Top Health Risks for Women: Osteoporosis, Cardiovascular Health, and the Importance of Mental Health

Joining us on the show is fitness expert Julia McHale from Heavenly Fitness. Good morning, Julia. Hi guys, how are we? Oh, we're very well. We're fighting fit and all that, but that's the whole idea, isn't it? Good to hear it. So look, we're talking about women's health this week in particular, and so are there particular health and fitness needs for women that we should be aware of as well to kick off this conversation, as opposed to generic things that I guess we hear about all the time? Absolutely, and I think it's something which we don't often consider the differences and the unique needs of women. And I think at the moment, there's a really big drive on social media around longevity, and I think what we need to think about is the quality of our longevity and how we need to start investing in it way earlier, way earlier than we think. I've got five points I really want to tick off, and I know that I've only got about five minutes, so I'm gonna try and squeeze in one quick minute. Julia, I'm just gonna interrupt you right there and say I totally agree with that, because a few years ago, I went from having a goal of a physical look goal to actually having a goal for quality of life in that I want to be strong and as fit as possible so I can continue to be a great mom and a great grandma in the future. So let's talk about those five key areas that we should be looking at, particularly if we are a woman. Absolutely. So number one is our bone health. The need for regular weight-bearing exercise is to prevent osteoporosis is paramount. I don't know if you're aware of the numbers around osteoporosis, which is a bone deterioration disease, but one in three women and one in five men, actually, are gonna suffer from an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime. And one way we can prevent that or help it is with regular exercise beyond just walking. Walking's great, but we need to do specific weight-bearing exercises where we're lifting heavy stuff. Ooh, so we've often heard about people taking calcium supplements and all that kind of stuff as well, which I'm sure is fine, but what you're saying specifically, though, is weight training, effectively. Weight training and something I call plyometrics, which scares a lot of people because it's jumping and moving your body in certain ways to get bone density, and bone density's just like muscle. It needs to be stimulated to get that growth, right? But I'm not gonna get someone new in the gym and get them jumping up and down and doing all sorts of crazy things. We can work up to that, and any good PT can personalize a plan and do that for you. Okay, so that's point number one. What's point number two? So, point number two, here it comes. Those hormones, hormone balance. Now, the role of exercise, and this touches a little bit of what Kat said earlier, the role of exercise and nutrition in managing those hormone fluctuations is just amazing. It's amazing what we can do when we introduce exercise to help with those different life stages that women go through from menstruation right up to menopause. It's about eating well, not just for what we weigh, which is what Kat said. It's just those food choices are for your wellness, for your wellbeing, and for your exercise and fueling your body. That is so true. So, what are the three other considerations that are key to women's health? Mental health, mental health is mental wealth. One thing, in the background here, I've got some of my lovely ladies who are coming together for community and working out together. So, they're exercising and they're joining in community. So, benefits of exercise and mental health has been well-documented for a long time, and if we can invest in our exercise, get a workout body, you're gonna feel better for it. And come along to my 9.15 class. I was gonna say, it's great, too, that you've also got that community aspect as well, because I know one of the main things that got me exercising regularly was having friends to do it with, too. So, when it was just up to me, didn't really do it, but the moment I had other mates who were getting involved, made all the difference in the world. Having accountability partners is so key, right? And also, you talked about the fact that when you exercise, you generally, you know, mental health is mental wealth, but when you exercise, generally you sleep better. And when you sleep better, your mental wellbeing's better, isn't it? And do you know there's something called hope molecules, which are released when we exercise? Really? Don't you just love that? Yeah, yeah. Hope molecules. We haven't got enough time to talk about those, but I love that, that there's hope molecules released when we exercise. I wonder if you're talking about serotonin. Yeah, number four, let's go with number four. That's it, it's a cardiovascular health. Heart disease is the leading cause of death amongst women, and it's something which can be- Really? Yes, yeah. Wow, I'm used to it for the boys, but wow, okay, yep. And the driver of that is physical inactivity. We live such a sedentary lifestyle. I would love people to have things at work like step tallies. And the person who hit the most steps in their week was given an extra half day off work. Well, then I'd never be here. Oh, thanks, Julia. And what's number five? I'm so curious. So number five is tailored plans. It's all well and good taking off bits and pieces and what we hear on the social media and out there going around in the space. I think get yourself a personalized fitness plan. Find someone who's professional, who knows your unique needs, such as myself or other PTs who can tailor your plan that can get you moving around, that can be your biggest cheerleader. Find that person who's gonna champion your way in your fitness journey. That's such a great tip. Different strokes for different folks. And ultimately, if you do have any kind of health concerns currently, make sure that you get a fitness plan that's gonna take into consideration those areas. Yeah, yeah. I'd say too, as an addendum to that too, you've gotta be able to, maybe as a guy thing too, but it could be for everybody, be able to stash your ego aside. When you decide you are gonna get fit again, the hardest time will always be at the very beginning. Yes. That's okay. That is okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember doing my little pushups on my knees when I first started off. Be like, this isn't this buff kind of like dude that I wanna be, but there I was. You know, putting the ego aside. You're doing them. So, you know, but at least you're doing something. And look, you can modify all exercises for all abilities, right? And getting that person who can help you with that is gonna be the best way to do that. Well, thank you so much, Julia, for your tips around women's health and physical activity. Come on in, ladies. Yeah. And of course, if people would like to check out what you do, where's the best place to go online? Heavilyfitness.nz or check me out on my social medias, which is Heavenly Fitness and Nutrition on Facebook and on Instagram. Love to hear from you. Reach out, contact me. If you're not in Wellington, I can still help you. Brilliant. Hey, thanks again, Julia. You're a star. Back at ya.