Women’s Health Week takes place from Monday 2nd September to Sunday 8th September 2024. This year, the focus is on some of the biggest issues in women’s health, under the banner of:
‘Your voice. Your choice’
There are health conditions and stages of life that women experience differently to men such as breast cancer; and the physical and hormonal effects of pregnancy, post-natal and menopause. As fantastic as we know how exercise can be for overall health indicators, barriers to women being active are wide ranging: injury, post-partum factors including incontinence, low self-esteem, stigma to participate in sport or exercise, and commitments to work and raising a family.
Only 1 in 2 women aged 18-64, are both sufficiently active (aerobic training) and meeting the muscle strengthening guidelines. We all know that to be happy, healthy and reduce the burden of injury and chronic disease, exercise can play an important role for Australian women. Here is a great, varying range of health benefits for women who exercise:
· Protect mental health – manage depression and anxiety, with a positive effect on mood and overall mental health.
· A longer and healthy life – improves quality time with loved ones.
· Support ageing – improve bone health and reduce risk of bone fractures related to osteoporosis as we age.
· Prevent chronic disease – reduce risk of developing cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and diabetes.
Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs) are university qualified professionals equipped with the knowledge to design safe and effective exercise programs for women living with, or at risk of developing chronic health conditions; and even those women who are looking to exercise after a long break or even exercising for the first time.
At Physio Connex our AEPs can assist you in the management of a variety of chronic conditions:
· Cardiovascular (heart) disease
· Post-operative rehabilitation
· Diabetes
· Cancer
Thorough evidence-based pre-screening and relevant fitness testing is conducted onsite at our state-of-the-art functional rehabilitation facility to gain an understanding of all the health conditions you are living with, how they impact your life and your current level of fitness. It may be recommended to start with supervised sessions at our facility under the experienced eye of our Accredited Exercise Physiologists, Nathan Walker or Scott Howard, or your program can be designed to be performed from home. We utilise a free exercise software program called Physitrack, which can be downloaded to your smart phone or tablet, which gives you the ability to message your therapist directly with feedback about your exercises.
If you want to exercise or know a woman in your life who does but aren’t sure how to get started, please book in with one of our AEP’s today. They can help show you how to exercise at a safe and appropriate intensity to start enjoying the physical, mental and emotional benefits.
Resources/further reading:
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-data/health-conditions-disability-deaths/chronic-disease/overview
Women’s Health Week 2024 Topics — The Physio Space
