5 tips for busy women to take charge of their health

Lifestyle Saturday 07/July/2018 17:49 PM
By: Times News Service
5 tips for busy women to take charge of their health

For most women chances are your busy lifestyle is preventing you from seeking out the regular check-ups and screenings so important to maintaining your health. And that's true regardless of your economic status or whether you live in a rural, urban or suburban area.
"Women today wear many hats — they're wives, mothers, caregivers, employees, business leaders and breadwinners, often at the same time," says Wendy Lund, CEO of leading communications agency, GCI Health. "Even when it feels like there are not enough hours in the day, we somehow manage to integrate everything in our lives to 'make it work' and accomplish insurmountable tasks. And this constant juggling can come at the cost of our own health."
If you're among those struggling to take good care of yourself because of other obligations, consider how these suggestions might help.
* Truth: You can't help others without caring for yourself. Why do emergency airline instructions tell you to attach your own oxygen mask first? Because you could otherwise pass out before helping others. That same principle applies to your general health; you must maintain your own energy and well-being so you can stay around to be an effective mom, wife, daughter, sister and/or friend.
* Take stress seriously. While not all stress is bad, long-term unrelieved stress can have major adverse effects on your health, reducing the effectiveness of your immune, digestive, sleep and reproductive systems. Recognise the risks, plan methods for fighting stress and carve out time for exercise, sleep, meditation, yoga and/or other remedies.
* Try online resources. An annual in-person physical is always recommended, but health issues in between check-ups can often be taken care of through online sites that diagnose issues through questionnaires or video chats — then prescribe medicine or other therapies without need of an office visit.
* Make exercise a no-brainer. As the saying goes, sitting is the new smoking. If you don't make daily movement of some sort a priority in your life (doctors recommend at least 150 minutes of brisk exercise per week) you're putting your physical and emotional health at substantial risk. Among other benefits, exercise can help prevent diabetes and heart disease while reducing stress, back pain, arthritis, asthma, and other common ailments.
* Set health care appointments well ahead. To secure the slots that work best with your schedule, call or go online way ahead of time so you have a wider range of options. Some clinics now offer evening or weekend hours to help those with demanding daytime jobs or roles. Planning ahead, and writing each appointment in ink on your family calendar, helps ensure you'll make your own care a priority even if your schedule ramps up.