Top 3 Health Resolutions for Women
Saturday, December 31, 2011
With the start of a new year just around the corner, many women find themselves vowing to adopt a healthier lifestyle in 2012, whether it’s losing weight, joining a gym or quitting smoking. While these New Year’s resolutions offer significant health benefits, physicians with the Women’s Medicine Collaborative say there are other health-related goals that women should also consider in their resolve to stay well in 2012 and beyond.
“When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, some women tend to focus on the things they want to stop or lose and they may not think about the other positive changes they can make to improve their health, not just in the short term but in the long run as well,” says Iris Tong, M.D., a primary care physician with the Women’s Medicine Collaborative.
Following are Tong’s recommendations for the top three healthy New Year’s resolutions every women should make:
New Year’s Resolution #1: Know your numbers
It’s been said before – cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. But how many women know whether their blood pressure is in normal range or could tell a health care provider what their cholesterol levels are? Tong says knowing and understanding one’s “numbers” – particularly blood pressure and cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL and triglycerides) – will help women have a more productive discussion with their physicians about their heart health.
“It’s more than just going for the recommended lab work; you can’t control high blood pressure or high cholesterol or track your progress if you don’t know what your results are or what they mean,” she says. “Women need to be proactive. Ask your physician whether your results are in the normal range, and if they’re not, ask what lifestyle changes you can make to manage your levels and reduce your risk for a heart attack or stroke.”
And don’t forget about blood sugar levels. According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 79 million people in the United States who have “pre-diabetes” – blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Left untreated, this condition is likely to become type 2 diabetes, but certain lifestyle changes like weight loss and exercise can prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes by more than half. For women with risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, a history of gestational diabetes or family history of diabetes, Tong recommends a blood test called a Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), “which reflects a person’s average blood sugar level over the past 3 months.”
New Year’s Resolution #2: Be creative about physical activity
Becoming more active is always a healthy goal, Tong says, especially when women remember there are other ways to get exercise besides hitting the gym each day or going for a five-mile run. With a little creative thinking, women can easily fit in fitness and experience the health benefits of being physically active.
“We know women have a lot of demands placed on them, whether it’s their careers or caring for their children or parents, so squeezing in the recommended 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day can be challenging,” Tong says. “But with a little planning and creativity, you can add more physical activity to your day by sneaking it in to your other daily activities.”
Most women have heard about parking as far as possible in a parking lot or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. In addition, Tong also suggests:
- Go for a quick 10 to 15 minute walk on your lunch break.
- Take the stairs instead of using the elevator at work.
- Involve your children. Challenge your child to a jumping jacks contest or dance with your toddler to your favorite music.
- Behind on housework? Scrubbing the bathroom, vacuuming or running up and down the stairs to put the laundry away can actually burn significant calories. Put on some music and keep up with the tempo.
- Have to run errands at the mall? Do several laps around the length of the mall while you are there.
- Catching up with an old friend? Take a walk while you’re talking on the phone.
New Year’s Resolution #3: Add a bone density scan and colonoscopy to your routine health screenings.
In addition to regular mammograms and Pap smears – and “knowing your numbers” – Tong says it’s important for women to remember their bone and colorectal health as well.
According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, it is estimated that about half of all women over the age of 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis, a condition in which the bones become weak and can break more easily. That’s why it is recommended that most women start getting screened for osteoporosis with a bone density test at age 65.
“Many women with osteoporosis may not experience any symptoms or know their bones are getting weaker,” says Tong. “That’s why early identification is so important, because there are many things women can do to boost their bone strength and delay the progression of osteoporosis, such as getting appropriate amounts of calcium and vitamin D each day and doing regular weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, yoga, stair climbing, and dancing.”
Many women would be surprised to learn that of cancers affecting both men and women, colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon and rectum) is the second leading cancer killer in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that as many as 60 percent of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented if all men and women age 50 and older were screened routinely. Unfortunately, many people shy away from the main screening tool – a colonoscopy – because the test is unpleasant and uncomfortable.
“The reality is that colonoscopies can save lives,” Tong says. “With colorectal cancer, most patients have no symptoms until the cancer has progressed. Colonoscopies not only find precancerous polyps that can be removed before they turn into cancer, but they can also help identify and diagnose colorectal cancer early, when we know treatment works best.”
Physicians recommend that adults begin screening for colorectal cancer soon after turning 50 then continue getting screened at regular intervals, unless there are other risk factors for colorectal cancer, such as a family history or a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease, for which earlier testing may be advised.
For more health coverage, stay tuned in the New Year to GoLocalTV fresh every day at 4pm and on demand 24/7, here.
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