According to an Australian study of 7,281 subjects, women have unique reasons for life that can derail workouts. These include the birth of a child, marriage, single parenthood, a new job, divorce, overwork, job stress, and going back to school. Time is a big consideration. After a day of work and childcare, most women prefer to spend their free time socializing with family and friends, reading and watching television, rather than running on the treadmill.
It’s hard being a girl!
The fact is that exercise has unique benefits for women. Regular exercise lowers estrogen levels, reduces body fat, and produces a healthier body mass index (BMI), all of which significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer, especially in postmenopausal women. In a study of 173 overweight, sedentary postmenopausal women, researchers had half of the women do aerobic exercise for 45 minutes, 5 days a week, and the other half do weekly stretching. Since fat cells produce estrogen, losing fat reduces estrogen. The result: a lower risk of breast cancer. A survey of women, some with breast cancer, found that women who exercised more, did more chores and had a physically demanding job were 26% less likely to develop cancer before menopause. They were also 19% less likely to develop postmenopausal cancer than sedentary women.
Strength training, in particular, has several benefits. When 27 menopausal women lifted weights for 8 weeks in a strength-training program at Richard Stockton College in New Jersey, 33% had increased energy and sexual desire. Additionally, 40% felt less anxious and 50% reported less pain, stiffness and irritability. Hot flashes, headaches, and painful intercourse decreased. (Some authorities believe that daily multivitamins contain iron, which may make up for the monthly loss of iron during the menstrual period.) As women age, weight training becomes more important.
For women, it is important to perceive physical condition as something positive and favorable. Women who perceive themselves as having more energy, fewer emotional problems, less pain, fewer social problems, and fewer feelings of nervousness and depression are more likely to start exercising. Also, women are more likely to continue exercising if they believe they have more energy, fewer emotional problems, excellent health, and less pain.
When beginning an exercise program, it is important to remember a few basic principles:
Get the right exercise routines.
Ideally, you want a routine that you can print out, take to the gym, or use at home. You must include an initial and final image of the exercises, along with a description of the technique. Such exercise charts are available at gyms and can be found on various websites such as the one mentioned in the resource box. Always get a routine from a trusted source and ask questions if you don’t understand anything.
Start with moderate exercise.
The latest recommendations focus on moderate levels of activity aimed at achieving functional fitness and avoiding disease. This differs from previous guidelines that emphasized high-intensity activity for cardiovascular fitness. This change took place because research found that lower levels of activity offered substantial health benefits. Additionally, public health experts believe that focusing on moderate rather than vigorous activity can help motivate more people. These guidelines do not mean that high-intensity exercise isn’t helpful. They simply offer an alternative route for people who prefer less intensive workouts. If time is a factor, you can opt for more vigorous exercises and shorten the duration of your workout.
What is moderate?
Because the same activity causes different levels of exertion for people with different fitness levels, the best way to recognize how hard you’re working is to be aware of your breathing pattern, heart rate, and exertion levels. Moderate-intensity activity will make you breathe harder than light activity, make your heart beat faster, and probably make you sweat a little.
How difficult is moderate?
Very light exercise results in no perceptible exertion. Reading the newspaper is a good example. Light exercise results in noticeable exertion and normal to slightly increased respiration. Walking a dog can be considered light exercise for many people. Moderate exercise is (surprise, surprise) moderately vigorous. Gardening, for example, may be associated with deeper breathing, panting, and sweating. Finally, hard exercise involves vigorous exertion, panting, and profuse sweating. Think about that aerobics class that’s hard to pass!
Source: Adapted from Exercise: A Program You Can Live With, Harvard Health Publications, February 2002.
How much exercise is needed?
3-4 days a week of moderate exercise for 30-45 minutes each time. Researchers have found that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week can reduce the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and colon cancer. It reduces feelings of depression and anxiety, helps build bones and muscles, maintains proper joint function and, in older women, minimizes the risk of falls.
How to find the time?
You don’t have to include all of your exercise in one session or limit yourself to just one exercise. For example, take a 15-minute brisk walk during your coffee break and another after dinner. Ride a bike for 15 to 20 minutes. It all adds up. You may find that you can reach an hour a day of moderate-intensity activity more easily than you thought.
If you haven’t exercised much lately, start adding physical activity to your life with a few simple tips. Park your car further from your destination and walk. Find a group of friends to walk on weekend mornings. Garden or help with home repairs. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Use hand weights while walking. Vacuum while you watch TV. Every little bit helps!