How to Be a Healthy Woman (4 Steps)

Healthy women who work out are not just physically fit. They are happier, more energized, more productive, less stressed, less fatigued, and less susceptible to injury and premature death. It just happens that their workouts play an integral role in their well-being. Regardless of your age, when you include cardiovascular exercise, strength training, stretching, core and balance work in your weekly workouts, you will have a balanced training approach that will help you realize healthy results.

Tips

1. Carve out 150 minutes each week for some type of cardiovascular exercise such as walking, running, cycling or climbing stairs. Meet this American College of Sports Medicine recommendation by either doing one continuous session of aerobic exercise or multiple shorter sessions of at least 10 minutes each, spread throughout the week. Some gyms and communities offer women-only aerobics classes, and some exercise classes for seniors are actually covered by insurance.

2. Do at least eight to 12 repetitions of resistance exercises that target each of your major muscle groups. If you are older or have never exercised before, choose very light weights to begin. Resistance training is particularly beneficial for women because it improves bone density throughout life and helps prevent osteoporosis-related fractures in postmenopausal women.

3. Do core exercises such as abdominal crunches or planks at least two to three days each week to strengthen the muscles of your abdomen, lower back and pelvis, and to improve your balance. You can further improve your balance by doing everyday activities, such as talking on the phone or brushing your teeth, while standing on one foot. While balance exercises are important at all ages, they are especially important as women age because of age-related balance deterioration and increased risk of falling.

4. Include stretching in your workouts two to three days each week after your muscles are warm. Hold each stretch 10 to 30 seconds and repeat two to four times. Stretching improves your range of motion, promotes better posture, and helps relieve stress. Improved posture can help strengthen core and back muscles, too. Incorporate stretching in your workouts after each cardiovascular session.