Healthy Aging in Women
Healthy aging in women is different than it is for men. As a woman you have special needs that need to be addressed. You experience many changes hormonal and as you age your risk for other conditions increases.
First, menopause is one of the most talked about changes a woman experiences as she ages. During this time your menstrual cycle stops and you have a major fluctuation in hormones. Eventually your body starts to compensate as other glands produce estrogen.
Many women choose to go through the natural process of menopause, but others choose to use hormone replacement therapy. This therapy can help you to feel more energy, have a stronger sex drive, and combat problems such as hot flashes.
When you think of heart disease, you most likely think about men. However, heart disease is also the number one killer in women. As you age, the changes in hormones actually cause your risk of heart disease to increase.
It’s important to get regular exercise and eat a heart healthy diet to help prevent heart disease. You should also get your cholesterol tested and talk with your doctor about any type of screening you need. Depending on your family history you may need to take a regular stress test.
Breast cancer also becomes a greater risk as you get older. It’s important to get regular mammogram screenings so that you can catch anything that’s going on early. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers and also one with the best prognosis if you get early treatment.
As you age, your bones can also become more brittle. This problem is more common in women than men and is called osteoporosis. As your bones lose calcium they can become weaker and they can break more easily. This is one of the reasons older women have more fractures.
In order to have strong bones, it’s important to participate in weight bearing exercises. Walking is a great exercise for your lower body, but you should also make sure to do some kind of strength training for your upper body.
As your muscles contract, they pull on your bones and this stimulates the strengthening of them. Strength training exercises and taking calcium supplements is critical for your bones as you age. You should also discuss bone density screening with your doctor.
Most women are also concerned about their skin as they age. A diet high in vitamins and minerals as well as vitamin E supplements can help slow down the aging process of skin. Products containing retinol can also stimulate your skin to build new healthy tissue.
A healthy lifestyle is the most important factor for healthy aging in women. Eating a healthy diet, getting exercise, and talking with your doctor about getting appropriate screenings can help you to get the most of this time in your life.