National Women's Health Week

This week is National Women's Health Week, and it is where millions of women take steps to improve their health. The week serves as a reminder for women to make their health a priority and build positive health habits for life. So how can women take better care of their health? There are five steps that women start doing:

Visit a health care provider for a well-woman visit (checkup), preventive screenings, and vaccines.
Get active. Being physically active is one of the most important steps you can take to get and stay healthy. Women of all ages and abilities benefit from getting active. Everyone should try to be active for at least 30 minutes every day. Physical activity, or exercise, will help you feel better and be healthier.
Eat healthy. The basics of healthy eating and proper nutrition are the same for women and men: Choose healthy foods most of the time and limit the number of unhealthy foods you eat. But women have some unique nutritional needs, especially in different stages of life. And healthy eating can be challenging to fit into your everyday life.
Pay attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress. Good mental health is essential to overall well-being. More than 1 in 5 women in the United States experienced a mental health condition in the past year, such as depression or anxiety.1 Many mental health conditions, such as depression and bipolar disorder, affect more women than men or affect women in different ways from men.2,3 Most mental severe health conditions cannot be cured. But they can be treated, so you can get better and live well. 4.
Practice safe behaviors, such as quitting smoking, not texting while driving, and taking steps to protect yourself from sexually transmitted infections.

It is so important to start this on a personal health journey and not having to hold off on your health. Make changes with your health today.

Reference:

1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2018). 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables. Table 8.2B (PDF, 36.1 MB).

2. SAMHSA. (2015). Behavioral Health Barometer: United States, 2014. HHS Publication No. SMA 15-4895. Rockville, MD: SAMHSA.

3. Riecher-Rössler, A. (2017). Sex and gender differences in mental disorders (link is external). Lancet Psychiatry; 4(1): 8–9.

4. National Institutes of Health (NIH). (2007). Information about Mental Illness and the Brain. Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, NIH Curriculum Supplement Series. Bethesda, MD: NIH.

5. https://www.womenshealth.gov/nwhw/about