New Year, New You, New Health Goals
Every year, people make New Year’s resolutions that they break in a matter of days, weeks, or – if they are lucky – months. The physicians at Athens ObGyn aren’t asking you to make resolutions, but we would like to talk to you about some goals that are vital for women’s health. Goals are targets that you can aim to reach, but they shouldn’t be restrictive or absolute. Health goals should have one objective: helping you become the healthiest, best you that you can be.
Learning more about a healthy diet gets your new goals off to a good start
If you resolve to lose weight quickly on a fad diet, you will probably fail. Instead, learn more about healthy eating, nutrition and weight management. Make small changes instead of drastic steps. Go to www.choosemyplate.gov for more information about the five food groups and how to eat right.
Start to incorporate physical activity into your daily life, and you will feel the rewards
Women’s health resolutions often involve exercise, but the mistake many people make is trying to do too much, too soon. It’s better to start out slowly, adding activities and increasing the duration over time. When setting your health goals, you should aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise, like walking or biking, each week. Don’t forget to add a couple of sessions of strength training, with activities like yoga or simple exercises such as push-ups and lunges. Exercise has several benefits.
- Weight control
- Maintains and builds stronger bones
- Increases women’s energy
- Adds muscle strength and flexibility
- Helps with mental health by reducing stress, improving sleep and helping to relieve anxiety and depression
Mental health issues are a crucial part of women’s health
Remember to consider your mental health when creating your health goals. Your mental health affects your physical health. When you have untreated issues, it can affect your life in several ways.
- Sleep issues
- Physical problems such as stomach pain
- Difficulty concentrating
- Lack of energy
Mental health concerns can also cause problems such as substance abuse; difficulties at work, home or school; and risky behaviors, such as having unprotected sex or sex without birth control.
Our physicians are here to talk to you about your mental health. Don’t hesitate to discuss any problems you are having regarding any aspect of women’s health. Our caring staff supplies total confidentiality. This also applies to anything involving sexual health. We treat sexual dysfunction, low sex drive and pain during sex.
The physicians at Athens ObGyn want to help you with your health goals
We hope one of your new health goals is scheduling an annual well-woman exam with our staff. Preventive care is a vital part of women’s health. Contact us to schedule an appointment.
