Vim & Vigor - Winter 2011 - North Mississippi - (Page 14)

Sitting Pretty BECOMING A MOM. While you have plenty to keep you busy after you give birth, most new moms are eager to get their prepregnancy bodies back. The key is to give yourself time to recover and rebuild your strength. Why it hurts: You’ve just spent nine months with extra pressure on your back muscles while not being able to do much to strengthen your abs. First things ﬁrst: Listen to your OB/GYN about when you can start exercising, McCall says. Timing will depend on whether you gave birth by vaginal or cesarean delivery, whether you had difﬁculties, and whether you had an episiotomy (an incision to enlarge the vaginal opening) or a diastasis recti (a separation between the left and right sides of the rectus abdominis muscles). “It’s really important to work on your stability before you progress,” he says. Do this move: The bird-dog is a great stability builder. Start on your hands and knees. Lift your right arm and your left leg straight up as high as you can keeping your knee straight; hold for a few seconds. Return to all fours and repeat for 10 reps. Switch and do 10 reps with your left arm and right leg. Strengthen Your Core for Better Health Strong core muscles help balance overall body strength. Let a fitness specialist at any North Mississippi Medical Center Wellness Center show you some key core moves. Call 800-THE DESK (800-843-3375) or visit www.nmhs.net/wellness_ centers.php. While working out certainly creates the opportunity for injury, one of the worst things you can do for your back is, well, nothing. “Sitting all day will shorten your hip flexors and hamstring muscles,” explains Brian condit, M.D., who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation at North Mississippi Medical center in Tupelo. “You actually start to take on the shape of the chair. That’s why your back hurts when you stand up.” Here’s what to do: • Make sure you have a good chair that provides adequate lumbar support. • Focus on the ergonomics of your workstation so that you’re able to sit with your feet on the floor, your thighs parallel to the ground, and your monitor at eye level. • Every hour, stand up and do side bends or figure eights with your hips. • Set a timer on your computer or smartphone to remind you to shift positions or get up and walk around every so often. call PHOTOGRAPH BY PHOTOLIBRARY 14 Vim & Vigor · W I N TER 2 011 http://www.nmhs.net/wellness_centers.php

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2011 - North Mississippi

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2011 - North Mississippi
Contents
Opening Thoughts
Getting Back to Life
ACT Now!
Lingering Memories
Accumulating Accolades
Back in Action
Supplementary Knowledge
Keys to Survival
Clearing the Air
Mark Harmon of NCIS fame makes 60 look good
This One’s for the Girls
Life After a Loss
Do Your Diabetes Homework
Healthy Returns
Care for the Caregiver
Gaining Control
Moving Forward
Catch the Spirit

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2011 - North Mississippi