That's Fit

Midlife women often exercise for the two least motivating reasons, says 42-year-old psychology researacher Michelle Segar. They exercise (1) to lose weight and (2) to protect their health. Both really good reasons. Just not the most inspirational ones for this age group.

In one study of 156 women, 61 percent named these reasons as their top motivators -- and they happened to do the least amount of exercise. Here's why: Midlife women don't always lose weight with exercise. So if they work to shed pounds and it doesn't work, they get frustrated and give up. Regarding the health reason: Women who have a full schedule and generally feel healthy are not likely to fit in fitness.

What's the best motivator, then, for midlife women? To improve their state of well-being. Think better moods and less stress, and exercise might just become a priority.

Fitness is important at any age -- it keeps your body looking and feeling good, it helps prevent a host of chronic conditions, and it boosts your energy. But as you approach the big 4-0, there are some additional reasons why exercise is important.

Exercise helps alleviate some of the symptoms of perimenopause, which can begin anytime during your 40s. Exercise is also a proactive measure against the estrogen loss that will occur later during menopause; it can help prevent related problems such as bone loss. Menopause may seem far away -- but being active now will make it easier when menopause comes knocking on your door.

Revolution Health has fitness tips for women in their 40s:

• Increase your core strength, balance, and flexibility. Improving these areas and maintaining them will help prevent falls and stiff, achy joints as you get older. Activities such as Pilates and yoga will help. AOL Health has tips on strength and flexibility exercises.
• Do weight-bearing exercise. Bolster your bone density by participating in weight-bearing activities such as jumping rope, aerobics, tennis, and jogging.
• Keep up the cardio. Cardio workouts will help keep your heart strong and help you maintain a healthy weight.

When there's a new baby in the house, your whole schedule can be thrown out of whack. You're probably not getting much sleep and just keeping up with your day-to-day tasks is a challenge. If you're finding that workouts are hard to squeeze in, why not try a few of these baby and me fitness tips?

Fitness instructor and mom, Erin Kurdyla, has a great blog called Fresh Fitness Tips on Self magazine's site. Kurdyla has some creative ideas for incorporating strength moves while getting some quality play time with her baby. My favorite idea is holding the plank position while your baby lies beneath you on the floor -- it's great face-to-face time. You can also do push ups and give your baby raspberry kisses on the belly.

What to Expect has eight more ways you can exercise with your baby in tow.

There's no need to spend your pregnancy lounging on the couch. Unless you have a high-risk condition and/or your doctor advises against exercise, being active during pregnancy can have many benefits.

One recent study, for example, shows that doing water aerobics during pregnancy can make labor bearable. Half of the women in the study attended three 50-minute water aerobics sessions each week, the other half did not. Researchers followed up with the women after they delivered their babies and found that, while the duration and type of delivery didn't vary, women who didn't participate in water aerobics requested anesthetic more frequently than the women who were active during pregnancy.

So, is water aerobics the magic solution that makes labor more bearable? I don't think there's enough information from this study to suggest that. But water aerobics is a gentle, effective exercise and is a good choice for pregnant women. The American Pregnancy Association has more suggestions for exercise. Before beginning any exercise routine while you're pregnant, it's important to check with your OB/GYN.

Women who are overweight face many health risks, such as heart disease and type II diabetes. And Martha recently told us how overweight women tend to be more impulsive. But overweight women face some risks you might not expect:

• Being fired. Could it be because people who are overweight have a higher rate of absenteeism? Or is it because of a prejudice? It's hard to pinpoint the reasons why, but medical research shows that overweight women run a higher risk of losing their jobs.
• Being the victim of a crime. Overweight women run a greater risk of being victims of crimes. They're also more likely to become criminals.
• Financial woes. Overweight women are more likely to find themselves broke.

It's a chicken and the egg situation, really. Is a woman's weight causing these negative life events or are the negative events causing stress that leads to overeating and obesity?

Jenna Vaught is not your average beauty queen. She didn't grow up in a life filled with pretty dresses and perfect make-up. Instead, Jenna was an obese child and the accessories she wore were shame and self-loathing. In her young 20's, Jenna had her daughter and soon after reached her highest weight -- 427 pounds. Her mobility was affected as was her health. More importantly, Jenna realized she was caught in a vicious cycle -- her insecurities were the root cause of her weight gain and her weight gain was adding to her insecurities. Jenna went on a mission to lose the weight, rediscover herself, and reach her life goals. Jenna's weight loss is inspiring, but even more inspiring is the insight she now has regarding body image and learning how to love yourself. I had the wonderful opportunity to talk with Jenna so she could share her story with That's Fit readers. Read on for the first half of her interview.

Doing sit-ups with separated abs makes your intestines bulge up, says one pelvic floor expert over at Julie's Health Club. Two exercises to consider are traditional kegels and "tucking in" methods engaging the transversus abdominis (TVA) and oblique muscles. To tuck in, lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on floor. Pull in your belly button toward your spine, making your stomach cave in. It's a great place to hangout, I always feel skinnier in this position. Relax and breathe while holding the tuck for a minute or two. Do two sets of 10.

Be-FitMom also offers a thorough description of the condition and the Bounce Back Fast! Post Natal Core Conditioning DVD can help you get rid of that pooch.

Is your weight determined by which team you bat for? I'm not talking baseball here -- I'm talking your sexual orientation and its connection to the numbers on your scale. Sounds like a pretty ridiculous notion, right? I mean, we know that some races, nationalities and genders are predisposed to certain body issues due to genetics, but sexual orientation is believed to have little -- if nothing -- to do with your genetics and body, so how could it affect your weight?

Still, that didn't stop a team of researchers from looking into it. What they found is this: "Body mass index was not significantly associated with sexual orientation, age at first intercourse, frequency of heterosexual intercourse, and the number of lifetime or current male partners. Overweight women and obese women were more likely to report ever having male sexual intercourse."

So, not surprisingly, whether you're gay or straight doesn't have a significant impact on your weight -- that is, unless you're a straight woman. Then you're more likely to be overweight or obese. Lucky us, huh? Your thoughts?

(via Crabby McSlacker)

It's a well-known fact that older women need calcium and vitamin D to fight bone loss. But it's also important that younger, active women get calcium and vitamin D to prevent stress fractures.

A recent study looked at more than 5,000 female U.S. Navy recruits and found that those who didn't take additional calcium and vitamin D were 25% more likely to suffer a stress fracture.

The authors of the study recommend that women take calcium and vitamin D supplements before starting any new exercise regime. But you can also opt to get your calcium and vitamin D naturally. Dairy products such as low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese are good sources of calcium, but there are other nutrition sources as well. Your best source of vitamin D is the sun; fish and vitamin D fortified foods (milk, orange juice, and cereals are often fortified with vitamin D) are also sources.

Recently, TV star Katherine Heigl raised a few eyebrows when she said, "I'm finished with the whole idea of having children of my own. It doesn't seem like any fun. I don't think it's necessary to go through all that." Isn't pregnancy supposed to be a gift? A miracle? More meaningful than just some tedious inconvenience?

But Heigel is not alone -- according to The Daily Mail, many women are choosing adoption over pregnancy. The reasons are many but a couple are especially common: To keep their career on track and maintain their figure. Says one adoptive mother: "I am quite slim, so yes, a lot of it is pure vanity. I don't like the thought of changing my body for a child. Giving birth and the idea of all that pain filled me with dread."

Is not giving birth because of vanity a selfish move? Or a practical one? In the end, it all comes down to personal choice, but I'm curious -- what do you think?

Overweight women are having more sex than women of a normal weight. Are you surprised?

Researchers who conducted the study are surprised. "These results were unexpected and we don't really know why this is the case," said one of the study's authors.

What's really unexpected here, I think, is their reaction. Have those persuasive media images that tell us what's "beautiful" influenced even people who should be above such things?

Former Mademoiselle editor Valerie Frankel recently published a book describing -- in vivid detail -- her time in the fashion industry, and it's not what you would call glamorous. Thin Is The New Happy provides a graphic insight into the bizarre, weight-obsessed world of fashion magazines, courtesy of one of it's former key players. According to Frankel, "We'd sit in our offices smoking cigarette after cigarette and talking about who ate what, the calorie counts of our lunches, the latest dieting trends, who on the staff looked heavy." Yikes.

Some other tidbits from the book?

• She used to do 'hillocks' of cocaine -- in the office, no less -- to keep the numbers on the scale down.

My family had a birthday party for my mother recently. Even though it's downright chilly here, my oldest sister was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and kept fanning herself. Since I'm 15 years younger than she is, I got a little laugh out of her hot flashes. But it's only a matter of years before my time comes.

While the cause of hot flashes during perimenopause and menopause aren't fully understood, there are several health-related possibilities. Women who smoke are more likely to have hot flashes -- one more reason to quit -- and women who are overweight or obese are also more likely to have hot flashes. In addition, blood glucose levels may play a role in hot flashes.

If you're currently experiencing hot flashes, talk to your doctor. He/she may have nutrition or fitness suggestions that will help, and there are several medications that can help as well. If, like me, hot flashes are only a future possibility -- take action now. Make sure you maintain an appropriate weight and eat healthfully.

Did you know that women tend to eat more healthfully than men? And that women are more likely to choose foods to benefit their overall health and/or select foods for a specific health purpose (e.g. digestive health)? After the somewhat frustrating news Martha gave us about the difference between men and women when it comes to fitness, I'm glad to hear women have an edge somewhere.

According to a recent research study, both genders believe that nutrition plays an important role in health, but women came out on top in all categories studied. For example, 53% of women choose foods to benefit overall wellness, compared to 46% of men.

So c'mon guys ... consider it a challenge. Maybe by the next time this subject is studied, you'll have closed the gap.

[via Vital Juice Daily]

Ladies, sometimes it just doesn't seem fair -- we have to deal with PMS cravings, monthly bloating, child-bearing hips and more fat cells than men. We seem to gain weight just by looking at a piece of chocolate cake. It seems our gender just isn't conducive to weight loss. But according to recent studies, there's another very good reason we struggle with our weight: Men.

According to this article, a women's weight fluctuates according to the cycles of her relationships.