Exercise for Health
For a long time it was thought that participating in sports could have "masculinizing" effects on women, leading many to believe that athletics was not a positive activity for females. Women who participated in sports were thought to be manly or deviant, not like "normal" women. Because athletics can bring physical and mental stress and damage, some believed that women should be kept out of sports.
Modern studies have shown that athletics can have many positive effects for women. Women in athletics score higher than other women in body image and psychological well being. Exercise promotes physical health in many ways, reducing the risks of several diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases. Almost all women can benefit from becoming involved in athletics, or at least exercising a few times a week.
Women are especially prone to osteoporosis and other problems involving brittle and weak bones. Jacobson, Beaver, and Grubbs (2005), compared intercollegiate athletes and older athletic women with control groups that consisted of non-athletic women of the same ages. The bone content of the intercollegiate athletes was much higher than that of non-athletic college women. Differences in mean bone density values for older women were statistically significant, with the athletic women having a higher bone density than the non-athletic. The biggest difference occurred in the oldest age group. In conclusion, adult women who are athletic reduce their risk of losing bone mass, which comes with aging, especially after menopause.
Having a low body mass index and being physically active have long been known to decrease the risk of colon cancer. A study by Martinez from the Journal of the National Cancer Institution on leisure-time physical activity and body mass index sought to determine whether or not these could have an effect on the risk of colon cancer in women. Time spent per week on leisure-time physical activities was calculated, and compared with the number of calories that were burned in physical activity. Women who expended the most energy on leisure-time physical activities had about half the likelihood of getting colon cancer compared with those who spent the least time on leisure-time physical activities. Body fat distribution was also observed, and it was found that the higher the waist to hip ratio, the higher the risk of getting colon cancer. Higher body mass index was associated with higher risk as well. Results show that lowering body mass index (i.e. losing fat and gaining muscle) can reduce the risk of colon cancer in women. This can be done by exercising and playing sports at least three times per week. This study provides further evidence that women who are physically active have better health overall.
References
Jacobson, Beaver, Grubb. Bone Density in Women: College Athletes and Older Women. Journal of Orthopedic Research, 2:4. (2005: Feb).
Colker, Ruth. Correlates of Female Athletic Participation: Masculinity,
Femininity, Self-Esteem, and Attitudes Toward Women. Sex Roles, 6:1
(1980:Feb.) p.47
Martinez, Giovannucci. Leisure-time physical activity, body size, and colon cancer in women. Journal of the National Cancer Institution. Volume 89.