This week at Rural Health we are celebrating Women’s Health Week!
We want to highlight how physical activity can be used as therapeutic modality to support women across all stages of life.
‘Women’s Health’ refers to health across a woman’s lifespan, from puberty to menopause and preconception to post partum. Physical activity has incredible benefits for overall physical, psychological and social well being. It is an important aspect of both preventive health and managing health conditions that women may encounter across their lifespan.
Physical activity has specific benefits for different health conditions within the wide scope of Women’s Health. Examples of this include using resistance training to address bone density in osteoporosis or targeted exercise to reduce cancer related fatigue during breast cancer treatment. It can also support management of endometriosis, incontinence, prolapse, menopause, gestational diabetes, anxiety, depression and many other conditions women can experience.
When it comes to being physically active, women can face many barriers to participation including persisting pain, injury, incontinence, family commitments and low self esteem. In Australia it is estimated only 1 in 2 women are participating in enough physical activity.
Accredited Exercise Physiologists and Physiotherapists are well-placed to support women to overcome barriers to physical activity. They can also provide individual, evidence based advice to women who are living with a chronic health condition or looking to improve their general well-being. A Women’s Health Physiotherapist can also assess and diagnose a broad range of conditions pertaining to women.
If you need individual support from an Allied Health professional please contact Rural Health on 02 5926 3806 or book an appointment online.
