When was the last time you visited a doctor for a checkup? Do you know what, if any, health risks run in your family? How often should you get a pap smear? Why, you ask, are we playing this game of Twenty Questions?
Now through Saturday, May 19th marks National Women’s Health Week, a wellness initiative coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and we think the mission behind this event is too critical for any woman to ignore.
“The truth is, being a healthy woman isn’t about getting on a scale or measuring your waistline—and we can’t afford to think that way,” says First Lady Michelle Obama in this essay she wrote for us in honor of National Women’s Health Week. “Instead, we need to start focusing on what matters—on how we feel, and how we feel about ourselves.”
We couldn’t agree more.
Take Control of Your Well-Being
Every day at Women’s Health we bring you the tips, workouts, nutrition plans, and health news to help you start—or stay—on a path to becoming happier, more physically fit, confident, and informed.
This week is no exception. In support of the 5 pillars of National Women’s Health Week, here are our best take-action tips for investing in your own wellness. Use them in, and for, good health.
1. Get Active
Bored with your fitness routine, or intimidated by the gym? Add these workouts to your routine:
Playground Workout: Moves that Make Exercise Fun Again
Team Up, Have More Fun: Partner Workout
Plus, get advice directly from a fitness icon: Tune into the Women’s Health Facebook page at 1pm (EST) this Friday, May 18th, for a live chat with trainer Jillian Michaels.
2. Eat Healthy
Sure, easy to say. Easier to do when you have specific ideas.
10 Foods, 40 Recipes
Cook Once, Eat for the Week
Need more structure?
7 Days of Flat-Belly Eating (a 1,500-calorie-per-day healthy eating plan; It’s printable!).
3. Pay Attention to Mental Health, Stress Management, and Sleep
We all need brain and body breaks. Keep these go-to strategies in your arsenal:
4 Mini Meditations to Boost Bliss
Natural Fixes for Low Energy
15 Ways to Help You Sleep Better
4. Avoid Smoking; Use Your Seat Belt; Wear a Bike Helmet
This is a must read: Your Body On. . . Smoking
Print this one and go: 101 Best Things You Can Do for Your Body
5. Get Preventative Screenings
Which screenings? Here’s a rundown of best stay-healthy strategies by decade:
How to Be Healthy at Every Age
Take the Pledge! Monday is National Women’s Checkup Day Are you in? All it takes is a phone call.
We’ll be tweeting out reminders to keep you on track, so be sure to follow @WomensHealthMag on Twitter, and let us know how you’re turning these tips into habits!
Photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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