Promoting Exercise for Women's Health

Levels of fitness can be a great predictor of women's overall health.

Women who exercise regularly can see improvements in self-efficacy, the reduction of stress, and overall health.

Exercise interventions as short as 3-weeks have been shown to produce positive improvements in strength and body composition.

Prolonged exercise interventions have the possibility of lowering an individual's risk of cardiovascular disease.

In the age of technology, many professions require that the individual be sedentary for most, if not all, of their shift. Sedentary behavior can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, chronic back pain, and in many cases can be detrimental to one's health. As health professionals, it is important to promote physical activity for women at home as well as in the workplace. A simple 15-minutes stretch once a day can help to relieve psychological stress as well as tension in the muscles.

Exercise is extremely important in the discussion of women's health, because it can have a significant impact on the individual. A literature review titled "Strength Training for Women as a Vehicle for Health Promotion at Work" revealed that "even a slight to moderate amount of exercise can increase women's strength significantly in just a few months." Typically, those individuals who experienced strength gains also saw a reduction in the amount of pain they were experiencing. This finding is extremely important, because it reveals that exercise can significantly improve the overall health of women and their work environment.

Personal trainers should promote body-weight exercises for women's health, because of the accessibility and short-intervals. Overall, promoting exercise for women's health can lead individuals to be more motivated, have greater self-efficacy, and ultimately live a happier, healthier life.