To celebrate Women’s Day 2025, let’s look at some positive habits and routines of healthy women. Whether you’re a teenager, in your 80s or somewhere in between, discover how making healthy choices can help you thrive and live your best life.
- Use positive coping and self-care strategies to nurture mental health. Let’s face it- life can be stressful at any age. We know that mental health not only impacts our physical wellness but also affects our emotional and social awareness, and many other important aspects of our lives. Coping and self-care strategies can look different for different people, but ultimately, they help you channel stress in a healthy manner by reducing or resolving the physiological reactions after a stressor. They help to complete the stress cycle to bring you back to a calm state. So whether it’s connecting with others, having some quiet time for meditation or breathing exercises, staying active or cultivating gratitude, the important thing is to adopt effective coping strategies to process stress in a healthy way. Here are some ways to cope with stress and nurture your mental health (if you often get irritated/mood swings/ depressed, click here to read more):
2. Regular exercise. Exercise impacts everything from strength, mobility and metabolism to mood, cognitive function and overall health. Make time to exercise and remember to include both cardio (aerobic) exercise as well as strength training into your exercise routine. Cardio exercise helps us maintain a healthy weight and healthy heart, prevents a host of diseases, boosts our mood and alleviates stress. Recent studies have shown that it can boost brain size (and memory) as well! Maintaining muscle mass becomes increasingly challenging as we age, but studies show that the stronger you are and the more muscle mass you have, the higher your chance of survivability and longevity. So, both cardio exercise and strength training are key. Staying active builds a strong foundation for a healthy future. Click here to learn how much exercise is needed for a longer, healthier life.
3. Hang out with people with similar values, who want nothing but the best for you in life. The people you surround yourself with have a critical influence on your energy, growth and mindset. They will eitherΒ make you a better version of yourselfΒ or a worse one, because energy and emotions are contagious. Happy people make you feel happier; unhappy people spawn negativity and sap your positive energy.
4. Prioritize sleep. Do you feel rested and ready for the day when you wake up? If the answer is no, you may not be getting enough restorative sleep, which is crucial for our bodies and minds to recharge, recover and repair. Not getting enough restorative sleep can affect your health, not to mention your ability to function during the day. Click here to learn tips for a more restful sleep.
5. Get regular check-ups. This allows your doctor to screen for conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, STIs, hormone imbalances and osteoporosis. Seeking help when symptoms arise is important, but prevention is always better than cure. If you are between 40 and 60, here are the health tests you should consider doing, according to longevity experts.
There are many more healthy habits of thriving women: Eating a healthful, balanced diet. Avoiding smoking/ vaping/ substance abuse. Prioritizing positive social interaction. Maintaining healthy relationships. Wearing sunblock. Can you add yours to the list? π
Dr. Ardyce Yik wishes everyone Happy Women’s Day! Working with women is a commitment to helping them thrive in every aspect of their lives. The unique physical, emotional and psychological challenges that women face require a compassionate and comprehensive approach that treats and nurtures the whole person rather than just treating isolated symptoms. Dr. Yik’s goal is to support you in restoring optimal health through personalized care and empowering you to live your healthiest in all stages of life.
SOURCES:
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/56/13/755
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/want-to-live-longer-and-better-do-strength-training
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3337929/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171113195024.htm
Dr. Ardyce Yik ND 