3 Lifestyle Tips to Help with Women’s Health

Our lifestyles can have a big impact on every aspect of our health and wellbeing. Looking after yourself can help you to feel your best, relieve minor issues such as mild period pain, or even help to reduce the symptoms of gynaecological conditions such as fibroids, endometriosis and PCOS. In fact, if you are diagnosed with one of these conditions by your gynaecologist, lifestyle changes are one of the options that may be recommended to manage the symptoms.

1. Diet

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is essential if you want your body to be at its best. You should try to eat a range of different fruits and vegetables, limit your intake of refined carbohydrates (e.g. white flour) and fatty and sugary foods, and make sure that you are drinking plenty of water. A balanced diet can also help you to reach or maintain a healthy weight, which can have a big impact on conditions such as PCOS. Avoiding sugar can be particularly important if you have PCOS as it is associated with elevated insulin levels that could put you at risk of diabetes. Reducing your sugar intake and should help with this. Many women find that their symptoms disappear or are significantly reduced when they lose their excess weight.

2. Exercise

Exercise can also play a role in keeping you at a healthy weight. However, it also provides some extra benefits that can improve your health and wellbeing. Many women find that their premenstrual symptoms and period pain are reduced when they are exercising regularly. If you can stay active during your period then it can help to release hormones called endorphins, which can make you less sensitive to pain. Even taking a slow walk or doing some gentle stretching exercises can help you to feel more comfortable if you aren’t up to a full workout every day.

3. Stress

Our physical health is closely tied to our mental wellbeing, so reducing your stress levels can have a big impact on your menstrual symptoms. Stress can also be the result of your gynaecological condition if you are dealing with pain or managing symptoms that interfere with your usual activities. Finding ways of managing your stress and negative emotions can make a big difference by reducing the impact that conditions such as fibroids or endometriosis are having on your life.

Everyone manages their stress differently so it is important to find a method that works for you. You might like to try:

• Setting aside some time to relax by yourself, for example by enjoying a good book or soaking in the bath
• Spending time with friends or family to talk or enjoy activities that take your mind off your worries
• Mindfulness or meditation techniques, which can teach you how to relax and change the way you think about things
• Talking to your doctor about the mental or emotional impact of your condition or asking for advice on managing your stress more effectively

Although lifestyle changes can help with period pain and may help to relieve the symptoms of many gynaecological conditions, they can’t always solve these issues on their own. It is still important to seek medical advice and to consider treatments such as hormonal contraception, medication or surgery if your doctor recommends it.