This March is National Women’s Health Month—an entire four weeks focused on encouraging women to take care of themselves and their health. By following these eight tips, you can take steps toward improving your health and becoming the best version of yourself.
1. Drink lots of water.
Staying hydrated is key to maintaining good health. While there are many benefits to drinking lots of water (the recommended intake is eight to ten glasses a day—or slightly under two Stanley cups), three that I find the most important are that it flushes toxins, prevents headaches, and promotes healthy skin.
2. Adopt a healthy diet.
Incorporate healthy, whole foods into your lifestyle and avoid fad diets. By eating more fruits and vegetables and avoiding processed foods, your body will get the nutrients it needs while losing weight at the same time.
3. Take care of your skin.
Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and so a daily skincare routine is essential for good health. Proper skincare can prevent aging as well as various skin problems. Once your skin is damaged, it’s hard to revert it back, so make sure you wear sunscreen if you’re going to be in the sun and that you keep your skin moisturized.
4. Be active at least five days a week.
Exercise improves both physical and mental health. Whether you take an exercise class at the gym or go on a brisk walk around your neighborhood, aim to do at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Incorporating activity into your weekly routine will allow you to enjoy benefits such as reduced risk of heart attack, better moods, and lower blood pressure.
5. Stop stressing.
Your mental health affects your physical wellbeing, so keeping your stress levels down is crucial to living a healthier life. Find a relaxation technique that works for you—meditate, practice yoga, draw yourself a bubble bath. It’s important to take time to relax and get your mind off your daily stresses.
6. Get your annual checkups.
Early detection can prevent complications. Annual checkups are essential as they detect problems early on, allowing for a better chance of treatment. Even if you are a healthy woman, going to the doctor annually allows your doctor to spot any changes in your body in order to avoid future problems.
7. Get enough sleep.
Typically, you need eight hours a night to lower your stress levels. While everyone’s sleep needs differ, making sure you get enough sleep is essential for good health. This is because, during your sleep, your brain signals the body to release hormones that help decrease the risk for certain health conditions, strengthen your immune system, and retain memory.
8. Prioritize your mental health.
Mental health is very important to your overall life. Remember to enjoy the little things, slow down, and find ways to make self-care a priority.
CONTINUE YOUR LEARNING
For an in-depth resource on women’s health, check out Taking Care of You: The Empowered Woman's Guide to Better Health by Mary I. O’Connor, M.D., and Kanwal L. Haq, M.S.
A comprehensive guide for women of all ages and in all stages of life, each chapter contains questions these two medical experts suggest patients ask their clinicians, seeking to empower women to take charge of their health and positively impact the trajectory of their wellness.
Presented in short, focused, and easy-to-read chapters, the book covers more than 50 common clinical conditions affecting women and provides practical, holistic advice on what women can do to take better care of their physical and mental health.
