There are as many ways to work fitness into the daily routine
as there are people, and local women will check some of them
out on the first annual National Women's Health and Fitness
Day (NWHFD), Wednesday, September 25. UHHS Bedford Medical Center
will join the YMCA and host this event. The event will take place
at the Southeast YMCA, 460 Northfield Rd., in Bedford. The event
will run from 2:00 p.m - 8:00 p.m. Participants will join thousands
of other women at more than 200 locations - all on the same day
- as they walk, dance, play and learn their way to better fitness
and health.
Experts know that even small increases in physical activity
can lead to better health. NWHFD gives women an opportunity to
begin
or renew a commitment to fitness and to celebrate an active lifestyle.
Patricia Bishop, Director of Women's Services at UHHS
Bedford Medical Center, says, "We want to demonstrate that
fitness can be fun. Women of all ages will have a chance to experience
some appropriate and enjoyable forms of exercise. It's also
a great opportunity for them to find out about women's health
resources at UHHS Bedford Medical Center and in our community."
The Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health concludes
that "adults can obtain significant health benefits
with a moderate amount of physical activity, preferably daily."
Among the benefits are increased cardiorespiratory endurance,
as well
as stronger muscles, which help reduce the risk of falling and
improve the ability to perform the routine tasks of daily life.
Moderate physical activity also can reduce the risk of heart
disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, colon cancer, and feelings
of depression and anxiety. To gain these benefits, people should
engage in regular physical activity on all, or most days of the
week.
National Women's Health and Fitness Day, coordinated by
the Health Information Resource Center, will always be held on
the last Wednesday in September.
For more information about National Women's Health and Fitness
Day in Bedford, contact Patricia Bishop at 440-735-3900.
