Happy National Women's Health Week! | The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans LLC

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Did you know that it was National Women’s Health Week? Me either. I wish I had found this out for last weeks post. That’s okay though. It’s not too late to find out what it’s all about.

The government website gives this definition of National Women’s Health Week…..
National Women’s Health Week is a weeklong health observance coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health. It brings together communities, businesses, government, health organizations, and other groups in an effort to promote women’s health. The theme for 2012 is “It’s Your Time.” National Women’s Health Week empowers women to make their health a top priority. It also encourages women to take steps to improve their physical and mental health and lower their risks of certain diseases.

1. Visit a health care professional to receive regular checkups and preventive screenings.This one is pretty self explanatory. We all know that we should be getting yearly check ups and screenings appropriate for our age. How many of us actually do it though? I am guilty of being not very good with this.
2. Get active. We all know that an active lifestyle is a must for a fit and healthy life. There are so many ways to get active. Running, walking, biking, cardio workouts, strength training, zumba and yoga are just a sampling of the hundreds of things out there. The list goes on forever. Find which activites work best for you and do them.

3. Eat healthy.

This is something that I have really been trying hard to get right. Healthy eating is one of the most important things we can do for our bodies. Eating the right kinds of foods makes a huge difference in the way we feel. If you put in the right fuel, your body runs at it’s peak performance. Kind of like putting quality gas in your car. The website has a great section on healthy eating.
4. Pay attention to mental health.
Good mental health is an important part of a woman’s overall health. I admit that I never even considered a lot of the things they talk about on the website as being part of my mental health. A couple of the things they talk about are getting enough sleep and managing stress. I am the worst at getting enough sleep.
5. Avoid unhealthy behaviors.
How about smoking and not wearing a seatbelt or bicycle helmet. I can tell you from experience that quitting smoking is so hard, but so beneficial. I felt better within days and four years later, I can’t believe the difference in how I feel. If you are still smoking, they have a great section on how to quit.