Newsletter

Welcome to the July edition of our newsletter, in this edition, we are focusing on MYTHS about pregnancy, and precautions to take when exercising in the hot and humid weather of Dubai and more:

• Editorial: Maintain a Fitness Scrapbook
• Just for Fun: Fitness Jokes
• 5 Myths About Exercising when Pregnant
• 3 Things to do when Exercising in Hot and Humid Weather 
• Fitness Motivational Quote

Editorial: Maintaining a Fitness Scrapbook
by Ziggy Darwish & Zena Habi - Founders of Fitness O2

Want a better life? Well its all in your hands...

Big changes take time and are sometimes very difficult to maintain.

Take many steps, even small ones, and before you know it you will see change and you will never look back!

Starting a workout routine can be one of the hardest challenges in life, if you aren't used to it. most people find themselves coming up with the weirdest things and routines to prevent them from giving up and to keep themselves motivated. I must admit, living in Dubai, doesn't make it easy. The very hot and humid  climate makes it easy to lead an unhealthy lifestyle.

One way that can help you stay motivated and focused on your goals is creating a fitness scrapbook. It can be large or small, simple or complex, but all scrapbooks should have a few things in common. All fitness scrapbooks should document your "before" condition, including a picture, measurements, and initial thoughts about your goals. It should allow you to share  information, such as a weight-loss graph or a layout about a new pair of jeans you can now fit into. You should also include an "after" layout when you reach your goal, so you can show how far you've come. A great idea is looking for different images and photos that may trigger different personal feelings when you look at them. after all we are visual beings and a picture can sometimes tell a thousand words!

One of the keys to a successful fitness program is perseverance, and your fitness scrapbook can help keep you motivated. Make sure the first page in your scrapbook is dedicated to the goals you want to achieve. Write out your goals and add relevant pictures to encourage you. Continue to add pages to your scrapbook, including journaling about how your health, strength, and energy have improved, any new, smaller clothes that you've bought, or any too-large clothes you've had to take out of your wardrobe. Add some pictures after a certain amount of time or after you've lost a certain amount of weight.

Journaling should be an important part of your fitness scrapbook. Write about how you feel from day to day, comments that people give you about your weight, good or bad, the things that are helping you and the things that are holding you back.

Make sure you look at your scrapbook everyday and especially when you are feeling low in energy and inspiration.

Go back and read your older pages, particularly from when you started, to remind yourself why you're doing this, and how far you've come. This should motivate you to see you through to your goal. 

Happy July

Ziggy & Zena

Just for Fun: Fitness Jokes

5 Myths: Exercising While Pregnant

When it comes to exercising while pregnant, there are a number of myths that people fall for that can detract them from sticking with a proper exercise program.  By educating yourself of what these myths are you can be sure to enjoy safe and effective exercise while pregnant.  It is very important you get your Doctor's approval on the below.  All advice and suggestions given in this document / article are given with no responsibility or liability to Fitness  O2: you must seek medical ADVICE from your Doctor / Midwife or qualified health professional before you set upon any physical activity whilst pregnant.

Myth #1: Running Can Be Continued

Too much running during pregnancy can create a lot of up and down motion that could potentially put your baby at risk so consider taking your program to a brisk walk instead.

Myth #2: You Shouldn't Lift Any Weights, Period

One of the most ideal ways to fight extra weight gain over that which is recommended during pregnancy is to weight lift.  Just be sure to keep the weights at a relatively lower level and it can be included in your pregnancy workout program.

Myth #3: Exercising Will Harm Your Growing Baby

Some people believe that exercising will cause the body to take nutrients from the baby to use for the workouts, but this isn't true. If you are going to exercise, just be sure to have a few exercise calories during the day to support it.

Myth #4: Never Do Any Abdominal Exercise During Pregnancy

Including some ab exercises in your workout is a good way to keep up your core strength as long as you aren't doing a lot of crunching motions.  Try lying leg lifts instead.

Myth #5: You Should Never Increase Your Heart Rate During Pregnancy

Finally, the last myth is that you should never increase your heart rate during exercise. Remember that every one of us has our own unique maximum heart rate so use your own body as a guide. As long as you feel comfortable and your body temperature isn't increasing too quickly, you're doing fine.

So keep these pregnancy exercise myths in mind – are there any you were believing?

3 Things to do When Exercising in in Hot & Humid Weather

When the bright summer sunshine hits, it's going to get very hard to maintain your usual workout programs.  Exercising in the heat can become quite dangerous quickly if you aren't prepared and don't fully understand how to workout properly when the temperature skyrockets.

Let's take a look at a few of the most important things that you must think about when it comes to exercising in the heat.

1. Avoid Prime Daylight Hours

First off, always avoid exercising during 'prime' hours if you can.  This includes the time period from 1 pm until about 4 or 5 pm when the sun will be at its brightest.  If you can plan your workouts for earlier on in the morning or else later on in the evening that will be a quick way to avoid the extreme heat and stay safe.

2. Drink Electrolyte Beverages Before, During, and After

Second, always carry an electrolyte beverage with you. On very hot days simple water will not be enough because there's a good chance your sodium-potassium balance is going to get out of alignment.  This electrolyte beverage will help to restore it while also hydrating you at the same time.

Drink one cup before exercise, one cup for every 15 minutes exercising, and one to two cups after exercise.

3. Monitor Your Body Temperature

Carefully monitoring your own body temperature for signs of overheating is vital as well. If you notice that you're starting to feel very hot, it is best to back off the intensity of your workout and allow yourself to cool down.

Don’t risk overheating your body just so you can keep up your workout. If you do push too hard, you'll quickly suffer from heat exhaustion and that may take days to recover from.

So keep these quick tips in mind for exercising in the very hot weather. If you prepare yourself, you can keep up your workout program safely.

Fitness Motivational Quote

"The pain of disipline is far less than the pain of regret"
Sarah Bombell, Synchronized Swimmer

"No rest is worth anything except the rest that is earned"

Do you have any quotes to share with us?