Category: women’s health

Empowering Older Women Through Strength Training

June 20, 2025

Many older women don’t participate in strength training, and the reasons are many: lack of awareness, outdated fitness advice, fear of injury, or simply not knowing where to start. But the science is clear. Strength training is one of the most effective ways to maintain health, independence, and vitality as we age.

Here Are Some Key Insights

  • Muscle loss begins around age 35. Women tend to reach critical levels of strength loss earlier than men due to lower peak muscle mass.
  • Strength training can reverse or slow declines in bone density, muscle mass, and metabolic health. Benefits that cardio alone can’t match.
  • Despite these benefits, adherence is a major challenge. Many women don’t stick with programs long enough to see results, or they don’t know how to modify workouts safely for their age or fitness level.
  • For women who were less active earlier in life, starting strength training later is still incredibly beneficial, though it may require more personalized guidance.

Information Source: Now.tufts.edu, Flippingfifty.com, and Girlsgonestrong.com

Menopause and Pelvic Floor Health: The Role of Kegel Exercises

August 8, 2024

Unless you’re doing Kegels or Pilates, chances are you may be neglecting to exercise the pelvic floor muscles. Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic floor and are prescribed by ob-gyns to prevent urinary incontinence during pregnancy and beyond.

Developing a strong pelvic floor is also important for menopausal women. As estrogen and progesterone levels decrease during menopause, the pelvic floor muscles may become weaker and less elastic, leading to the possibility of urinary incontinence.

“Menopause can introduce lots of changes to your body, but one of the most challenging is the weakening of your pelvic floor: the muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues that support the organs in your pelvis. When the pelvic floor weakens, it can cause symptoms ranging from incontinence or prolapse to intimacy problems and more.”

Read the full article from EverydayHealth.com.

Healthy Eating and Anti-Aging: The Sugar Connection

July 30, 2024

A recent study appearing the the journal JAMA Network Open found that middle-aged women eating a healthy diet had ‘younger-looking ‘ cells than women who consume processed foods high in added sugar.

Added sugars are sugars that are added to food during production, rather than natural sugars present in fruits, vegetables and dairy. The study concluded that excessive intake of added sugars limits healthy longevity.

Cutting the sugary goodies from your diet improves the odds of not only living longer, but living longer and healthier.

Read the entire article from July 30, 2024 LiveScience.com.

Understanding Menopause: Symptoms and Solutions for Women

July 22, 2024

The following article was published on July 16, 2024 in Prevention Magazine. The author outlines topics of concern to women reaching menopause: defining menopause and perimenopause, common symptoms, cessation of birth control, vulnerability to developing health issues, and hormone therapy.

“After centuries of the topic being taboo, celebrities, tech entrepreneurs, and women wherever they gather are talking about menopause. But there’s still confusion, especially about how to deal with the symptoms”.

51 is the average age for the onset of menopause for American women .

Read the entire Prevention.com article, Your Most Pressing Menopause Questions, Answered By Doctors.

Carmen Dell’Orefice 94: The Timeless Supermodel

July 19, 2024

Carmen Dell’Orefice, supermodel and actress was born in 1931 in New York City. Her professional modeling career began in 1946 when she appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine at the age of 15. She’s been described as elegant, graceful and inspiring.

She is known in the fashion industry as the world’s oldest working supermodel. She is quoted in the Tampa Bay Times as saying “I am trying to set an example for young women and say you don’t have to become old and decaying, that they should keep on working on themselves until the day they die”.

You Tube Video: At 94, She Looks 55/Secrets of Youth – Carmen Dell’Orefice

Top Exercise Tips for Women Over 55

July 16, 2024

This article published by JohnsHopkinsMedicine.org, offers sound advice to older women who want to get and remain physically fit as they age. It covers what types of exercises are suitable, types of exercise related injuries and how to prevent them, pain management, and finding your way.

“Staying active is a big factor in healthy aging for women. Regular exercise can help lower the risk of chronic disease, prevent falls and ward off the weight gain and loss of bone and muscle mass associated with menopause”.

The article was written by Alexis Coslick, a sports medicine and rehab expert at Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center.

Read the entire article here.