IN YOUR DAILY DOSE: today is research from the University of Iowa demonstrating the benefits of being active before you become pregnant in order to assure a healthy pregnancy.

MAKING CHANGES: There are several ways to get exercise if you’ve never started before, and we’ll show you how.

FACT OR FICTION: A symbol of America, the American Bald Eagle is a proud representation of freedom.

In The News

Researchers from the University of Iowa have found another reason to incorporate exercise into your daily routine.  In a new study, researchers found women who considered becoming pregnant would benefit from developing better fitness routines. Using 25 years of data, they found higher levels of fitness reduced the risk the women developed gestational diabetes.

SOURCE: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180402110745.htm

Daily Health Tip

Gestational diabetes is diabetes occurring during pregnancy. However, women who suffer from gestational diabetes have a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes as they age as well as hypertension.

Making Changes

Including an exercise program in your daily routine may be challenging  - especially as most people say the reason they don’t exercise is because they don’t have enough time in their day. However, you don’t have to go to the gym, buy expensive equipment or take hours out of your day to accomplish your goals.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Have a reason you want to start exercising - but pay attention to how you feel while you’re exercising and after you’re done. Studies show that your extrinsic reason for exercise - your reason why - may help you get started but won’t keep you going. People who recognize how much better they feel after the workout, and recognize the benefits they experience, are the people who keep going.
2. Exercise can be as simple as a 20 minute walk after dinner each night, or training for a triathalon. The choice is yours.
3. It’s important to NOT overdo it nor set goals you’ll never achieve. You may want to complete a marathon - but start by walking, then a one mile run, then a 3K and onward. Start with what you know you can achieve and continue to set your goals higher and higher.
4. Pay attention to how your body feels during and after your workout - don’t workout past pain that is more than tired muscles. You won’t gain anything except an injury that sidelines you for weeks.
5. Consider small pieces of equipment for your home - jump rope, rebounder, rowing machine, small indoor bike - to help change what you’re doing each day without having to go to the gym.
6. Look for body weight exercise videos on YouTube - you won’t have to go to the gym to get in your strength training. You have everything you need at home.

Daily Affirmation

When they have a challenge, I give them a shoulder to cry on and help them find solutions.
When they have something to celebrate, I am there to take part in the festivities and congratulate them on their accomplishments.

Fact or Fiction?

The American bald eagle is the symbol of the United States, making an appearance in currency and several of the armed services emblems. They are carnivores, eating small animal after capturing and killing.  Once numbering over 300,000, their numbers dramatically fell to less than 500 nesting pairs. Today their numbers have rebounded to a bit over 5,000 nesting pairs due to conservation efforts.  During breeding season the pair will build a nest, often in the top of a tree, weighing up to one ton and measuring 8 feet across.

Have a wonderful day!

Your Healthy Life America Team