| Women are in with a sporting chance |
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| Written by Paul Richmond-Darbey, 2006 | |
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Page 2 of 2 So why should you bother to exercise? Well, running, for instance, slows the ageing process. It helps retain bone density and muscle mass, and it keeps immunity and metabolic rates high. Women who run are much less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, breast cancer, osteoporosis and high blood pressure. Fit women have greater psychological health as well, especially important in coping with the emotional effects of menopause and ageing. Studies show that regular exercise regulates moods. Even if you’ve been a couch potato your entire life, it’s never too late to get into shape. But before you begin an exercise regime such as running, it’s important that you consult your doctor. Get a clean bill of health before putting stress on your cardiovascular system. Take precautions against injury, too. Make sure to warm up and stretch before each workout and to do winding-down exercises afterwards. Muscles stiffen with age, so your chances of injury increase. Help prevent muscle strain by taking days off and running on softer surfaces, such as a gym treadmill. Wear shoes appropriate for your chosen sport that cushion and support your feet. Face the musicIf running doesn’t do it for you, why not dance yourself fit? A survey by Nike showed that more than 333,000 women were inspired by programmes like Strictly Come Dancing to take up dancing to get fit. Dancing’s good for you. It burns calories, tones and strengthens the whole body, increases flexibility and improves skills such as co-ordination and rhythm. But most importantly, it’s fun.Dancing is also a great stress reliever. You put aside your day-to-day worries and frustrations to concentrate on the class. It is an opportunity to meet people and make new friends. You don’t have to stick to the familiar old ballroom dances. Try some others: Belly-dancing is very sensual and feminine traditional form of dance from the Middle East. It’s good for the abdominal and back muscles, helping to improve posture, ease period pain and backache and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Salsa means “sauce”. In its original form, it is a courtship dance. It is highly energetic, with fluid, circular movements and lots of hip swivelling and spinning around. Salsa tones up the abdominals, buttocks, thighs, lower back and calves. Sport and the WIIn 2003 the WI passed a resolution voicing concern about childhood obesity and one of the reasons given was that we are failing to provide our children with opportunities for physical exercise: “In the 1970s children received an average of five hours of games a week – today the curriculum demands only two hours, with the average closer to one-and-a-half hours.” Many more children today no longer walk to and from school and when they get home from school they are more likely to turn on the TV than to go out to the ‘rec’ to kick a football around. It is difficult to change those habits when they reach college age and beyond. In 2005, to celebrate 90 years of the Women’s Institute, the NFWI challenged individual members to walk a minimum of 90 miles between January and December. This year, during 16–25 November, a cycling challenge involving cycling 328km over five days is taking place in Cuba to raise vital funds to support the WI’s Denman College. Of course, WIs and county federations have sport on offer for members, from local rambles to cycle clubs and badminton, while at Denman College, a variety of courses from fitness to rambles and golf is available. And if you want to get fit through dance you can choose from Scottish country dancing to Egyptian belly dancing – something for everyone! For a college programme tel: 01865 391991 or visit www.womens-institute.org.uk/college |
