• Yoga has been practiced for more than 3,000 years around the world, and now about 6 million Americans practice yoga. Yoga increases flexibility, strength, balance and range of motion. It also reduces stress and increases feelings of well-being. Everyone from high-powered executives to stay-at-home moms to people coping with illness or injuries can practice yoga. A typical yoga class involves breathing, a warm-up period, yoga postures that consist of specific ways of stretching and moving the body and relaxation and visualization. Be sure to find a qualified, certified yoga teacher and begin slowly.
• Pilates is a 70-year-old, low-impact exercise technique that was first developed by German immigrant Joseph Pilates. It has recently experienced an upsurge in popularity, in part because of the greater popularity of yoga, but also because numerous celebrities have begun using it for toning and stretching. Some Pilates programs use a special machine with pulleys and ropes that gently stretch all parts of the body with mild resistance; others use a series of floor exercises more akin to yoga. It is also called "The Movement," and much of its focus is on strengthening back and abdominal muscles, increasing flexibility and building core strength.

You can buy a video to show you how to do stretching exercises in the privacy of your own home, or you can have a personal trainer at a gym show you how to incorporate the exercises after your cool-down period.

Special Considerations: Exercising When Pregnant
Exercising when you're pregnant can help you achieve better posture, less back pain, less stress, better digestion, more energy, an easier delivery and less "postpartum belly." It can also prevent or control gestational diabetes and reduce the chance of complications during delivery. If you've exercised throughout your pregnancy, you will be rewarded with increased strength, flexibility and stamina during labor and delivery, as well as a faster recovery.

Be sure to consult with your OB/GYN or midwife about your exercise routine. If you were already active before becoming pregnant, you should be able to continue, within reason. If you are new to exercise, be sure to start slowly and do not overdo. Low-intensity or low-impact cardiovascular exercise like walking, swimming, low-impact aerobics classes or special exercise classes for pregnant women are best. You can engage in these activities three to four times per week for about 30 minutes per session. Ask your health care provider about a target heart rate; keeping it below 140 beats per minute is recommended. It's critical that you keep your body cool and well-hydrated (drink lots of water) during exercise. Don't forget to warm up and cool down.

Strength training during pregnancy can also be beneficial in building stamina and strengthening muscles and bones. Use lighter weights or resistance because heavier weights increase your chances of injury. Remember to breathe normally. Keep these pointers in mind:

• don't do exercises performed while lying on your back after 20 weeks;
• avoid deep, unsupported knee bends, abdominal exercises while lying down, double-leg raises and straight-leg toe touches (your ligaments are more prone to injury during pregnancy and you must not compress your uterus after 20 weeks);
• because overheating can be dangerous to your baby, don't exercise in hot, humid weather or wear excessive clothing;
• always drink plenty of liquids; and
• stop and consult your health care professional if any unusual symptoms appear, including pain, bleeding, dizziness, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat or difficulty walking.

Special Considerations: Women With Chronic Conditions
Today, exercise is often recommended as a management strategy for many chronic medical conditions. Of course, a thorough discussion of exercise with your health care professional is imperative prior to beginning any kind of program.

For example, for women who suffer from osteoporosis, a bone disease that causes bones to thin and weaken, exercise is highly recommended. A carefully designed exercise program can help protect your bones and retard development of the disease. Weight training, in particular, helps counter the effects of osteoporosis by stimulating bone formation. Begin with a weight that you can lift 10-15 times, and perform one to three sets. Progress to two to three sets of a weight that can be lifted only six to 10 times (up to 80 percent of your maximum). Walking, jogging and aerobics classes also help build bones. Bicycling and swimming, however, don't stimulate bone formation in the hips because you do not bear your full body weight on your feet. Flexibility exercises enhance your posture and increase your balance, making you less susceptible to dangerous falls.

Exercise also is extremely helpful if you have diabetes. Diabetics who are physically active have fewer complications. Exercise can lower your blood sugar level, helping reduce or eliminate the need for insulin. The American Diabetes Association recommends a combination of aerobic activity, strength training and stretching exercising three to five times per week for 20 to 40 minutes each time. Your health care professional will need to oversee the design of your fitness program. Always check your blood sugar level prior to exercise; if it's lower than 70 mg/dl or you are exercising more than one hour after a meal, you may need to decrease your insulin or have a light snack beforehand to avoid having your blood glucose level drop too low. Always have a fast-acting sugar source with you in case you do have a reaction, and wear a medical alert identification bracelet or necklace. There are several other precautions you need to be aware of, so be sure to consult your health care professional first.

For women at risk of developing heart disease — if you have a family history of heart disease, are overweight, smoke or have high cholesterol, diabetes or high blood pressure, for example — exercise is crucial. In fact, according to the American Heart Association, lack of physical activity itself is now clearly shown to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the No. 1 killer in America. Studies have shown that people who are physically inactive are from 1.5 to 2.4 times more likely to develop heart disease — a risk as great as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cigarette smoking. Even low- to moderate-intensity activities such as pleasure walking, climbing stairs, gardening, yard work, moderate to heavy housework or dancing can bring benefits when done for as little as 30 minutes a day. More vigorous aerobic activities such as brisk walking, running, group fitness classes, swimming, bicycling, roller-skating and jumping rope — done three or four times a week for 30 to 60 minutes — are best for improving the fitness of the heart and lungs. If you already have heart disease, you can exercise safely as long as you work out under medical supervision and carefully monitor warning symptoms. Check with your local hospital or university for monitored cardiac rehabilitation exercise programs. Strenuous physical exertion is never recommended for people who suffer from congestive heart failure, unstable angina, chest pain, significant aortic valve disease or aortic aneurysm. Some of these conditions, however, such as congestive heart failure, might benefit from mild or moderate exercise under controlled situations.

Exercise also is beneficial for and can help control obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and back pain, and may improve the symptoms of some neurological and emotional disorders. It also has been shown to help prevent certain types of cancer.

Copyright 2003 National Women's Health Resource Center, Inc.