That is the prenatal and post-partum question, apparently. Although before this article, it wasn't a question at all. Doing Kegels for pregnant women is like eating vegetables for the general public: You know you should but you keep forgetting. Now, Katy Bowman is telling us that not only is it not necessary, it can actually be harmful!
In a nutshell, continually contracting or tightening a muscle doesn't actually make it stronger and in fact, it can make it weaker. What helps strengthen is working on opposing muscles to balance things out and give support to the pelvic area overall (I hope that's right!). Enter in squats: Harder to do, not as fun and not as inconspicuous.
The results, however, are much more rewarding. Squats help build your core as well which assist in keeping balance (something every pregnant woman needs more of!). I found it also helped my breathing (branch benefit from working out the core) and mindfulness of my body. Thanks to my working at Starbucks, especially to working the "lobby" position, I had ample opportunity to do squats as I always squatted to grab things below my waist, intentionally pushing up with my glutes and my quads. Carrying around a toddler will help do that too!
Okay, so enough of my squawking, read the article and judge for yourself. =)
http://breakingmuscle.com/womens-fitness/stop-doing-kegels-real-pelvic-floor-advice-women-and-men
How about you? Did/do you do Kegels regularly? Did/have you found them useful? Can you compare their effectiveness to squats?
Showing posts with label post-partum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label post-partum. Show all posts
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Wardrobe Wednesdays: Layering
FLast week I mentioned H&M being one of my preferred stores for inexpensive yet stylish shirts which allow me to nurse without fumbling about too much. The next day, I stumbled across a $7 shirt sale of semi-opaque, texture-patterned layering t-shirts! They are perfect to go over tank tops that don't cover the wide nursing bra straps enough with a neck hole flexible enough to allow nursing access (although to keep from disfiguring the shirt too much while I'm out I pull it up if Kristen isn't fussing much).
As with all cheap things I find which will get a lot of use, I scooped these up in multiple colours after trying them on and settling on a flattering (enough) size. I got one in black, grey-blue, peach, and white. The only 2 things I don't like about them is that a) they are hang-dry; and b) they have those annoying straps to help keep the shirt's shape when hanging. Since these will be stuffed - I mean, nicely folded into a drawer, I'll cut them off and save myself the embarrassment of having them flap around (or just the plain annoyance of them tickling me as I go about my day!).
As it's late right now, I can't take a good picture of them so I'll do that when it's day light. Or, you could just go to your nearest H&M store and check these out for yourself. At $7 a pop, they may not be around much longer!
A bit more about layering: I find this to be a great way of looking less frumpy and a bit more stylish, if done well enough. It also allows for me to extend the mileage of my separates into other seasons and maximize my wardrobe as I mix and match various combinations. Right now these shirts are going over tank tops but come fall (or cooler summer days, which we've gotten a good dose of already!), I'll switch the tanks for some long sleeve t-shirts instead.
How about you? Do you have any tricks for dressing easily without looking (too) frazzled? Any items in your closet you find flatters your post-partum shape?
As with all cheap things I find which will get a lot of use, I scooped these up in multiple colours after trying them on and settling on a flattering (enough) size. I got one in black, grey-blue, peach, and white. The only 2 things I don't like about them is that a) they are hang-dry; and b) they have those annoying straps to help keep the shirt's shape when hanging. Since these will be stuffed - I mean, nicely folded into a drawer, I'll cut them off and save myself the embarrassment of having them flap around (or just the plain annoyance of them tickling me as I go about my day!).
As it's late right now, I can't take a good picture of them so I'll do that when it's day light. Or, you could just go to your nearest H&M store and check these out for yourself. At $7 a pop, they may not be around much longer!
A bit more about layering: I find this to be a great way of looking less frumpy and a bit more stylish, if done well enough. It also allows for me to extend the mileage of my separates into other seasons and maximize my wardrobe as I mix and match various combinations. Right now these shirts are going over tank tops but come fall (or cooler summer days, which we've gotten a good dose of already!), I'll switch the tanks for some long sleeve t-shirts instead.
How about you? Do you have any tricks for dressing easily without looking (too) frazzled? Any items in your closet you find flatters your post-partum shape?
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Wardrobe Wishes
Sorry, this will be a short post! I almost forgot to post and was about to head to bed when I remembered so to respect my need for sleep and my commitment to post daily, I'll put up a short blurb today.
One delight that's been taken away when I roam around a mall is the possibility of buying much of anything due to a) my new and ever-changing body shape, and b) the unlikelihood of nice clothing surviving a day without having some form of food, pre- or post-digested, on it. Perhaps, though, it's a blessing in disguise: now I can look at clothes wistfully without having to crunch numbers about whether I can afford it! Makes window shopping a lot easier, in a sense.
What's become my best fabric friend, however, is jersey or anything stretchy. I do have some Thyme Maternity shirts and while they are more stylish than Motherhood/Destination Maternity, now that I'm more than 8-weeks post-partum I find that they look more mumsy than I'd prefer. I can't say that wearing jersey on a roly-poly figure is miles better but I feel more... normal, for lack of a better word (which I kind of hate using but I'm not going to get into a debate about what's normal for a woman to feel and beg you to understand what I mean without splitting hairs).
Items I've found useful, even as I'm still nursing, are basics from H&M and stretchy tops from Joe Fresh. They can usually get me looking somewhat stylish without seeming like I'm trying too hard. And they're not hard on the wallet too. As a result, I have tank tops in at least half the colours offered at H&M. =P Some thin long-sleeve T-shirts from Joe Fresh are serving as home/night clothes, due to them being a little thinner and therefore more see-through than I'm comfortable with. I did layer them under other shirts during colder days. I've found them incredibly useful and wish I had more!
How about you? Have you had any clothing finds which make you feel more comfortable post-partum and while nursing? Do you still keep pants of smaller sizes hoping you'll fit into them soon?
One delight that's been taken away when I roam around a mall is the possibility of buying much of anything due to a) my new and ever-changing body shape, and b) the unlikelihood of nice clothing surviving a day without having some form of food, pre- or post-digested, on it. Perhaps, though, it's a blessing in disguise: now I can look at clothes wistfully without having to crunch numbers about whether I can afford it! Makes window shopping a lot easier, in a sense.
What's become my best fabric friend, however, is jersey or anything stretchy. I do have some Thyme Maternity shirts and while they are more stylish than Motherhood/Destination Maternity, now that I'm more than 8-weeks post-partum I find that they look more mumsy than I'd prefer. I can't say that wearing jersey on a roly-poly figure is miles better but I feel more... normal, for lack of a better word (which I kind of hate using but I'm not going to get into a debate about what's normal for a woman to feel and beg you to understand what I mean without splitting hairs).
Items I've found useful, even as I'm still nursing, are basics from H&M and stretchy tops from Joe Fresh. They can usually get me looking somewhat stylish without seeming like I'm trying too hard. And they're not hard on the wallet too. As a result, I have tank tops in at least half the colours offered at H&M. =P Some thin long-sleeve T-shirts from Joe Fresh are serving as home/night clothes, due to them being a little thinner and therefore more see-through than I'm comfortable with. I did layer them under other shirts during colder days. I've found them incredibly useful and wish I had more!
How about you? Have you had any clothing finds which make you feel more comfortable post-partum and while nursing? Do you still keep pants of smaller sizes hoping you'll fit into them soon?
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