Reasons why exercise is powerful for women’s health

Health by Exercise Right

It’s Women’s Health Week, and we want to remind Jamaican women that exercise is powerful stuff for their physical and mental health. Physical activity a vital for keeping you happy, healthy and strong.

BENEFITS OF EXERCISE FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH

The value of exercise cannot be overstated when it comes to women’s health. Here are five reasons to make exercise a priority in your life:

1. IT REDUCES YOUR RISK OF DEMENTIA

Dementia is the single biggest killer of Australian Women. A recent report released by the World Health Organisation suggested that exercise is one of the most powerful tools in reducing your risk of developing this debilitating condition.

2. IT’S GREAT FOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

Exercise is beneficial for those trying to fall pregnant, as well as during and after pregnancy. Being active and living a healthy lifestyle helps to manage your weight, and those who are a health weight have less difficulty conceiving.

Exercise, when prescribed by a qualified professional, is both safe and beneficial during pregnancy. In fact, research has shown mothers who exercise during pregnancy are less likely to have overweight children. Babies born to active mothers also develop better motor skills.

3. IT REDUCES YOUR RISK OF BREAST CANCER

It’s estimated that almost 20,000 women worldwide will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023. Want to reduce your risk of becoming a statistic? Move more! There’s strong evidence that being insufficiently inactive increases your risk of developing breast cancer.

4. IT IMPROVES YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

Exercise also improves mental health and helps to protect women from conditions like anxiety and depression.

Currently in Jamaica, as many as 1 in 5 women will experience anxiety in their lifetime. Being active serves as a powerful tool for both preventing and managing symptoms associated with this condition.

5. IT PROTECTS AGAINST CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects over half a million Jamaican women each year, and killed over 22,000 women in 2015. Despite these scary statistics, CVD is mostly preventable through a healthy lifestyle – including regular physical activity.