Health Advice for Women: Tips You Need to Follow

There are a lot of different opinions and advice floating around on the internet on what’s healthy and what isn’t and how we should live our lives. Ultimately, you have to do what you think is best for you, however, there are some basic, simple health tips for women that are pretty important and should always be incorporated into your life.

  1. Don’t skip your checkups. Medical exams, especially that super fun annual well-woman exam, are things that we all probably try to avoid when we can. While regular checkups are uncomfortable and can often seem unnecessary, it’s very important that you go to them. As we age, we become more susceptible to things like breast cancer and cervical cancer. That’s why well-woman exams are so important. If something is wrong, your doctor can catch it early and treat you for it. So, make those annual appointments and then breathe a sigh of relief when you get that clean bill of health.
  2. Get your beauty sleep. Sleep is so important and often underestimated. Getting enough sleep every night is essential to proper body and brain function. It can be hard to prioritize getting your 8 hours every night when you’re busy with work or your social life but it’s very important to make time for it. You’ll not only feel better but everything in your life will benefit! You’ll have more energy of course, but you’ll also look better, have better focus, be in a better mood, and have an overall more positive attitude.
  3. Water, water, and more water. Between all the iced coffees and green juices, don’t forget to drink your H2O! Drinking enough water is also essential to healthy brain and body function. Staying hydrated will help prevent headaches, lack of focus, and fatigue. Staying hydrated can also help if you’re trying to lose weight. Oftentimes, we think that we’re hungry but our bodies are actually trying to tell us that we’re thirsty. If you’re making sure to get enough water in, your appetite will stay at bay and you can cut back on the extra snacking. Women (and men!), hydration is health.
  4. Make physical activity a regular part of your routine. Whether you’re someone who is passionate about working out or you can’t stand it, some physical activity is very important to include in your regular routine. You don’t have to be a CrossFit expert or even super athletic. Walking is a great way to get exercise in. Find a form of movement that is fun for you and it’ll be much easier to normalize doing it most days. Whether it’s dancing, biking, hiking, or yoga, as long as you’re moving your body, you’re doing good things for your health!
  5. Ditch the tanning bed. We all love a sun-kissed tan, but let’s make a pact to ditch tanning beds once and for all. We all know how bad they are for us at this point so, why are we still going? Tanning beds make you so much more likely to develop skin cancer within your lifetime and expose your skin to harsh, UV damage. Not only that, but tanning beds also cause you to age so much faster. They can cause your skin to become wrinkled and withered as well as cause the appearance of brown spots and hyperpigmentation. There’s a reason everyone always stresses the importance of wearing SPF every day. If you really want a tan, get a spray tan or find a good self-tanner, both of which have been found to be completely safe to use. Women, this is so important for your health, so please take heed!

More important health tips for women

  1. Eat mostly “real” foods. This isn’t just beneficial for women but is a health tip everyone can benefit from following. When you’re busy, it’s easy to fall into the takeout or frozen food trap, but it’s very important to include nutritious meals into your regular routine. Simple things like trying to sneak protein and vegetables into every meal if possible make a huge difference. It’s okay to hit up the drive-thru every once in a while but if you’re mostly eating healthy, whole, unprocessed food, you’ll be amazed at what it will do for your health.
  2. Practice positive affirmations. You might think they’re corny, but positive affirmations have proven to make such a huge difference in so many peoples’ lives. Life is stressful and we tend to be very hard on ourselves but if we’re keeping a positive mindset and reading and saying positive affirmations that lift us up, it makes the bad days better and the stressful times a lot easier. As women, our emotional and mental health is just as important as our physical.
  3. Cut out negativity and drama. Going hand in hand with positive mindsets, it’s important to cut negativity out of your life. If there are people in your life who tend to start drama, are negative, or just generally bring a pessimistic attitude, you might want to consider not spending your time with them. It can be hard to maintain a positive outlook when the people around you are constantly bringing you down.
  4. Prioritize self-care. Doing things for yourself is very important to your mental health. Whether it’s a hobby that makes you happy, taking a bubble bath after a long day, or just having a little quiet time where you can enjoy a glass of wine and your favorite TV show, whatever helps you unwind after a long day, make a little time each week to do that for yourself. Women tend to do a lot of emotional and mental labor, especially when in relationships, so it’s important you find respite however and whenever you can.
  5. Unplug every once in a while. We rely so much on our devices nowadays in order to contact one another and do our jobs. Unplugging when you can, though, is such a good thing. Take a break from social media and when it’s not so necessary to be constantly checking your e-mail and text messages, like on the weekends, take a little break from your phone and just relax without all the technology. You’ll be amazed at how freeing it will feel! For both women and men, this might be the most important health tip of all.
Shelby is a journalist and fiction writer raised in the South but built for the big city. She's a book nerd (well, an overall nerd, honestly) and coffee addict and obsessed with all things leather and lacy.

She has a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and Media Studies from Sam Houston State University and worked for her university newspaper, The Houstonian, as well as serving as a producer and part-time entertainment anchor for Cable 7 Huntsville. You can follow her on Twitter @shelby777.
close-link
close-link
close-link
close-link