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Women's Health
Womens Health Articles
Women's Health
By Brian Gokey, CFT, BSMET
Women’s Health
Women have specific health related issues that are different from men. To say that women
have the same requirements as men to have a healthy life would be providing a great disservice to women. This article is directed
to a few areas where women’s health needs are different from men’s. More information on women’s health can be found in the articles
section of women’s health.
Fluids
The average woman looses 2.5 percent of total body water per day. Let’s face it, women lead
busy lives and with all the running around, going to the gym, picking up the kids, shopping, and working, the water loss per day can
be more than “average”. It is crucial that women replenish the water that is lost during the day to maintain good health. The normal
recommendation of water intake for men and women is eight to twelve glasses of water per day. That can be a little misleading. So
for women we recommend taking your body weight and multiplying by .6. The resultant number is the approximate ounces of water you
should drink each day. This is considering an active lifestyle. An example for a woman weighing 110 lbs would be:
110 lbs x .6
= 66 ounces water per day
Note: Notice soft drinks were not included in this discussion on fluids. These drinks are detrimental
to any person’s health and should be avoided.
Rest
The amount of sleep needed is dependant on the individual’s current schedule, personal preferences, and level of daily stress. It would be fair to say that women have their fair share of stress each day; and all the evidence from current studies suggest that women need at least eight or more hours of sleep a night. During times of high physical or mental stress a woman may require closer to nine hours of sleep a night.
continued below.....Calcium
While calcium is often linked to bone health and its importance to optimal bone health cannot be over-emphasized, there
are other important functions for calcium during a woman’s life. Calcium helps the body by aiding muscle contraction and relaxation,
blood coagulation, and nerve impulse transmission. Unfortunately, approximately 75% of American women do not obtain the recommended
amount of calcium in their diet to help maintain healthy bone structure. The average woman’s bone mass reaches maximum density somewhere
between the ages of 25 and 35. At age 35 it begins to decrease, picking up speed during the first five years following menopause.
Although the consequences of osteoporosis are more evident in postmenopausal women loss of bone density actually begins in the perimenopausal
years. Recommended intake varies by age but calcium remains essential throughout every stage of life. Teenagers, young women, and
post-menopausal women in particular are consuming far less calcium than is healthy … and less than their bodies’ needs.
Fitness
and Exercise
To have optimal health women need to get exercise. Most women are not interesting in being bodybuilders so this makes
the workout routines for women a little easier. A good workout regimen would consist of thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise
(cardio) and thirty minutes of strength training. The cardio portion can be walking, running, cycling, treadmill, elliptical, or anything
that will keep the heart rate elevated for at least thirty minutes. The strength portion will tone your muscles. You should ensure
that you are working all the main muscle groups in two to three sets each of a weight that will allow you to safely complete 10-15
repetitions. This type of workout is recommended three times per week for optimum health.
More information on Women’s Health
You
can find more Women’s Health information in the Health articles section of www.wellness4everyone.com.
