60% of adult women don’t get 30 minutes of exercise per day. Sadly, 25% of women don’t get any exercise at all.
If you clicked on this article, we know you’re in the minority when it comes to women’s fitness. You value your health, which is why you need these nine tips to stay fit and as a woman.
Ready to find out how to get and stay in the best shape ever?
- Stay Hydrated
The human body and brain are mostly made up of water. Your cells need water to function properly and protect vulnerable tissues. Water is also important for eliminating waste, maintaining internal body temperature, and lubricating your joints.
All women are different. That’s why your daily water requirements will vary. Age, weight, health status, sweat rate, climate, and how much you exercise will all contribute to how much water you need.
The US National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that women drink around 11.5 cups of water daily. That’s 2.7 liters of water, approximately 91.3 fluid ounces, or around five and a half 17-ounce water bottles per day.
- Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise is also known as cardio or cardiovascular exercise. These exercises include things like walking, jogging, running, and dancing. Cardio also includes activities like kickboxing and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
The current recommendation from the national Office On Women’s Health is that all women get at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity cardiovascular activity per week. Alternatively, shoot for 1.25 hours of high-intensity aerobic exercise per week.
Weekly cardio can help improve your heart health and even benefit your mental health. Studies also show that routine aerobic exercise can protect your brain and body against aging-related health declines.
- Get Your 8-Hours
Getting the proper amount of high-quality sleep is vital for your health. You need to sleep the right number of hours each night. But you also need to sleep well through the night, free of tossing and turning.
Not only does poor sleep cause decreased focus and memory but it also correlates with negative health outcomes like diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and even some cancers. People who consistently don’t sleep well are also at a higher risk of developing mood disorders like depression and anxiety.
Like hydration requirements, the amount of sleep an adult woman needs varies. In general, it’s recommended that adults receive at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
- Supplements
Supplements are an important part of any healthy adult’s fitness routine. Women, in particular, need to make sure they’re getting enough Calcium and Vitamin D. Women who are or who plan to become pregnant should focus on Folate supplementation, too.
A daily multivitamin can help you get all of these nutrients and more. For example, visit Sugar Bear Hair’s official website for a vegan multivitamin that is good for you as well as your hair and nails.
- Resistance Training
Resistance or weight training is often overlooked when it comes to women’s exercise routines. Yet, resistance training is critical to prevent your risk of injury, reduce age-related muscle loss, and even help you live longer.
Lifting weights is the most obvious example of strength training, but it’s not the only exercise you can try. As long as you’re moving weight (yes, even just your body weight) and progressively exerting more effort (lifting heavier weights or doing more repetitions), that’s resistance training.
The US Office On Women’s Health suggests devoting two days of your weekly exercise routine to strength training.
- Clean Up Your Diet
Healthy eating is important for keeping your waistline trim. Getting the proper nutrients into your diet also keeps you energized and can reduce the risk of diseases, especially as you age.
Here are the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ current eating guidelines for women:
- Three ounces of whole grains per day
- Three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy products or calcium-fortified dairy alternatives per day
- Five ounces of animal or plant-based proteins per day
- One and a half to two cups of fruit per day (excluding fruit juices with added sugars)
- Two to two and a half cups of veggies per day (without added salt)
These guidelines also suggest reducing added sugar, alcohol, and saturated fat to less than 10% of your daily caloric intake. That means cutting back on sweet drinks, processed baked goods, and fast food.
- Relaxation Exercises
Studies show that meditation has some serious benefits for your health. Practicing mindfulness reduces stress and anxiety, improves self-awareness, helps expand attention span and memory, and so much more.
Incorporate meditation and mindfulness exercises into your weekly routine. We recommend starting with ten minutes of meditation per day before progressing up to 30 minutes or more.
- Avoid Fad Diets
It’s estimated that 60%–80% of young women go on a diet. While some of these diets are medically prescribed and have health benefits, many of these women go on “fad diets.” Fad diets are plans that claim to provide rapid weight loss results.
Here’s the thing, though: fad diets may be doing you more harm than good. There is evidence to suggest that “yoyo dieting” (switching from one fad diet to the next) can actually lead to weight gain.
- Practice Self-Care
Self-care is a major buzz word these days. But self-care isn’t going on a shopping spree or booking an expensive facial. Instead, self-care is following all of these tips we’ve mentioned above.
Self-care is also about going to your routine medical checkups and dental appointments. It’s about booking a session with a counselor to talk through that stressful breakup.
Self-care is ultimately about caring for your mental, emotional, and physical health to keep you in the best shape of your life.
Women’s Fitness is About More Than Exercise
Women’s fitness isn’t all about weight training and cardiovascular exercise. It’s also about eating right, drinking enough water, and getting your eight hours. Caring for your fitness and health also means practicing mindfulness and self-care so you always feel like your best self.
Want more tips on staying fit and healthy as a woman? Then check out more of our articles on trending health and fitness topics just like this one!
