoga during pregnancy can be beneficial to the developing fetus. Breathing techniques during yoga increase oxygen to the entire body, allowing more oxygen in the blood to the fetus. Prenatal yoga movements teach the muscles of the uterus to support the space for the fetus in the womb, allowing the fetus to have maximum movement capability. Yoga also assists in relaxing the mother-to-be, which is a beneficial state for the fetus.

Preparation for labor and delivery. Controlled respiration, brought along by prenatal yoga breathing exercises, can release hormones that cleanse the body of toxins. In addition, mastering breathing techniques can train the mind to release stress, anxiety and anger. This can make the mother-to-be more relaxed and ready for childbirth. Physically, yoga can prepare the pelvic floor muscles to become stronger and more elastic, thereby helping with the physicality of labor and delivery.

Quicker recovery after birth. Consistent practice of prenatal yoga may reduce stretch marks and facilitate the new mommy to get back into shape quicker after the baby is born. Regular yoga sessions during pregnancy can help the body remain leaner and keep muscles toned, as well as improve or maintain balance and circulation with little or no impact on joints. Consult your Healthy Woman OB/GYN doctor before beginning an exercise routine after birth.

The best way to start your health groove this fall is to schedule your yearly appointment with your Healthy Woman OB/GYN, your personal expert on women’s health.

Here are some other ways to jump start your health kick this fall!

Set a meal plan. One of the best ways to stay healthy during the fall is to set a meal plan that works with your schedule. Fall is full of apple pies, tasty warm drinks, and football parties, so it’s a great idea to devise healthy meal options. Plus it’s a great way to save a little extra before the holiday season!

Stay positive. With the flu season approaching, a positive attitude can make a huge difference. In one study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh, participants who had a positive attitude produced greater amounts of flu antibodies. Another study showed that people with sunny personalities produced more antibodies after a vaccination than those without.

Socialize. A great way to stay healthy is by having a great group of friends and family. Having a good social life provides greater longevity and less loneliness, which has been associated with a greater risk of heart disease. Although many think the leading cause of death in women is associated with cancer, heart disease makes up the largest percentage with 24.5% (2008 CDC study).

Be active. Want to increase energy and feel better? Activities such as walking, dancing, or weight lifting can keep bones strong and healthy. Exercise is also a great to naturally battle fatigue and increase energy.

Dr. Borislava Burt-Libo is back to tell you how to be a healthy woman—and stay a healthy woman—all the days of your life.

Life is busy, especially for a woman. If you are like most women, you are constantly running around taking care of everyone in your life—significant other, children, parents, grandparents, etc. And  you go to school or work and run a household. You are a comforter, a healer, a confidante. But are you running on empty? On most days, there just isn’t enough time in the day to take care of your own needs. And let’s face it, even the most tireless of us need to take a little time off for ourselves—to reboot, to manage our health and to be taken care of—so that we can continue on our quest to take care of the world around us. Don’t let this idea of rebooting daunt you. The truth is that all you really need is a little time each a day and just a few days each year to ensure that you stay a healthy (and happy) woman.

What To Do On a Daily Basis

Stress is our worst enemy, it contributes to ailments and aging. Here are a few tricks that take only minutes a day to help fight stress:

Stay active. Take time each day (25 to 30min is all you need) for some form of exercise, be it power walking, yoga, pilates, swimming, jogging (strollers with babies are allowed). Your pulse will go up in minutes and you may even break a sweat as you dance around the house while cleaning or washing dishes or as you chase after your toddler who is no doubt feeling mischievous.

Make the right choices with food and drink. Do have vegetables and fruits, do eat lean meats and cheeses, do drink six to eight glasses of water per day. Do stay away from greasy, fried foods, from simple carbohydrates, from sodas, etc. Ladies, we all know what’ s good and what’s bad, and what works for us and what doesn’t.

Do get enough sleep. That means six to eight hours work for most of us.

Do stay away from vices such as smoking and alcohol.

Take time to breathe.  Five minutes is all you need sometimes. Close your eyes, tune out the noise around you and take nice deep breaths, thinking of something pleasant or nothing at all. Find time to do your favorite hobby—read a good book, sing– it’s good for the soul.

Treat yourself. Go for a mani/pedi on your lunch break or on the way home. A nice, relaxing massage is even better if you can find the time. And above all, no matter what happens, even if the world is crashing down around us – try to remain positive.

What To Do Yearly

Make time in your busy schedule to see your doctor. Just one or two visits per year are vital to staying healthy. Prevention is key.

Besides a thorough history and physical examination, your age and presence or absence of certain risk factors will gear your doctor towards screening for certain conditions. Here are the screening landmarks to expect at your annual visit:

Ages 13-18

Your doctor will make sure that all your immunizations are up to date— namely Tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis booster; hepatitis B vaccine, if not given previously; meningococcal vaccine before high school; and human papillomavirus vaccine. If sexually active, girls in this age group will be offered screening for sexually transmitted diseases as well as counseled about safe sex and pregnancy prevention.

Ages 19-39

Starting at 21 years of age, women will be offered a cervical cytology examination, otherwise known as Pap smear, which is a screening test for cervical cancer and can detect presence or absence of HPV. Screening for sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia is once again offered. Women in this age group will also be instructed on self breast examinations.

Ages 40 -64

Besides cervical cytology screening, women will now be referred yearly mammograms for breast cancer screening. Colorectal cancer screening is advised starting at 50 years old with colonoscopy (as dreaded as it is by some – it is the gold standard for diagnosis and hopefully need not be repeated sooner than every five to 10 years). Your doctor will order cholesterol screening, which is usually done every five years starting age 45; screening for thyroid disorder also done every five years starting age 50; and screening for diabetes, which is done every three years starting at 45 years old. Calcium intake with vitamin D as well as exercise will be stressed for the importance of bone strength.

Age 65 and older

For women of this age, the same screening applies as the women over 40, with addition of one important test: bone density evaluation, also known as Dexa scan. Also, women will be offered a very important pneumococcal vaccine.

Women of all ages should also remember yearly skin cancer screening. Do wear sunblock and limit sun exposure to 15 to 30 minutes per day. And don’t forget the dentist, your teeth and gums have a lot to do with your health.

So, my dear ladies, this is the basic rundown of the standard testing that most of us will need to undergo in our lifetime to remain healthy. Certain screening and preventive measures may be offered earlier depending on presence or absence of certain genetic and environmental health risk factors.

Your life will probably always be busy and at times even hectic. However, taking care of yourself need not be an overwhelming task. Hopefully, you can find a little time to make the right choices and get the appropriate care with just a few doctor visits each year. Staying healthy on a daily basis must be made into a top priority so that we can keep on taking care of the world and be a healthy woman, mind, body and soul.

To get on your healthy woman track, call 732.431.1616 to book your appointment today.

You probably learned somewhere between your teen years and now about protecting your heart from the casualties of love—and even when that letterman jacket–clad cutie passed you up for the perky cheerleader and you thought you might die, you bounced back, like all the heartbroken high schoolers before you.

But if protecting your heart against heart disease is something you haven’t learned along the way, now is the time to start—it’s the leading cause of death for women in the U.S., and it claimed 26 percent of the women who died in 2006, or more than one in every four.

How to keep it beating strong so it can live to see those romance crises through? Start with these four tips:

Get physical. You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again. Want to be the best you? You have to work out. The good news is that you don’t have to be a slave to the gym—just 30 minutes of exercise most days a week will help keep high blood pressure and high cholesterol at bay. Longer workouts provide even greater benefits, but every little bit helps, so don’t be discouraged if you have to sweat it out in 10-minute increments throughout the day—do what you can when you can, but make sure you’re exercising more days than not.

Have a glass of wine or a beer—just not both. Red wine’s helpful health effects have been well documented, and beer, too, may increase heart-healthy oxidants. The key here is moderation—one glass a day for women is all that’s recommended (and no, you can’t save up your allotment for the week and down five drinks in one day—not if you want to keep your heart healthy, anyway). Other beverages worth consuming are tea, cherry juice, orange juice and water.

Just say no to tobacco. If you smoke, even occasionally, you’re damaging your blood vessels, which can cause the arteries to narrow and lead to heart attack. Secondhand smoke is no better, so if you find yourself in social situations or around family members who are lighting up, put some distance between you and the fumes. Every time you breathe in the nicotine from cigarette smoke, your heart has to work a little bit harder to get oxygen—and extra stress on the heart is a recipe for disease.

Go cuckoo for cocoa and other healthy foods. Cookies and ice cream may seem to make your heart feel better when you’re down, but they’re actually doing damage, thanks to trans fat that raises blood cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart disease. But don’t worry that everything delicious is being taken away from you; there’s still plenty you can eat. Think fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, and low-fat dairy. Thankfully, dark chocolate several times a week is A-OK, as it’s thought to keep arteries flexible (milk chocolate, on the other hand, does not have the same benefits). Do steer clear of consuming too much of the bad kind of fats, found in products like margarine, baked goods, fried fast foods, and red meat.

During pregnancy the uterus stretches like a balloon and, thus, it takes time for it to deflate back to its normal size. This naturally slow progression, coupled with the many new responsibilities in your life (and lack of free time, sleep and, some days, sanity), oftentimes cut into a regular workout routine (or nix it altogether), which makes it difficult to sculpt and tone your way back to a flat tummy.

The good news is that all you need is patience, dedication, determination, focus and mommy-fitness guru Lori Sawyer’s six, serious gut-kicking exercises for you to reclaim your once and former slim, sexy mid-section.

How to Get Started

Before you begin to exercise postpartum, you must be given the green light from your doctor. This all-clear usually takes place six weeks after you’ve given birth. Your starting level of postpartum exercise depends on how much you worked out throughout your pregnancy and the shape you were in prior to it. Walking is a great way to ease into your new routine. Be prepared to walk every day—just pop that baby into the stroller and go. Walking will jump start your metabolism and rejuvenate your muscles. Also, remember to drink enough water and eat healthfully (fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats), especially if you wan to expedite your return to slender.

Six Gut Busters

Core Contraction
Lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Push your lower back into the ground by contracting your ab muscles. (Think of pulling your belly button down towards the floor.) Keep your abs flat and pretend to push out the sides of your core.  Hold this for 10 seconds and relax. This exercise targets the transverse abdominus, which is the main deep core muscle that gets stretched out during pregnancy. You must strengthen these muscles in order to see results. Begin by doing this 10 times. When those 10 repetitions get easy, progress to the exercises below.

Bridge
Lay on your back with knees bent, contract your abs, butt and pelvic floor muscles (you can contract your pelvic floor muscles by doing a Keigel exercise and tightening your abs by flattening your tummy) and raise your hips up off the floor. Hold for five seconds and relax down slowly.

Bridge with Extended Leg
Start by doing a regular bridge, however straighten one knee so that your toe is pointed out in front of you. Do not let your hips drop down at all. Bend knee and put foot back on the floor. Repeat with the other leg.

Planks
Hold yourself in a plank position with your back straight and your elbows on the mat. Stay in this position for as long as you can while maintaining the proper form (don’t let your butt dip down). If you are able, hold this exercise for 30 seconds, but if you can’t hold the pose for 30 seconds, then you can build up to it.

Curl Ups
Lay on your back, place your arms over your head and pull your belly button down toward the floor. Slowly reach your hands toward your knees. Roll up until your shoulder blades have lifted off the floor then slowly lower yourself back down for three seconds.

Dead Bug
Lay on your back with knees bent and push your lower back into the floor by drawing in your belly button. Bring both legs to a 90-degree angle (bent at the knee). Straighten out one leg, maintaining a pelvic tilt for the entire time. Repeat with the other leg, just like a bicycle motion. Remember to keep your lower back pressed into the floor.

A quick note of caution: If you have diastisis recti (spreading of the midline of the abdominal wall), these exercises might be too much for you. Be sure to check with your doctor before beginning this or any exercise program.

For more information on Lori Sawyer’s Mommy-Moves stroller classes, pregnancy and/or postpartum fitness, go to www.mommy-moves.com.

While we understand the major importance of making exercise a habit, a daily must-do to-do, many of us are unclear about the particulars.

For how long does this moderate activity have to be? And just what constitutes moderate? Can the activity be broken up over the course of the day? Does weight training count?

Here, we answer these four fitness questions, in the hope that any lingering confusion is cleared up and you are inspired to just do it!

For how long do I have to exercise?

Until last year, experts, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as it referenced the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, advocated for an aggregate of two hours and thirty minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. This 150 minutes breaks down to 30 minutes, five days a week, plus muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week. The suggested protocol also included the option of 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity instead of the requisite 150.

Recently, however, these guidelines have changed. New studies suggest that women have to exercise for 60 minutes per day, five days a week, if they want to keep from gaining weight—which we know opens a Pandora’s box of health issues. There are a couple of caveats to this finding: If you are on a calorie-restricted diet, then 30 minutes a day is sufficient; And irrespective of whether or not you are watching what you eat, 30 minutes, aka the former recommendation, does have important health benefits, including reducing one’s risk for heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes. Translation: If you don’t have 60 minutes a day, it’s not an excuse not to exercise at all.

So what does moderate-intensity mean?

Moderate-intensity aerobic activity (commonly called cardio) is defined as working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. Looking for a rule of thumb to gauge if you’re working to the moderate level: You should be able to talk but not sing the words to a song. Examples of moderate-intensity exercise range from a brisk walk or slow jog to riding a bike on level ground to pushing a lawn mower. Regarding exercise machine at the gym, moderate-intensity is reached by pushing yourself a level or two past what’s easy for you.

Since we’re talking intensity level here, it’s helpful to note that vigorous-intensity aerobic activity means that you’re breathing hard and your heart rate has gone up considerably. Vigorous-intensity activities include: running, swimming laps, bike riding on hills/incline and playing basketball. The pursuit of vigorous activity (or any exercise, for that matter) should not be sought until you get clearance from your doctor.

Can I break up the activity or does it have to be all at once?

Great news! Your daily dose of exercise is just as effective broken up into smaller chunk as it is executed in one fell swoop. Taking the 60-minute recommendation as an example, you could do thirty minutes of cardio at the gym in the morning, go for a 10-minute walk during your lunch hour and spend 20 minutes running around the yard with your kids after dinner. Not so bad, right? Only have 30 minutes to spare? Break it up into three fast-paced walks: one in the early morning, one after lunch and one in the evening.

What about weight training? Does that count?

It depends. The recommendations (both old and new) govern aerobic activities. So, if you’re exercising for just 30 minutes a day, then that 30 minutes must get your heart rate up. The old guidelines stress that muscle-strengthening activities should be done at least two days a week and work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders and arms). However, if you’re adhering to the new recommendation of 60 minutes five days a week, then 30 minutes of weight training can count toward your exercise quota.

Okay! Now you know the finer points of fitness 2.0. Our advice? After you talk to your doctor about commencing or increasing your exercise routine and get clearance to get your move on, don’t wait. Exercise is one of those things that begets itself, so it’s okay to take baby steps toward your ultimate goal. The progression will happen naturally—and faster than you think. The sooner you start making exercise a habit, the sooner it will a non-negotiable part of your daily to-do (like showering and brushing your teeth—something you have to do). Pen (not pencil) exercise into your schedule and make yourself a priority.