Female Fitness in the Modern Era: Why It Matters

Physical activity on a regular basis is essential for overall physical and mental health. Performing physical activity improves general health and fitness, helps you maintain a healthy weight, lowers your risk of numerous chronic diseases, and promotes good mental health.

Exercising in general, and particularly strength training, provides several advantages, including increased mood, better sleep, and a lower chance of illness. But maybe we think that fitness is solely for losing weight and don’t want to acquire muscle, because one don’t like how it looks or one don’t want to be big like some men who compete in bodybuilding contests. Whatever the reason maybe but physical fitness is extremely necessary for females in modern era.

Research on activeness in physical activities of both genders were analyzed which shows that women are more likely to be physically inactive than males, and engagement in physical exercise declines as women age.

Approximately 39% of Victorian women are physically inactive, while more than 12% are fully inactive.

Better Health Channel

Let’s cut the tail short. Whatever the stats show, here’s why female fitness is more important than ever in the current day;

1. Women are more Likely to Work Outside

It has been reported by Janet L. Yellen, that more women have been entering the workforce over time and the gender difference in terms of earnings is reducing with each passing year. In fact, a recent study found that 40% of mothers with children under 18, now work outside the home.

Half of women in the United States choose to work outside the home.

Gallup

Unfortunately, female fitness has been on the decline as well. A study from France found that only 8% of women are meeting exercise recommendations for 150 minutes per week. When you consider how much time is spent sitting down at work, driving around town, etc., it’s easy to see why this number is so low.

The importance of fitness for females has become a major issue today because it is linked to many different things like diseases like diabetes and heart disease or mental health problems like depression and anxiety.

2. Women are Multitasking More

Women are taking on more responsibility than ever before. They are mothers, wives, homemakers, and professionals all rolled into one. Women multitask more than ever before and have to be able to do everything. With that being said, women need to take care of themselves and make sure they are getting enough exercise so they can keep up with all the things they need to do.

Multitasking is getting more and more important in the office – but it’s very distracting, all these gadgets interrupting our workflow.

Dr Gijsbert Stoet – University of Glasgow

Women may not be as good in multitasking as men, but they do more work, as stated in ScienceAlert. The study sought to determine if women were better at switching between activities and managing many things at once. The study findings revealed that women’s brains are not more efficient than men’s at any of the tasks.

Research in China discovered that women outperformed their male colleagues, while another research on comparative multitasking of genders in Sweden discovered that males may actually be better at multitasking than women when spatial tasks are involved.

3. Female Fitness and Weight Lose

The importance of fitness for females is not to be underestimated. According to World Health Organization (WHO) the number of overweight and obese people are increasing. More than 1 billion people worldwide are obese – 650 million adults, 340 million adolescents and 39 million children. And studies show that women suffer from obesity at a rate three times higher than men.

The World Health Organization is pushing governments to do more to avert this anticipated and avoidable health calamity. In general, it’s crucial for all females to maintain their weight because obesity leads to other health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, and many more.

Furthermore, studies done by Masato Nagai have shown that women who are overweight tend to live shorter lives than their counterparts. Obese persons have more needs for medical care than those of normal weight. The study deducts that weight management can allow more individuals to live longer lives while requiring less medical care.

Obese men and women had 14.7% and 21.6% greater lifetime medical expenditures, respectively, than normal weight individuals.

Masato Nagai

4. Increasing Emphasis on Physical Appearance

The importance of fitness has increased dramatically over the last few decades. With more emphasis on physical appearance and a rise in eating disorders, people are looking for any way to keep up with societal pressure to be fit.

Exercise has also been demonstrated in studies to boost a person’s self-image, regardless of any physical changes. According to one study, even 30 minutes of physical activity has a considerable favorable influence on women’s body image.

In another study by Christine Sundgot-Borgen, relationship between body appreciation and exercise were noticed and concludes that female students who regularly exercise were shown to have more body appreciation than reference students, whereas men showed no group difference.

The number of women who are overweight or obese is increasing, and as such, it becomes even more important for females to stay fit and healthy. Fitness can also help prevent ailments like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, arthritis and osteoporosis.

5. Female Obesity is at an all-time High

Obesity is described as an abnormally large and undesirable quantity of adipose tissue in the human body. Obesity rates are at an all-time high, with more than one-third of U.S. adults classified as obese. This is a problem because obesity has been linked to a range of negative health outcomes including heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), nearly one-third of all individuals (30.7%) are overweight. Obesity affects nearly half of all adults (42.4%).

Obesity also has serious social consequences like discrimination and lower socioeconomic status. Obesity is socially damaging, particularly in women, because of its stigma, which impacts the lives of obese women in a variety of situations, including the workplace. Research by Aapo Hiilamo shows that women are more vulnerable than males to the negative socioeconomic implications of obesity.

In today’s society, women are expected to be thin. The pressure for female fitness can be seen everywhere from fashion magazines to Hollywood movies where only thin actresses play lead roles.

The table below displays the BMI ranges for overweight and obese adults aged 20 and above.

6. Chances of Marriage gets Higher

The fitness of females has an impact on every aspect of their lives and this includes their chance to be married. There is no doubt that females who are fit and lean have a higher chance to get married than females who are overweight or obese. This is because they are healthier and more attractive, which leads to men being more interested in them.

Body weight is largely a reflection of one’s culture, socioeconomic and marital status, life stage and ethnicity.

Sobal – Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences

Cornell University research has shown a link between weight and dating, marriage, and marital pleasure.

7. Long Life due to Physically Fit Body

The physical fitness of a female has a significant impact on how long she is able to live. In fact, research has shown that physically active women have a life expectancy that is 7-10 years longer than inactive women.

A countrywide study was done by researchers at the University of California San Diego to see whether physical exercise had a benefit over genetics in enhancing longevity. The researchers discovered that greater levels of mild, moderate, or vigorous physical activity corresponded with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality after reviewing health data from over 5,000 older postmenopausal women.

Aerobic fitness has been found in studies dating back to the late 1980s to help people live longer lives. The Kyle Mandsager also discovered a link between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and survival rates: the higher the degree of fitness, the better the chances of surviving.

Not only do they have a longer life, but they are also able to maintain their quality of life at an older age. This makes it important for all women to be physically active and ensure they are maintaining or increasing their physical activity levels as they age.

8. Mental Health is dependent on Physical Well-being

It’s important to remember that mental health is dependent on physical well-being. That means that while you may have a great job, your life could be going downhill if you don’t take care of your body and mind.

Physical activity is an excellent strategy to maintain physical health while also enhancing mental wellness. Exercising causes the brain to release feel-good chemicals called endorphins, according to research. Even 10 minutes of vigorous walking can increase your mental sharpness, energy, and attitude.

Exercise, whether it’s gardening or running a marathon, may dramatically enhance your quality of life. Finding an activity that you like might help you feel less stressed, more focused, and more purposeful.

Take Aways

Fitting regular exercise into your daily routine may be challenging at first. However, you might begin gently and divide your workout time into parts. Even five minutes at a time is plenty. You can gradually increase your workout to the suggested level.

Female fitness in the modern era is important for a variety of reasons.

• First and foremost, being physically fit and active can improve overall health and well-being. Regular physical activity can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
• It can also improve mental health and reduce stress. In addition, female fitness can promote body positivity and self-acceptance, challenging societal norms and expectations about women’s bodies.
• Finally, female fitness can provide a sense of empowerment and strength, enabling women to take control of their health and well-being.

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