By Lee-Ann Watanabe, Wellness Educator
Women’s Health & Fitness Day is the nation’s largest annual health promotion event for women of all ages. This year’s event is set for Wednesday, September 25, 2019.
Today’s woman can sometimes be described as Superwoman. We live longer than men. We lead by example, juggling it all with a smile. Yes, today’s woman is indeed SUPER; but, despite this great news, a woman’s demand in today’s busy, technology-driven society is leading to an increased obesity risk; poor mental health and lack of quality sleep.
Obesity
For working women it may be difficult to maintain personal and professional life leading to various health problems including obesity. Obesity can be linked to irregular meal time, unhealthy food choices, continuous sitting and lack of exercise. In addition, obesity can cause health issues like hypertension, improper cholesterol levels, heart diseases etc.
SuperWOMAN Solution:
Stay active and eat wisely. The human body is made to move, yet so many of our daily activities keep us from doing just that: driving, working at the computer, watching television. People of all ages and body types benefit from physical activity so be sure to include at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily. And don’t forget your nutrition; unfortunately exercise alone isn’t enough! A healthy diet goes hand-in-hand with an active lifestyle for avoiding weight gain. Eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains; drinking plenty of water and avoiding too much alcohol, soda and other sugary drinks while replacing fats with lean protein is the way to go!
Depression
Workplace demand has often resulted into workplace overload. Task deadline in office, office conflict, and long working hours often lead to depression. This may lead to mental disorders and addiction to unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking and overeating.
SuperWOMAN Solution:
Stress management is one of the best solutions to reduce depression at the workplace. If you find yourself feeling anxious or overwhelmed at work, take a break and take a brisk walk around the block. It will get you re-focused and help you blow off some steam. Any type of exercise can help to shake off the stress, so get up and get moving.
Poor Sleep
Reduced quality of sleep can eventually lead to health consequences that affect your entire body. Without enough sleep, your brain and body systems won’t function normally. Tossing and turning or getting up several times during the night prevents the body from healing itself and restoring your chemical balance.
SuperWOMAN Solution:
We begin to feel sleepy when our body temperature drops. You can enhance this effect by taking a warm bath or shower prior to bed. The contrast between the warm bath or shower and your cool bedroom environment will help with sleep onset.
“A Superwoman isn’t a woman who can do anything, but a woman who avoids doing too much.”
— Shirley Conran
WYAO Hawaii is designed to support companies in the shift from an ‘activity-based’ wellness program to a thriving, integrated results-oriented wellness system. We are grounded in a nationally recognized and research-based model to assist companies through a seven-step sequence toward Workplace Wellness Success.
