10-4-05

Women’s Health

Women can help protect themselves from disease simply by doing physical exercise and eating a healthy diet.

People who are sedentary and inactive are more likely to develop a number of illnesses including hypertension and heart disease. But, exercising regularly can help prevent these diseases says Dr. Susan Hingle, associate professor of internal medicine at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.

SOUND BITE: "In general, it's recommended – 30 minutes of exercise three times a week and that is to get the benefits of emotional well being to lessen risk for conditions like depression. It also helps prevent cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes."

Dr. Hingle says if you want to lose weight, you need to get 60 to 90 minutes of exercise per day for five days a week. The exercise does not have to be all at the same time. It can be cumulative throughout the day. If you have not exercised for some time, you need to start slowly by exercising only a few minutes a day and gradually work up to the 60 to 90 minutes. She offers more tips for staying healthy.

SOUND BITE: " . . . eat a diet that’s full of fresh fruits and vegetables, that’s high in fiber and low in fat. Also keeping a good positive attitude about things – trying to maintain as low a stress level as possible and figuring out for themselves what factors play into their stress and figuring out how to minimize those factors."

Dr. Hingle says maintaining good healthy relationships with family and friends has also been shown to be very beneficial for women’s health. Women who have medical conditions should check with their physician before starting an exercise program.