It is so, so, so exciting to see your baby take her first steps. The expression of amazement, concentration, and joy on her face, the adorable, wobbly, tentative steps, the priceless moment when they realize that nothing is holding them up. Cue startled expression, loss of balance, and ker-plop onto the floor.

Having spent the last couple of months looking after Daycare Baby, a crawling baby who is now 16 months old, the most common thing I was asked by friends and strangers alike was “is she walking yet?”

She wasn’t, and I know that the average baby starts walking somewhere around their first birthday. So, she’s later than average, but still in the normal range. And just lately, although I know the question is well intentioned, it’s getting just a little annoying.

There’s more to babies that just walking. Do you ever feel that too much pressure is placed on just a couple of milestones, first steps, first word?

$20 robot dogs from the toy section of Target walk and talk. Our babies are infinitely more complex than that, so how about some love for other, less lauded milestones?

Recognizing his/her own name. Babies realize that the word you keep using around them means that you are talking to them somewhere between 5 and 8 months. At birth, babies don’t have much concept of themselves as an individual. Recognizing that they they have a name is part of building their own identity.

Empathy for others. Even as early as six months, babies get upset when other children cry. Learning to understand other people’s emotions is a major factor that separating humans from robot dogs.

Understanding that objects have a function. Before about 12 months, everything that’s not food or other very familiar objects is simply an interesting plaything. Or a boring object. But one day, baby realizes that all these objects like keys, cellphones, hairbrushes, are for something, and that’s when she’ll stop chewing the toy cellphone and instead, hold it to her ear and babble into it.

Building towers from blocks Your budding engineer might be able to do this at 9 months, maybe not until over a year. Stacking things on top of other things helps babies understand how the physical world works.

Sometimes parents can get caught up in the milestone charts, and almost believe that if their baby walks late, then everything about their development is behind. In almost all cases – not true.

Babies have so much to learn, and they all do it in a different order. So the baby who walks late, is busy developing less dramatic, but equally valuable skills. And babies who walk early may learn to do other things a little later. It’s all totally normal.

If you are worried about your baby’s development, check with his/her pediatrician.

What has been your favorite unsung milestone for your baby? One of mine is when my son figured out at only a few months where the milk was, and started yanking my shirt down. OK, only when he did it at home. Another one is when he worked out how to slide down a slide by himself. How about you?

Well, my baby girl is now 13 months old. She cruises around the furniture without a second thought. She pushes chairs around the dining room making “vroom” sounds like a little boy. She has even stood up for several seconds 0n a couple of occasions before she realized she wasn’t holding anything. But she will not walk. I really think she can, she just won’t.

It doesn’t help that I have several friends and acquaintances with babies who walked unusually early. For example, little Jesse was walking by himself at about 9 months. Big Connor was jogging across the room at 10 months. That’s about the same age that Kaylee was walking, and now, at just about 13 1/2 months, Kaylee dances. It’s so cute to see her up on her toes, twirling. And then I look over and see my precious daughter–so cute–just sitting there enjoying the show. When’s that girl going to get up and walk?!

If you read my post a couple months ago about wishing for teeth, then maybe you know I’m a little hyper about these things. I’m not worried that she won’t ever walk–I know she will. I know perfectly well that walking early or late has no more to do with intelligence than how early she had hair. And I’m not exactly comparing my daughter to the early walkers, because I know that those kids are unusual. I just want to see her take those wobbly little steps with a big, gorgeous (and toothy!) grin. I guess I’m ready for her to be a toddler.

My son was a couple weeks shy of his first birthday when he stepped out. And the whole family was there to see it, because it was Thanksgiving. I’m a little worried about my daughter’s big debut, because she and I are flying out of state in a few weeks for my niece’s high school graduation. What if she takes her first steps while we are away from Daddy? He’ll never forgive us…

The expert consensus seems to be that most babies take their first steps between 9-12 months, and they walk well just a couple months after that. Of course, they are all careful to say that many perfectly healthy kids don’t walk until they are 16 or 17 months old. That will drive me crazy if it’s true for her. A good friend of mine assured me that her twins didn’t walk until they were 16 months old. But they’re twins. I can easily write off that exception in development. I’ve also heard that the later babies walk, the more coordinated they are in the long run. I thought that sounded like a Old wives tale. Since I can’t find a confirmation for it, I’ll assume it’s not true.

However, Dr. Sears suggests that more easy-going babies walk later because they are more content with the way things are. My little girl is a very content baby, so maybe I should just hunker down and maybe even put the camera away for a couple months…

When did your baby walk? And have you ever heard that late walkers are more coordinated?

My pocketbook is glad that I had a boy. Because if I’d has a girl, I’d be spending a fortune on adorable little outfits and cute dresses and lovely little shirts and hats and hair bows and leggings and sweet little shoes.  My son has six pairs of pants and seven shirts and various socks and a pair of rain boots and a pair of sneakers and a couple of sweaters and that’s about it.

It’s hard to resist baby shoes. Baby shoes are precious little things and what mom isn’t planning to keep baby’s first pair of shoes? I have the first pair of shoes my son walked in, in the box that I have his keepsakes in. They are K-mart Spiderman sandles, and as you might guess, I’m not planning to get them bronzed.

Little babies don’t really need one of the things on that list: shoes.

Non-mobile babies don’t need shoes at all, just socks or booties on a cold day. Crawlers need knee protection much more than foot protection – pants with an extra layer in the knee, or babylegs or a similar product are more useful than shoes.

Then babies learning to walk are more often hindered by shoes than helped. If baby insists on practicing outdoors, then shoes are necessary, but at home, barefoot or socked feet are best to allow baby’s feet to learn to support her best.

And even toddlers are best off barefoot – at home, or at a safe location. Shoes, even the best designed, and even the cutest, affect baby’s balance and the growth and development of the foot, all of which happen best and most naturally when baby is barefoot.

But baby needs to walk outdoors, so what shoes are best? Flexible but protective soles in lightweight shoes are the best for baby feet. Pedipeds, See Kai Run, and StrideRite all do a good job of protecting baby feet, and have cute-as-a-button designs too.

We are in the middle of the spring thaw, and snow, and thaw again. Then soon we’ll have spring rain, and storms, and all of that weather means one thing that toddlers love. Puddles.

I’m encouraging my daycare baby, who is a wobbly try away from her first steps, to get walking so she can splash in puddles. My toddler loves the rain, and he loves his rainboots, and he loves that he can put on his own rain boots (rainboot shopping tip – get the ones with the little handles on the sides for ease of toddler use) and he loves, loves, loves splashing in puddles.

Another puddle tip. On puddle outings, bring a spare pair of pants, and a spare pair of socks. Despite the rainboots, any enthusiastic toddler can splash enough water to get inside the boots.

And enthusiastic toddlers in a slippy puddle are at risk of falling over… so the spare pants are likely to come in handy.

Muddy puddles add another dimension of toddler joy to puddles. Once my son walked into a muddle puddle and squelched and splashed about happily. Then his boots got stuck, and he pulled his feet out walked out without them, squish squish squish. He thought it was hilarious. And since we weren’t on the way to anywhere that we needed to be presentable, so did I.

Splashing in puddles with your kids is fun, it’s great to be outside after the winter. I love that kids love puddles. Puddles are free. Puddles are one of the ultimate simple pleasures.

Babies, who are awkward creatures at the best of times, can fight diaper changes tooth and nail. Traditionally, babies are changed lying on their backs, and while this is workable for non-mobile babies, once they can roll away or crawl away or get up and run away and laugh at you standing impotently with wipes in hand, it can get tricky. Especially if baby is not feeling co-operative.

The diaper change done with baby on his/her back is so set in our minds, many moms have never even considered that there are other ways to change a baby. Once a baby can stand up, one of the best alternatives is the standing baby diaper change.

It’s so much easier to bring the wipes and the new diaper to wherever the baby is. If she’s currently standing up and playing with something, change diaper. If she’s on the floor playing with something, put the toy on the couch, let her stand up to get it and change diaper. Simple. Simple? Well, more simple than trying to get her to lie on her back when she’s busy. Toddlers may still run away and laugh at you as soon as their diaper is off, but if they happen to be occupied with something else, they are less likely to.

I used to do this with my son in the bathroom, I’d have him stand by the side of the tub, turn the faucet on, provide a toy and let him splash in the water while I changed him.

Here’s what you are thinking. What about poopy diapers? Yes, even for poopy diapers. Sorry if you are eating, but babies and toddlers who are eating solid food have poop that is quite sticky and it either stays on the diaper, bottom, or wipes so it’s nowhere near as messy as you might imagine. Poopy diapers are best changed in the bathroom though, just in case. It can even be less messy, as there’s no changing pad involved. And if baby is occupied, they are not trying to escape – and you know that’s messy.

Another situation where the standing diaper change can be the better option is in public, and the diaper changing spot in the restroom is not all that clean. Or there isn’t one anywhere. Dads with babies in tow have probably discovered that the men’s room almost never has anywhere for changing diapers. A standing baby or toddler can’t get into contact with as many germs as a lying down baby. I once did a diaper change with my non-walking baby standing on top of the toilet roll dispenser in a stall, while she was holding on to my neck and laughing. Practice this one before attempting and always keep at least one hand on your baby to avoid falls. Being good at the one-handed-diaper-tab-fasten helps here. Us moms are fabulous at doing things one-handed, so that should be a breeze to pick up.

Springtime will be here soon and it’s time to put on those walking shoes for a stroll in the park. So why not march for a cause? Take the baby on the pram. Take the whole family. Take your friends.

“One day…all babies will be born healthy. We need to walk there.”

This is the motto of those who are participating in the March for Babies, a walking event organized by the March of Dimes Foundation, its supporters and teams of volunteers. But why March for Babies?

March for Babies is a fundraiser walking event for the benefit of March of Dimes. You can organize your own walking event, start a team, join a team, or donate to a team. Anybody with the will and the dedication can do it.

Ask Karmelie, a mom of two preemies and a great supporter of the March of Dimes. She has put together Team 9 Months to walk in Daffin Park, Savannah, GA on April 25th, 2009. On the team are her sister Natalie and cousin Diamond. The team’s goal is “to raise $700 towards the research and awareness of premature babies and the healthy start every baby deserves.” Karmelie is marching to support Marching of Dimes in championing the needs of moms and babies in our community and across the nation. For every dollar raised in a walking event, 77 cents are used to support “research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives.”

Join and support Team 9 Months! Details of their walk are given below.

When: April 25, 2009
Where: Daffin Park, Savannah
East Victory Dr, Savannah, GA 31405
Walk Distance: 6 miles
Registration Time: 8:00AM
Start Time: 9:00 AM
Phone #: (912) 354-5900

After crawling, the next motor skills milestone is usually pulling up to a standing position.  Crawling babies are fascinated by what’s in front, and just above them, and they’ll reach up to grab things just above their heads, and then the natural thing to do next is to pull up.

Balance is not good at first, and falling over is going to happen.  Your baby will be grateful for her diaper to cushion her fall. Cloth diapering moms have an advantage here, as cloth diapers are usually thicker and more padded for your little one’s tush.   Those of us with wood floors have to be extra careful about catching baby. Now she’s got some height, this is the first serious opportunity to fall down. Ouch.

The silly thing about pulling up, is that while pulling up seems to come naturally, getting back down again is not so.  Babies pull up, get all excited about being upright. Then little legs get tired, and they don’t know what to do! Either wail, panic, fall over, or all three.

So show your baby how to bend her knees so she can sit herself back down safely. Or you can demonstrate, or ask her older brother or sister to show baby what to do.

Sitting on the bed, or the couch, while your baby pulls up is fun, it’s cute to see her little face peep over the edge, and it makes a good game of peekaboo too. And it’s a good photo opportunity to snap a smiling face.

Next comes cruising along the edge of the couch or the table, and it’s in preparation for one of the most exciting milestones of all – walking!

Parenthood changes a lot of things. One thing I noticed was that I had less time for exercise, or so it seemed to me. A recent study I saw confirmed that my suspicions were correct and that I am not alone. The study also confirmed that the reasons I most often skipped my exercise times were also named by study participants. Those reasons (excuses) would be: lack of time, tiredness, and lack of child care options. Another reason for me: finances. With 5 children, I simply can’t justify spending the money I used to spend on a gym membership that I may or may not be able to use depending upon who has the stomach flu this week.

For a while, I was very depressed about the whole thing and critical of myself. I should be making the time and finding the money to do this for me! But the reality is that my husband travels frequently with work, and I am, for many days of the month, a single parent. In between homework and caring for the baby and driving the older children to their activities, there’s not a lot of time to devote to an exercise program.

I decided to try and think outside the box for a solution to my problem. Ok, so my life had changed, but that didn’t mean that I had to give up my life because of that. I just had to find a way to fit exercising into my daily life given my constraints on time, money, and energy. I found that while I just didn’t have the energy to do an energy charged aerobics workout anymore, I did like Tai Chi. Yoga was not only exercise, but it helped calm my nerves too! I found that Pilates workouts were wonderful too.

I discovered DVD’s for Pilates where you could squeeze a mini-workout into 10 minutes! It’s true that I couldn’t find an hour long block in my day to devote to exercising, but I could find a 10 minute segment! I have to admit that some days, I don’t even find the time for 10 minutes, but I’m working on it.

The best part of my new exercise routine is the cost. I can loan a DVD from the library for no cost and I can try a different routine each week if I choose to do so. I have purchased several DVD’s for my own collection, but they are still cheaper than a gym membership! I walk the children to school instead of driving them, and I try to be as active as I can during my daily routine. Just hauling laundry around for 7 people should count as exercise, right?

Not only am I exercising more, but my children are learning that exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. They are also learning, just like I am, that sometimes we need to be creative when looking for solutions to our problems!

Learning to walk is the most bittersweet baby milestone. Babies are so utterly delighted that they can do something as amazing as walking you can’t help being as thrilled as they are. But now baby is walking, he’s not a baby any more – he’s a toddler!

What’s a normal age to begin walking? Some babies are taking steps at 8 or 9 months, many babies are walking by 12 months. 13 months is the average age to start walking, and it’s very normal to wait to take steps until 16 or 17 months or even later.

My son was standing solo at 10 months. He’ll be walking soon! Everyone said. He was, however, quite content to stand, then plop down and crawl off. He got so quick at crawling he was faster than our dog, and so couldn’t see the point of walking. By 13 months, no sign of wanting to walk solo, even though he could push a toy with wheels perfectly well, and walk holding my hand if he felt like it.

At that point, the maternal anxiety set in. What if he was behind all the other babies? Was he normal? Was this really late for starting to walk?

He seemed physically able to walk, but just didn’t want to, or didn’t see the point of walking when he could crawl at high velocity. The trouble was, he wanted to crawl when we went to the supermarket or the bank and the hazard of being stepped on was too great.

So I insisted that he walked holding my hand, or else ride in the cart or be carried. After a couple of weeks, he decided he’d rather walk by himself, and off he toddled, at the age of 14 months.

My totally non-scientific observation of babies I know is this: babies who start walking earlier take longer to get walking well, and babies who start later are running around a couple of weeks later.

My son was going up and down steps and running within weeks of starting to walk, just as well as other toddlers his age who had been walking for months.

So in hindsight, he was so busy doing other things, he didn’t try learning to walk. But once he did, as he was older and bigger and stronger, it was easier for him to learn, and get profecient more quickly than if he’d learned at a younger age.

So he’s perfectly normal – as are babies who learn to walk at 8 months, and as are babies who learn at 18 months.

We live in southeastern Virginia surrounded by water. I love being near the water-most of the time! When hurricane season begins, I start to worry a little bit about living near the coast I admit! I also worry a little bit now that we have a young child who is walking and exploring the world around him.

Where I grew up, we had lots of water around our property. Our neighbor had a large pond, a creek divided our property into two, and our water supply came from a spring house. My mother spoke often about her water based fears, but it didn’t really occur to me as a kid that she had valid concerns.

I didn’t have to deal with water worries until I had my son. Before then, we lived inland in another state and we didn’t have a pool in the backyard. We didn’t have a pond, a spring house, or a creek either.

Things have changed. Not only do we live near the water, but we have a pool and a pond in the backyard. I understand my mother’s water worries now.

When our son began crawling, I started worrying about safety issues, like all parents do. We began to baby proof the house and continued as our son’s world expanded. Our son is walking like a champ now and it is summer time. His older siblings are in and out of the house and spending a lot of time in the pool. I began to ponder how I could prevent a water accident, but yet allow the older children access between the pool and the house. It was time to baby proof the yard too.

We researched infant swimming lessons which help your child to learn about water safety and basic survival skills if they would happen to fall into a pool. We haven’t enrolled him yet, but I intend to do so.

I created a set of barriers between the pool and the house. We keep our gates locked to the yard because of safety concerns as we have a neighborhood full of small children. The only way to access the pool is through the laundry room/office in the house.

In the hallway leading to the house door which leads to the pool, we set up several baby gates for safety. The older children can step over the gates, but my son can’t.

We put a baby safety handle on the door that leads out to the pool. My son can’t turn the handle, but the older children can. We also put a double lock on the door so at night, I can check to make sure that both locks are locked for safety.

We put in a new pet door and door as we had a door for our Labrador Retriever to go in and out into the yard. While the door was a great thing for the dog, it was also big enough for our son to crawl through.

We have steps that lead up to the pool and we are currently building a deck and fence around our above ground pool. The fence will be gated for additional safety.

Are you keeping outdoor hazards in mind when you baby proof your property? What are some things that you have done to keep your child safe during the summer season?

High heels for a baby? Yes, really it is true.

Today I discovered a company called Heelarious, which manufactures tiny shoes with heels. The shoes have been created in the United States by two childhood friends, Britta Bacon and Hayden Porter, and are ’specifically designed for babies.’ I was wondering what that really means. How exactly does one design a pair of high heels specifically for a baby?

A check on the company’s website reveals that they have 6 designs in various styles and colors including pink, black, and leopard print. The shoes are intended for babies up to 6 months of age and are ‘extremely funny, completely soft, fully functional high heel crib shoes for babies.’ Each pair of shoes costs $35 and can be purchased at a limited amount of retailers in the United States, Canada and Switzerland. They can also be purchased online.

The high heeled shoes are not intended for walking as the ‘heel will collapse with weight’ and are intended to be worn in the crib only. The website claims that the shoes were actually created as a joke product one day when one of the designers thought, while on the way to a party, about what fun it would be to bring her daughter to the event in high heels.

Perhaps I am old, or prudish. I don’t really see anything funny about high heels on a baby. I certainly don’t see anything even remotely amusing about buying a pair of $35 shoes for my child that aren’t intended to actually even be used as shoes. That’s just me though.

What do you think? Would you buy high heels for your infant? Do you think that $35 for a pair of shoes which aren’t actually usable is a good deal? Would you buy a pair for your infant daughter?

Here is another study indicating that physical exercise during pregnancy is a good idea. New research results indicate that stretching may be a better strategy than walking in preventing preeclampsia – at least in women who were not physically active prior to pregnancy and who had a previous history of preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is a condition wherein a pregnant woman’s blood pressure dramatically increases several times within a short period of time, causing hypertension, swelling, and kidney damage. According to FamilyDoctor.org, preeclampsia commonly occurs

• during first pregnancy
• in multiple pregnancies
• during the second half of a pregnancy
• in women with family history of preeclampsia
• in pregnant women under twenty and over 40
• in women with hypertension or kidney problems before pregnancy
• in women who lead a sedentary lifestyle before pregnancy.

The cause of preeclampsia is not known. However, it presents a serious risk to the mother and to the baby, making it one of “the leading causes of maternal and fetal illness and death worldwide”

While carrying my twins, I had the first 2 risk factors on the list. My blood pressure was closely monitored and I was extremely thankful that I did not develop this dangerous pregnancy complication.

The current study followed up 79 women who had previously experienced preeclampsia and had a sedentary lifestyle. These women were split into 2 groups. One group did a 40-minute moderate intensity walk 5 times a week. The other group did slow, non-aerobic stretching exercises following a 40-minute video 5 times a week.

The results of the study show that 15% of the walking group developed pregnancy-induced hypertension while on 5% of the stretching group had it.

While walking showed some beneficial effects on maternal health in general, it seems that stretching had a more protective effect against preeclampsia in this group of women.

The researchers speculate that stretching may induce more production of transferrin, “a plasma protein that transports iron through the blood and protects against oxidative stress on the body, and that helps guard against preeclampsia.”

However, in all cases, any form of physical exercise regime during pregnancy should only be performed after consultation with your obstetrician.

Still trying to lose that baby weight? Every magazine on the newsstand seems to tout a new way to ?walk off the weight.? But you know what? Combined with a healthy diet filled with lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains, walking really does work!

Walking is also the perfect exercise during pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says that, ideally, pregnant women should aim for 30 minutes of moderate activity, which can include walking, six or seven days of the week. For more tips on walking during pregnancy, check out this article.

Regular, moderate walking will also reduce your risk of heart disease, which is the number one killer in the United States. Now, the American Heart Association gives everyone?new moms, pregnant women, dads, and children–a reason to start walking on April 16, which the organization has declared National Start Walking Day! The AHA hopes to raise one million dollars for heart disease and encourage Americans to, collectively, take one million steps beginning on April 16. You can log in to AHA Start with a Million site to see how your city is doing!

You can squeeze in a 30-minute walk during lunch, after work, or even in the morning. Walk around the mall, your office building, or enjoy the fresh air, put the baby in his stroller, and walk around your neighborhood. If you have older children, walk around the park while they play on the swings. When I worked in an office, I took a shortened lunch break and then made a 10-minute walk to Starbucks (and back) part of my daily routine in the late afternoon. Walking requires no special equipment, no training, and no great physical abilities.

Whether you?re already in shape or need some inspiration to jump start your fitness efforts, why not tie on your most comfy pair of sneakers, invite some friends out this Wednesday, and start walking?

I thought I did a good job baby-proofing our home. I researched the subject on the web, came up with my list, and presented the “honey do list” to my husband. He dutifully began working on the list so as to make the house safe for our precious little one long before our son was even creeping.

We thought we had it covered. We didn’t. Despite our watchful eyes, his 4 attentive older sisters, countless hours of research and an incredible amount of time spent purchasing and installing baby safety products, our little one can still find dangerous things to do.

For example, he discovered that if he dug his finger in at such an angle, he could get the grout and marbles(yes, real marbles) out from between the custom tiles in the living room. He discovered that if he rammed his walker at a certain speed, he could pop open the child safety latches. He found that he could stretch his arm far enough out the cat door to grab sticks and stones if he pressed his head tightly to the door. His hand was just the right size to stick under his sister’s door to get some “Polly Pocket” pieces–the ultimate forbidden prize!

He found out that dog food tastes pretty good and that the fish tank will sway if he bangs on the stand hard enough. He discovered it is possible to topple the garbage can. He’s also learned that the dog will eat his paperboard books if given the opportunity. Yesterday, he decided to try to crawl into the cat’s litter box.

On one hand, I’m thrilled with his eye hand co-ordination and frankly, his creativity. On the other hand, I’m amazed at the amount of destruction he can actually get into even though he’s very well supervised. So much for those lists! To think I actually thought after 5 kids that I had a clue. He sure showed me!

I’m finding that daily, my husband and I are “tweaking” the baby-proof list and coming up with our own solutions to the safety problems. For example, I covered the custom tile job with a carpet that I taped down. We actually attached the fish tank stand to the wall so it isn’t able to wobble at all. I re-organized my daughter’s room so she no longer stores her Polly Pocket dolls and accessories near the door and lectured her about how she needs to play with them at the far corner of her room, and how the door needs to absolutely stay shut.

Even so, our son is still one step ahead of us. I predict that just when we get the house baby proofed for our crawling protege, he’ll begin walking–and we’ll begin baby-proofing again.

Most people know that increasing activity levels can assist them in losing weight. A new study, reported in the Annals of Family Medicine, recently reported that purchasing a pedometer can assist in this pursuit as well. Pedometers track the distance walked, lessening the walker?s wonder if she has gone far enough. Caroline Richardson and her team at the University of Michigan reviewed nine studies of 307 men and women who used pedometers for varying lengths of time, from four weeks to a year.

When the participants added twenty to forty minutes of walking per day to their routines, they lost about .1 pound per week, a small amount that adds up to about five pounds per year.

However, Ms. Richardson suggested that, ?The increase in physical activity can be expected to result in health benefits that are independent of weight loss. Increasing physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems, lowers blood pressure and helps dieters maintain lean muscle tissue when they are dieting.? According to Ms. Richardson, the results for the participants were ?remarkably consistent.?

The American Heart Association recommends that ?all healthy adults between 18 and 65 years should take part in moderate physical activity such as walking for at least thirty minutes a day, five days a week, or vigorous physical activity such as jogging for at least twenty minutes three days a week.? At least this much activity assists in maintaining health and reducing the risk of chronic disease.

Resources:

http://www.reuters.com

http://www.americanheart.org

Have you seen the recent studies about walking and how beneficial it is to your health?

A pedometer is an awesome tool you can use to regulate and track your workout to make the most of your time.

Save 60% on this pedometer at Amazon.com

• Carry it in your bag! The dual sensor technology will still count every step

• Counts steps and minutes.

• Not only measures distance traveled but also counts calorie consumption while you workout

• LCD display

• Detachable belt holder and security strap included!

You might know that exercise can help stave off excess weight gain during pregnancy; you might also know that doctors warn of over-exerting yourself during pregnancy. Walking might just be the happy medium between these two.

The ACOG recommends healthy pregnant women exercise moderately for at least thirty minutes on most, if not all, days of the week. There are a plethora of ways exercise can help lessen the discomforts associated with pregnancy, some of which include constipation, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, leg cramps, and swelling of the ankles. The key here, however, is the term moderate; doctors warn that raising your body temperature and heart rate beyond a certain level can potentially harm your developing baby.

Although every woman should first discuss an exercise regimen with her doctor, walking can provide an excellent form of exercise for everyone from novices to pre-pregnancy cardio-queens. You can tailor the vigorousness of your workout by altering terrain (including hills or sticking to flat land), altering pace, and altering the length of time you walk.

Finally, in your third trimester, walking may be all you can do! Just kidding. But due to the increase and shifting of weight you have experienced, your balance might be a little off in your third trimester, making certain activities out of the question; therefore walking provides a relatively safe form of exercise throughout all three trimesters.

References:

www.marchofdimes.com