Celebrate Women's Health Month by Focusing on Self-care

Medicare Plus recognizes all the beautiful, smart, independent, courageous, hard-working, and inspiring women. March is International Women’s Month and we support women’s empowerment by practicing self-care. For all women out there, taking time for self-care can make a great impact on your health. Good self-care can prevent, delay, or decrease the risk of many health problems, including mental health issues. Here is a list of self-care tips that embrace women’s health. 

Commit to a regular workout routine

Regular exercise is part of healthy habits and vital for a sound mind and healthy body. Committing to a regular workout routine may seem easier said than done, especially for working women who also manage their households. Although the intention is there, sometimes you feel too tired after work or your weekends get filled with other obligations. These reasons may prevent you from maintaining a regular exercise routine. Check out these approaches to make exercise fun and not feel like a struggle.

  • Pick an exercise buddy so you can motivate each other to stick to a regular exercise routine. 
  • Schedule exercise into your day and treat it as if it were an important appointment that you cannot miss. If possible, it’s recommended that you exercise first thing in the morning to give you more energy and better focus throughout the day.
  • Make it fun by doing something that you enjoy. Whether it’s going to the gym, doing yoga, participating in a Zumba class, biking, brisk walking in the park, or playing a sport, the choice is yours.

Maintain a healthy weight

Managing your weight promotes good health and lowers the risk for certain health conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and others.

  • Begin by knowing what is the healthy weight for you. Check out CDC’s guidelines for determining your body mass index (BMI).
  • Achieving and maintaining the ideal weight is a combination of factors including a balanced healthy diet, regular exercise, and optimal sleep.

Pamper yourself

Most women take on multiple roles and each one carries a designated set of responsibilities. For instance, a woman can be a mother, daughter, sister, wife, employee, and so on. This shows that women are nurturing in nature and they often put the needs of others before themselves. While caring for others is an admirable trait, it’s also important to invest time in self-care. Pampering yourself can reduce the mental and physical effects of stress and improve the quality of life. In line with this, we asked a dozen women how they pamper themselves.

  • “going to a bookstore and picking out a new book” – Toni
  • “watching Netflix, eating, and tending to my plants in my garden” – Weng
  • “crocheting and enjoying good coffee” – Girlie
  • “using essential oils, doing a lot of reading, drawing, and napping” – Julie
  • “I eat well and take vacations often.” – Clarisse
  • “going to the spa, getting a body massage, and having a complete facial” – Lhen
  • “I love getting my nails done.” – Grech
  • “My ultimate pampering is hitting the beach and getting a tan.” – Tisha
  • “Shopping!” – Darlene
  • “sipping tea in one corner of my quiet room with a book, working out, and composing a dance choreography” – Marife
  • “trying out a new restaurant and enjoying good food” – Chinie
  • “going to the salon and doing Crossfit” – Monet 

Pampering yourself means taking the time to enjoy activities that uplift, relax, rejuvenate, and/or calm you. Every woman must have a healthy dose of self-care to boost wellness.

Get enough rest

Rest is incredibly crucial to your health. Getting enough rest promotes better mental health, improves memory and focus, reduces stress, strengthens the immune system, and even helps metabolism. 

A lot of women today find themselves entangled in the grind of work, responsibilities at home, and other things. Juggling so many things can sometimes deprive women of getting enough rest. No matter how busy you are, it’s important to prioritize getting adequate rest and optimal sleep on a daily basis to improve your mental and physical health.

Make time for health care appointments

Regular check-ups, screening tests, and diagnostic tests can help detect health conditions or diseases early. Some diseases when caught early can be corrected with lifestyle changes or medications. Early detection gives you the best chance for starting the proper treatment and preventing complications. That’s why we highly recommend getting a quality healthcare plan that includes preventive healthcare.

Celebrate YOU by embracing self-care

In celebration of International Women’s Month, Medicare Plus encourages women to focus on self-empowerment through self-care. Begin by committing to a regular workout routine and maintaining a healthy weight. In addition, take time to pamper yourself and get enough rest. Finally, make time for health care appointments to safeguard yourself from possible health issues. Happy International Women’s Month!