Great For Women of Any Age! Make Yourself a Priority!
Every month is women’s health month at FITNESS PROJECT, but the rest of the world will be joining us this May during the official Women’s Health Month.
We invite YOU and/or the important women in your life to Celebrate by taking care of yourself/themselves with healthy eating, exercising, sleeping, self-care, and more.
Not surprisingly, women lead very busy lives often putting themselves on the backburner while focusing on their career, family, social obligations, etc. Many women fall into the habit of taking care of others’ health and wellness needs before they take care of their own.
But the fact is that you’re actually in a better position to provide care for those you love and things you value when you make your own healthcare a top priority. You’ve heard them say it on the plane during your travels, “please remember to secure your air mask before assisting anyone else.” It’s really a valuable lesson that applies to self-care in everyday life.
No matter what your age or overall health status is, these 12 health tips can help you increase your chances of better health throughout your life:
1. Exercise & Be Active
Every woman’s exercise requirements differ, but in general, you should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five days a week. If you stick with an exercise routine, you’ll see benefits like lowered blood pressure, reduced cholesterol, improved mood and cognitive function, and improved general wellbeing. Did you know heart disease is the leading cause of death among women? However, this disease can be kept at bay with exercise (especially aerobic). Aerobic exercises including walking, jogging, bicycling, and dancing (like Zumba) is good for women’s health. In fact, any form of physical exercise. Not sure where to start? CLICK HERE!
2. Maintain a Healthy Weight (Right For YOU)
Weight loss is a subject that runs in the minds of most women – way more than we’d all like. Although quite distressing, reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is important for your overall well-being. Being overweight can significantly increase the risk of several chronic diseases and can reduce the quality of your life. Therefore, the best way to maintain a healthy weight is to have a good relationship with your food, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly.
3. Do Something to Improve Your Mental Health
Many people across the world are struggling with their mental health as a result of the pandemic. Some find it beneficial to speak with a therapist, while others can find small ways to improve their mental health each day. Simple activities like connecting with friends, re-connecting with your community, and finding ways to destress can affect mental health immensely. Take a few minutes each day to do something that you enjoy like reading a book, taking a walk, or simply sitting in a quiet moment.
4. Drink Lots of Water
The recommended intake is 8-10 glasses a day. Staying hydrated is key to maintaining good health. While there are many benefits to drinking lots of water, the three that we find most important are that it flushes toxins, prevents headaches, and promotes healthy skin.
5. Eat Right – Don’t Forget Your Fruits and Vegetables
Many women are prone to neglecting their own dietary needs. You may feel you need to put your family’s needs first or you are too busy to adhere to a set diet. However, you must ensure that you get all the nutrients you need from the foods you eat. You want to eat as close to a natural food diet as possible. That means a variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, meat, fish, poultry, low-fat dairy products, and lots of nuts. Among other things, women, in general, need lots of calcium to build healthy bones and teeth to keep them strong as you age. Good sources of calcium include dairy products, grains, leafy green vegetables, tofu, and cabbage. Interested in Juices, check out these great 6 spring-themed juices, CLICK HERE!
6. Take Time to Smell the Roses
Are you feeling overworked? Are you so concerned with moving up in your career that you feel stressed and unhappy? If so, maybe it is time for you to stop and smell the roses.
People who need to stop and smell the roses should stop working so hard. They need to slow down and take time to appreciate the many things that life has to offer. Often this means enjoying the wonders of nature – looking at stars in the night sky, feeling the wind blowing your hair, smelling flowers growing near a busy street.
But the flowers do not have to be roses. While this expression relates to roses, it can be anything rather small or even commonplace. These things may seem small but they can give us great joy.
7. Talk to or Listen to Your Friends
Friends help you celebrate good times and help you manage your bad times. Good friends provide fresh perspectives on caring for your loved ones or thoughtful advice when it comes to making big and little life decisions. Sometimes it’s great to just talk to your friends and have them listen. Yes, that’s right, listening is not only a good leadership skill for business but a good friendship skill to develop and share with others.
8. Sleep More, It’s Important
Sleep is important no matter what age we are. Younger children need more sleep which can be anywhere from 8-11 hours depending on their age, while older adults only need an average of 7-9 hours of sleep daily. While we sleep our bodies repair themselves and allow us to reset for a new day, both mentally and physically. Reducing caffeine intake after a certain time of day and limiting screen time right before bed helps your brain to slow down and start relaxing for sleep. You can also try to set a bedtime and wake-up time to help establish a routine and stick to it as best you can.
9. Stop Unhealthy Habits (or Vices)
When we think of unhealthy habits we often think about eating the wrong foods or not exercising enough but there are other habits such as smoking and excessive drinking that can impact your health as well. According to the CDC, smoking can cause heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung cancer, as well as emphysema and other respiratory issues. In addition to health risks to an individual who smokes, secondhand smoke can also be unhealthy for family members and pets living in a home with smokers. Excessive drinking can also have an impact on liver function and increase the risk of breast cancer and heart disease.
10. Protect Your Skin
Soaking up the sun can be a great way to get Vitamin D, but too much sun can actually harm you. It’s important to practice safe sun, which means wearing sunscreen and other items such as cover-ups, sun hats, and sunglasses to prevent your skin from burning. You should regularly check your skin and if you find a spot or a mole that looks suspicious or changes size or shape, consult your doctor right away.
11. Get Regular Checkups
This is one point that we cannot emphasize enough on! In addition to the reference to the skin reference above, health screenings are an important way to help recognize problems in the body – sometimes even before you show any signs or symptoms. Even if you feel well, early health checkups and screening tests can not only spot signs of serious diseases and conditions but also have a better chance of successfully curing or effectively treating them. Thus, we recommend that you schedule a checkup every year with a primary care doctor to stay on the safer side of things.
12. Fall In Love With Yourself, Your Worth It
Loving yourself is the best gift you can ever give yourself. When you fall in love with yourself, you take advantage of your self-worth and abilities. Plus, as Rupaul might tell you, “If You Can’t Love Yourself, How The Hell You Going To Love Someone Else!” Sometimes we give up dreams, hopes, and love out of fear, negative self-talk, and pain and we rob ourselves of the only thing that no one else can truly give us. Need a few tips on ways to help, CLICK HERE.
Taking care of your health can be easy with the right knowledge, and we hope that these tips make it a little easier! However, these aren’t the only ways to take good care of your body.
If you’re looking to get motivated to make some healthier changes for a better quality of life, stop by FITNESS PROJECT and consider taking advantage of Studio Fitness, Team Training, or GROUP classes; all of these provide great ways to focus not only on your fitness but will help with stress, accountability, better rest, as well as building relationships. Good luck on your journey to better health.
