You want to look and feel your best at any age, so it’s important to make smart and healthy lifestyle choices. There is so much advice on how to improve women’s health, and it can be overwhelming. Below are five simple lifestyle choices that are easy to adopt and essential to improving your health.

5 Ways to Boost Women’s Health

1. Be More Active

You don’t need to take up the latest high-intensity fitness craze. If that’s your thing, go for it! But if it’s not, a brisk 30-minute walk every day can reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and several forms of cancer. Throw in some weight exercises to increase muscle mass and help stave off osteoporosis, a major women’s health concern. Leading an active lifestyle will enable you to be independent and active much later in life.

2. Maintain a Healthy Weight and Diet

Obesity is one of the leading causes of the most common health problems Americans face, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and sleep apnea. If you’re only slightly overweight, losing a few pounds will immediately improve your health. Fill your diet with lean meats and vegetables, and avoid processed foods, refined sugars, and saturated fats. A simple way to start shedding pounds and you can make the change right away? Drink water instead of soda.

3. Manage Your Stress

Bottling up your stress can be a disaster for your physical and mental health. There are many ways to relieve stress, from meditation to yoga, and it’s important to take a few minutes every day to relax. And don’t think you need to face life’s challenges alone. Doing so will age you internally, as well as externally. Reach out for love and support from friends and family.

4. Check for Breast Cancer

While the American Cancer Society no longer recommends monthly breast exams, they remain an option for women starting in their 20s. Still, you should always be looking for any changes in your breasts and talk about any concerns with your doctor. All women 40 and older should get a yearly mammogram: it is the most effective way to identify breast cancer in its early stages when it is the most treatable.

5. Annual Gynecological Visits

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends annual pelvic screenings for women over 21 to detect pelvic cancers, incontinence, sexual dysfunction, infections, and any other abnormalities that you might not notice. The pelvic exam is only part of the annual visit. Your gynecologist will also do a Pap smear to screen for cervical cancer, a breast exam, give you any immunizations, chat about contraception, and answer any questions you may have.

Oswego County OB-GYN PC has provided women in the Fulton, New York, area with comprehensive care since 1960. From preventative services to obstetrics and gynecology, their physicians and nurses are dedicated to women’s health at every stage. To schedule your annual appointment, call their office at (315) 593-8393. Visit their website for more information, or follow them on Facebook.