Families and everyone in the U.S. took time from their regular schedules to celebrate mothers around the world this past Sunday. It cannot be more timely for the Office on Women’s Health at the Department of Health and Human Services to celebrate this year’s Women’s Health Week. This week is National Women’s Health Week as of Sunday, May 8th through May 14th.
According to the notice of observance, National Women’s Health Week is a time to encourage women to make their health a priority. It also serves as a time to help women understand what steps they can take to live healthier, happier lives at every age. Here are some suggestions to help guide you through your National Women’s Health Week:
- Visit a physician or nurse this week and arrange for preventive screenings.
- Become active by taking 30-minute walks every day this week.
- Prepare healthy meals this week by including more vegetables and fruits. Drink more water.
- Pay attention to your mental health this week. Get enough sleep and avoid stress. Try taking 10-minute naps if you can.
- Avoid unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, texting while driving, not wearing your seatbelt and not wearing your bicycle or motorcycle helmet.
We want to help you understand what steps you can take for better health at any age. Your health needs tend to change as you age. Whether you are in your twenties or your nineties, the Office on Women’s Health (OWH) has information to help you learn what you can do to improve your overall well-being. http://womenshealth.gov/nwhw/by-age/. Age is nothing but a number; you are never too young or too old to take steps toward a better health. http://go.usa.gov/czY7J.
Challenge yourself this week to be your “healthiest you” during this National Women’s Health Week! Try taking the pledge by visiting http://go.usa.gov/czY7m. Here is your calendar for the remainder of the week. Share these messages with your FaceBook friends:
Tuesday, May 10: Get Active – Ready, set, get active! Whether you like to run, walk, or dance, pledge to get moving today. Your body will thank you. http://go.usa.gov/czYeH
Wednesday, May 11: Healthy Eating – Building healthy eating habits doesn’t happen overnight. Pledge to pick ONE change you can make today. Try swapping soda for water or white bread for whole-grain bread. http://go.usa.gov/czYJw
Thursday, May 12: Pay Attention to Mental Health – We all need a little help sometimes. Pledge to talk to your doctor about stress, depression, and any other mental health concerns you may have. http://go.usa.gov/czYJe
Friday, May 13: Avoid Unhealthy Behaviors – Five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting. When traveling at 55mph, that’s enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded. Whoa. http://go.usa.gov/czYSx
Saturday, May 14: Wrap Up – It may be the last day of National Women’s Health Week, but it’s not too late to learn what you can do to be healthy at any age. http://go.usa.gov/czYSj
Enjoy the rest of your National Women’s Health Week and Happy National Women’s Health Week!