May 10 – 16 is National Women’s Health Week

Women often put the needs of others before their own, leaving them with too little time for eating right or exercising. Spring is a great time to take a health break and enjoy the beautiful weather. Whether you prefer walking, running or biking, try exercising outdoors. In addition to burning calories, exercising in fresh air will feel exhilarating. To help balance your diet, choose a piece of fresh fruit rather than a sugary or salty snack. Fresh fruits and vegetables are extremely abundant (and very flavorful) this time of the year. During the month of May, take time for yourself and enjoy all that nature has provided! Listen to the May edition of the Georgia Wellcast to learn more about National Women's Health Week.

The annual observance of National Woman’s Health Week, coordinated by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office on Women’s Health (OWH), is now in its 10th year. The theme for this year’s observance is “It’s Your Time.” With many women juggling both work and family life; taking care of children, spouses and their parents, their own health needs are frequently overlooked. National Women's Health Week is an opportunity to empower women to take charge of their health.

The goal behind National Women’s Health Week is simple — help women learn how to improve their health for longer, happier, healthier lives. As indicated on the HHS Web site womenshealth.gov, to achieve better health include the following steps:

• Get at least 2 ½ hours of moderate physical activity such as a brisk walk or actively playing with children, or 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity such as jogging or singles tennis, or a combination of these types activities each week
• Eat a nutritious diet that consists of fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean protein such as skinless poultry
• Visit a health care professional for regular checkups and preventive screenings such pap tests, mammograms, mole checks and vision tests. Talk with your physician about which tests are right for you and how often you should have them
• Avoid harmful behaviors such as smoking, abusing alcohol and reckless driving
• Pay attention to your mental health — try to manage your stress and get enough sleep each night

A healthier lifestyle is good for you and will be good for your family. To find National Women’s Health Week events in your community, log onto womenshealth.gov/events.
For additional information on women’s health, please log onto georgiahealthinfo.gov and click on the Healthy Living tab as well as the Medical FAQs tab to learn more.