Women'S Health & Physical Fitness

Course overview

As many as 50 million Americans live sedentary lives, with no regular exercise program or routine. Half of these Americans are women. These individuals risk their health and increase their chances of premature death by failing to do something as simple as walking for 30 minutes every day. Women experience certain health challenges and stage-of-life issues that affect their choices when it comes to exercise and physical activity. Breast cancer, endometriosis, and osteoporosis are a few illnesses exclusive to women that are influenced by a woman?s exercise and physical activity choices, among other lifestyle factors. For example, women who are very fit have been found to be 55 percent less likely to die from breast cancer than women who are not in good shape. Pregnancy and post-menopause are stages of life in which exercise and physical activity choices and decisions may be different from those made by the general adult population. Exercise routines can help keep both the mother-to-be and the developing baby healthy, and reduce some of the difficulties and pain of labor and delivery. Exercise choices can help post-menopausal women reduce their risk of falls and with it, risk of broken bones, and can actually help strengthen bones and increase bone density. This health update, Women?s Health & Physical Fitness, focuses on the factors influencing exercise and physical activity decisions women need to make at various stages of the life cycle. It looks at the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, published by the Department of Health and Human Services; the first guidelines for Americans that suggest actual minutes of physical activity needed to achieve certain health goals. It examines the scientific evidence linking risk of certain illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes, depression, cognitive decline and others with specific physical activity benchmarks. It discusses the unique physical activity needs of women during pregnancy and the post-partum phase of pregnancy, and during the menopausal and post-menopausal years. It outlines specific physical activity steps that women of all ages and stages of life can take to reduce their risk of illness and enhance their likelihood of living a long, healthy, and productive life. In addition to cardiovascular activity, this health update also reviews the benefits of stretching (flexibility exercises), and strength training, as well as exercises to help improve balance. Healthcare professionals will benefit from enhanced data-based knowledge of the benefits of physical activity to women of all ages. This course will enable healthcare professionals to recommend to their female clients ways of improving their health by adding certain exercises and physical activity routines to their daily lives.