By – Neha Gupta (Certified Nutrition and Fitness Consultant)
Balancing the demands of career, family, social pressures to look good , a women passes through several milestones in her life. It is necessary that every woman makes sure to put her health above everything else. The coronavirus pandemic [1] is stressful in women in higher rates, facing health challenges such as -
(a) Increased burden from invisible illness,[2]
(b)Stresses of work ,family, kids, result in ignoring their own health.
FEW TIPS FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING HEALTH AND FITNESS ALL THROUGH YOUR LIFE:
1. Maintain A Healthy Weight :- Being overweight can significantly increase the risk of several chronic diseases and can reduce the quality of you life.[3]
2. Eat Well :- As women ensure that you get all the nutrients you need from the food you eat. Have a structured and well quantified diet consisting of carbohydrates ,protein ,fats, fibre – whole grains, meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, nuts, fruits etc. Have lots of green and leafy vegetables that our body needs as a fibre.
3. Importance Of protein :- Proteins are the building blocks of muscles, skin, enzymes, and hormones. So women should never ignore protein from their diet. Common recommendation is 0.8 – 1 gm per body weight, but it differs from person to person, body type, fitness and activity level, goal, etc.[4]
4. Exercise :- Resistance training is the tried and true workout that burns calories, build muscle and shed fat when you are resting too. Its beneficial for women in –
(a) Lose body fat,
(b) Burn calories,
(c) Decrease chances of osteoporosis,[5]
(d) Reduce risk of heart disease, etc.
So women should workout in gym or home workout, but lift to be fit.
5. Keep Hydrate:- Staying hydrated leads to healthy physical and mental functioning. Hydrating yourself is also crucial to weight loss because it will help you to stop binge eating.[6]
FEW IMPORTANT POINTS WOMEN GENERALLY IGNORES IN FITNESS JOURNEY :
1. Menstrual Cup And Hygiene :- Pads and tampons are highly bleached. It cause rashes, vaginal itches, infection and discomfort while doing exercise. Making a shift to a cup or reusable pads is good for health and environment too.[7]
2. Fitness And Sports Bra : – Sports bra is very much essential for women’s fitness. The ligaments and skin at the breast are delicate. Physical activity and repeated movement during workout can pull the skin and the ligament. This will result in soreness, pain and sagging of breast.[8]
3. Sleep:- Sleep is very important for women to get with all the busy schedules, cooking, household work, and running around they do. Insufficient sleep affects the mental and physical state of your body.[9]
4. Regular Checkups:- 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.[10]
Women Health and Fitness are two important aspects of life for ladies everywhere. No one can underestimate the benefits one can gain from eating right, exercising right, and the peace and harmony it brings to your mind and body. A little bit of care and effort towards yourself can be life-altering.
References:
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31389871/
[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15941897/
[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29615028/
[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18787524/
[7] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31324419/
[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24479370/
