Vim & Vigor - Winter 2011 - Parrish Medical Center - (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. Parrish Health & Fitness Center offers machines to strengthen your core. Learn more at parrishhealthandfitness.com. Strengthen Your Core Although 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 shortens your hip flexors,” explains Jessica Schwartz, Parrish Health & Fitness Center manager. “Your body adapts to that shortened position, and that’s why your back hurts.” Here’s what you need 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. online PHOTOGRAPH BY PHOTOLIBRARY 14 Vim & Vigor · W I N TER 2 011 http://www.parrishhealthandfitness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2011 - Parrish Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2011 - Parrish Medical Center
Contents
Tasty Tips
Opening Thoughts
Community Calendar
Delegation of Authority
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
Making Time
Exercise Disguised as Fun
Community Health: Sleep apnea
Foundation Focus: Gifts make a difference
Ask the Expert: Rotator cuff tears and tendinitis

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2011 - Parrish Medical Center