To mark International Women’s Day (March 8), we’re going to delve into what a woman needs to stay physically fit.
We often hear people talking about leading an active lifestyle, but what exactly is it?
Some women mistakenly believe that staying active through employment, social work, gardening, housework, running errands, etc, is enough of a “workout” to stay fit.
It is not.
An active lifestyle isn’t related only to intense workouts or gym sessions either.
By definition, an active lifestyle incorporates regular physical movement throughout the day.
This means combining structured exercises and daily activities to minimise prolonged sitting and sedentary behaviour.
Extensive research shows that individuals who are active are generally happier and have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, depression and dementia.
As women age, maintaining an active lifestyle is crucial, yet many in the older group may feel nervous about starting or continuing one.
Health problems, joint aches, bodily pains, frailty, weakness and a fear of falling can contribute to a hesitancy to begin exercising, which sadly leads to unfavourable and worsening health conditions.
An active lifestyle can boost energy, reduce weight and pain, help maintain independence, better one’s mental health, as well as strengthen the heart, lungs and skeletal muscles – these are things women read about often, yet choose to do nothing about.
I can’t tell you how many readers I have met who say they enjoy reading fitness articles and understand the importance of structured exercise, but don’t practise it because they’re just too busy, lazy, tired or lack discipline to follow through.
Then they laugh it off and encourage me to keep writing.
Not wanting to offend them, I laugh too and pretend it’s the funniest joke I’ve heard.
Unfortunately, the majority of our female citizens only think of short-term gains, not long-term habits.
They want quick results: a flat stomach, less jiggly arms, and more tone in their hips and thighs.
Additionally, a widespread fear still persists that lifting weights will make women look bulky or unfeminine, leading to an over-reliance on cardiovascular or aerobic workouts.
This mindset has to change, but change can only begin with you, not from waiting for external circumstances or others to shift.
Start small
The World Health Organisation’s guidelines for adults is to aim for at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity, aerobic activity per week for substantial health benefits.
Intensity is how hard your body works during an aerobic activity such as swimming, brisk walking or jogging.
More importantly, strength training activities for all major muscle groups are recommended at least twice a week, especially for women, to prevent osteoporosis – a disease that weakens bones and makes them fragile.
According to the Health Ministry, osteoporosis is a significant, underdiagnosed health issue in Malaysia.
It affects approximately 15-24% of the population, particularly postmenopausal women and those over 71.
The good news is that regardless of your age, you can still change your lifestyle to an active one.
Start small, go slow and stop comparing yourself with others.
Small changes are more sustainable and less likely to lead to burnout, compared to drastic lifestyle overhauls.
Consistent daily, positive actions, such as stretching for five minutes, taking deep breaths for another five minutes, or eating a healthy breakfast, compound over time to create significant, long-term health benefits.
A good beginning is to follow the 21-day rule.
In many traditions, 21 days is considered the time needed to consciously break an old habit and instil a new, positive or spiritual pattern of thought.
While old habits die hard, new habits are built through deliberate practice, repetition, and intentional, consistent action.
Once you form a new habit, it is difficult to break because it becomes deeply ingrained, automatic and self-reinforcing, often providing long-term benefits that solidify over time.
The brain’s neural pathways reinforce repeated, beneficial behaviours, and eventually, they feel like a natural part of daily life
What to do
Women and men are built differently due to distinct physiological, hormonal and muscular differences, so they benefit from different training approaches.
Men generally excel in high-intensity, explosive workouts due to higher testosterone and type II (fast twitch) muscle fibres.
Meanwhile, women often possess greater endurance and faster recovery times, and benefit from higher volume training – a strategy that uses high repetitions to increase muscle endurance and strength.
As women often have lower bone density, strength training becomes crucial.
Anatomical differences such as a wider pelvic structure – specifically designed for childbirth – also means women may need to focus more on knee and hip stability to reduce the risk of injuries in these areas.
Hence, start with lower intensity activities that are appropriate for your current fitness level.
Here are some suggestions:
For beginners, this could be as simple as a two-minute march on the spot, a five-
minute walk outdoors when the weather is good, or swinging your arms up and down as fast as you can to the point of fatigue.
If you do not have an existing injury or chronic condition, try climbing a flight of stairs.
Easy? Make that two flights of stairs or take two steps at a time then.
Then increase the frequency, intensity and duration of activities over time.
Working your way up slowly and steadily builds confidence and motivation.
When there is a break in your routine, perhaps due to illness or travel, work back up gradually.
As my late teacher Eugene “Luigi” Faccuito – widely regarded as the innovator of the first and perhaps most codified jazz dance technique – would say, “Never stop moving.”
Start with light dumbbells (less than 1kg), or use two small water bottles or cans of sardine, to work on your arms and shoulders (bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, shoulder presses, lateral raises, etc).
For your legs, use your own body weight to perform calf raises and squats.
Better yet, sit at the edge of a chair and try standing up without using your arms.
When you feel yourself getting stronger, try the exercise using one leg.
For all exercises, focus on proper form and aim for one set of eight to 12 repetitions.
This is a key fitness component to ensure you remain on your feet throughout life.
Activities that can help with balance include yoga, tai chi and heel-to-toe walking (where you walk in a straight line, placing the heel of one foot directly in front of the toes of the other for 10-20 steps before reversing the direction).
As you get better, close your eyes and try the exercise, but hold onto something for support, if necessary.
Lie on the floor or bed, and perform some simple stretches.
The aim is to stay limber until the end.
Prioritising your health and fitness doesn’t have to be complicated.
Let’s make that happen today; don’t procrastinate until tomorrow because as cliché as it sounds, tomorrow never comes.
Revathi Murugappan is a certified fitness trainer who tries to battle gravity and continues to dance to express herself artistically and nourish her soul. For more information, email starhealth@thestar.com.my. The information contained in this column is for general educational purposes only. Neither The Star nor the author gives any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to such information. The Star and the author disclaim all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.
