National Women’s Health Week – Empowering Women to Prioritize Their Health
Scheduled to coincide with Mother’s Day each year, National Women’s Health Week is celebrated as a reminder to all women – whether they are mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, cousins, daughters, friends or colleagues – to take steps that can help them live healthier and happier lives.
Women typically fulfill multiple roles, one of which is usually devoted to taking care of everyone around them. All too often, they put their own health last. If you recognize yourself here, your generosity is truly admirable. But, consider this: you won’t be able to look after others very well if you don’t look after yourself. This means taking the time necessary to develop healthy habits and make positive lifestyle choices. In fact, research shows that when women take steps to improve their own health, the health of their family members improves as well.
To get started, here are some simple steps that you can take to enhance your overall well-being:
- See a physician for regular checkups and preventive screenings
- Get and stay active (shoot for a minimum of two and a half hours of moderate physical activity each week)
- Eat a nutritious diet
- Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight
- Get enough sleep
- Manage stress by taking time to relax and do things you enjoy
- Avoid unhealthy behaviors, such as using tobacco, drinking alcohol excessively, texting while driving, and not wearing a seatbelt or bicycle helmet
Some women find it easier to proceed gradually by choosing one or two of these steps to focus on initially. Then, after achieving success in those areas, they move on to other steps.
At Moffitt Cancer Center, we are dedicated to advancing women’s health and contributing to a healthy future for all women. As part of this commitment, we encourage all women to take the time to meet with a medical professional to discuss what they can do to take control of their health, including the cancer screening tests that are most appropriate for them, and when and how often they should have these tests. If you have questions, you can call 1-888-663-3488 or complete a new patient registration form online. We do not require referrals.
[INFOGRAPHIC]: Learn more about how to make your health a priority.