National Women’s Health and Fitness Day is September 28

Even though breast cancer awareness month is in October, the focus on women’s health begins earlier than that.

Sept. 28 is National Women’s Health and Fitness Day, which was established in 2002 to promote physical fitness and health awareness among women of all ages.

“Women’s health has come a long way thanks to technology,” said Paul Korth, Cookeville Regional CEO. “It’s due to technological advances that we have the ability to pick up cancer in its early stages.”

The history of women’s health and fitness has been a complicated one plagued by superstition and conjectures. Childbirth and physical fitness have been considered taboo in certain societies for centuries.

One example is the use of corsets between the 1500s and early 1900s. They were a vital part of women’s fashion in Europe and America. However, corsets have been known to cause the weakening of pectoral muscles and, in extreme circumstances, fainting.

In the 1930s, women were encouraged to work out at home because sweating in public was considered unseemly. However, a decade later, women took to the gyms, which were called “Reducing salons” at the time because it was more important to lose weight than to keep fit.

So what are the most important issues affecting women’s health?

According to the World Health Organization, the main issues regarding women’s health are cancer, reproductive health, maternal health, HIV, sexually transmitted infections, violence, mental health and non-communicable diseases.

How should one observe National Women’s Health and Fitness Day?

Schedule a doctor’s appointment. Routine medical checkups should not be performed after contracting an illness. Make time to schedule your appointment and get tests done.

Mammograms and PAP smears are the two most important tests women need to get done.

After all, prevention is better than cure.

Make a commitment to live a healthier life every day. Join a gym and establish a regular workout routine.

Be more health conscious. Analyze your diet. Make sure you’re getting the recommended daily allotment of nutrients.

It also helps to be more aware of how your body functions and looks.

Get a massage. Take time to yourself to relax and release the stress you have built up from daily life.

To find a primary care physician or OB/GYN, visit crmchealth.org and use the “Find a doctor” tool.