Women's Health: Energize Your Life With Physical Fitness

A beautiful face isn't enough. To be attractive, a woman must be physically fit, because a woman not only has to be a good writer, teacher or doctor, but has to manage to be a good wife, good mother, and be good looking, good tempered, and well groomed. Being a woman isn't an easy task. If a woman is sufficiently ambitious, determined and gifted - there is practically nothing she can't do.
If you're a woman and suffer from no disease, that does not necessarily mean that you are a healthy individual. The importance of total fitness can never be specified enough as a key component of good health. Hence, it is important to incorporate a fitness regime into your life, especially with the fact that technological advances have reduced physical activity to a bare minimum within and without the house. Do remember that your heart, lungs and muscles are not getting adequate stimulation to produce physiological benefits, and you need to get up and about much more than you do.

Fact is that more than 60% of the women in America do not complete the recommended amount of physical activity per day, and as many as 25% of the entire US female population does not exercise at all. Physical inactivity has been found to be much more pronounced in women as compared to men.

Things to Remember:

• Your exercise routine does not have to be strenuous in order to impart health benefits.
• Whatever your age, you should undergo a moderate amount of physical activity everyday. You may walk briskly for 30 minutes or jog for 15-20 minutes.
• Excessive amounts of physical activity is to be avoided, because in women, excessive physical exertion may lead to injury, greater amounts of activity, risk of menstrual abnormalities and bone weakening.
• If you have a sedentary lifestyle, it is advisable to build your exercise routine slowly but surely, with short intervals (5-10 minutes) of physical activity and later build it up to the desired level of activity.
• Women suffering from heart disease, diabetes, or obesity, must consult a doctor before starting with any new program of physical activity. This hold especially true for women aged 50 and above.

Physical Activity has Several Health Benefits for Women:

• A lesser risk of death from coronary heart disease
• A lesser risk of developing high blood pressure, colon cancer, and diabetes.
• Helps maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
• Helps control weight, build lean muscle, and reduce body fat.
• Helps control joint swelling and pain associated with arthritis.
• May contribute to the influence of estrogen replacement therapy in decreasing bone loss after menopause.
• Reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression and fosters improvements in mood and feelings of well-being.
• Can help reduce blood pressure in some women with hypertension.

In conclusion, it is important for all women to energize their lives with the added advantage of exercise. Don't let it be all about work and no play. Be physically active, enjoy your fitness routines, and watch the benefits follow!

By: Dr.Usha Kothari