1. Our Bodies in Motion Chapter 4 By: Devon Powers

2. Past to Present Women led physically demanding lives in the past working on farms, in factories and doing domestic labor in the home Exercise necessarily was not needed Today, life is a lot different and women do not get as much exercise and have to put more effort into getting healthy Studies have shown that 72% of the women in the country DO NOT get any regular exercise and women between the ages of 12-21 years old DO NOT exercise daily.

3. Health Benefits of Exercise Exercise can help decrease: Risk of high blood pressure Stroke Type 2 diabetes Breast cancer Exercise can improve: Heart functions Lung functions Chronic pain Depression Insomnia *Leading cause of death in women over the age of 55 is heart disease. This fact is disproportionate threat to African American women *Women who are not as active are more likely to die from heart attacks or strokes. *Heart disease can be reduced/managed through diet and exercise

4. Health benefits of Exercise Strength training can slow the process of losing bone mass Swimming can be a great way to gain bone density for those who cannot lift weights or use them

5. how exercise makes us feel Exercise can help cope with stress and anxiety It creates connections with our bodies, friends, and community Leads to better mental and physical health

6. Getting Started Finding the time to exercise can be hard and even finding the motivation is difficult Sometimes finding the right facilities can be a challenge There are plenty of ways to improvise: Take the stairs in stead of the elevator Walk to places that you can instead of driving Do push ups, lift weights or do crunches while watching t.v. Park your car farther away than usual and walk to wherever your going For mothers: - with stroller, walk more briskly - pick a gym that has child care services - when children are older you can take them out for bike rides or play tag and other games with them

7. Getting Started…continued Any type of exercise is better than no exercise at all Exercising 3 to 5 times a week for 20 to 30 minutes is sufficient (recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine) Moderate exercise such as dancing or walking can be done in ten minute increments for 30 minutes Make exercise more of a convenience than a hassle Bring gym back to work so you do not have to go back home to change Make working out the first thing that you do in the morning

8. Physical Activity and Health Benefits Cardio training- walking Jogging Running Aerobics Sports related activities *cardio training improves overall endurance as well as improving blood circulation and lung capacity, reduces hypertension, increases good cholesterol, burns calories, relieves stress

9. Physical Activity and Health Benefits Strength Training- Free weights Weight machines Resistance training *Strength training boosts metabolism, improves muscle tone, and strengthens bones (decreases the risk of osteoporosis later in life)

10. Physical Activity and Health Benefits Flexibility Training- Stretching Yoga Dance Pilates Climbing Fencing Gymnastics T’ ai chi *Flexibility training reduces risk of injuries; improves agility, balance, and range of motion, relieves stress

11. Ways to keep going Overall fitness can be increased by including the 3 previous training types: cardio, strength, and flexibility Balance your workouts to include all 3 Differ the intensity of each workout Set goals that are short-term and reachable Keep a fitness log Find a workout buddy Take a lesson Read up on the history of the types of training and certain workouts and techniques Train for something specific such as an event Exercise to music Try new things to keep it interesting HAVE FUN *Example of a type of fitness log. You can use one of these to keep track of your workouts and repetitions. It can make going to the gym and working out much easier.

12. Women, Exercising and Sports Many women have negative images in their mind about their bodies. No matter what their body type is There are negative assumptions that can keep many women from working out and even playing sports, however, there are plenty of female athletes out there and if one strives, they can play a sport and exercise just like they have done. Team sports give your body a workout as well as helps bond with your teammates Body image, sensitivity, homophobia and other pressures can hold some women back from enjoying exercising and sports Women should not feel that they have to conform to social expectations but rather be comfortable with who they are so they can play and do their best

13. Exercise, Age, and Disability It is very important to find ways to move our bodies You can participate in sports programs or organized community events Exercise can help the recovery process from surgery or a long illness Some that have chronic illnesses may find it hard to move their bodies It’s a fine line between moving the body gently as much as they are able and pushing too hard and suffering a relapse *research shows that physical activity can significantly improve our health at any age. It can make us feel better emotionally and physically.

14. Injuries and Safety Pay attention to your body’s signals Take a few days off in between workouts if your just starting exercising. Give your body a chance to recover Stretch before you do cardio workouts Warm up with a light aerobic exercise for a few minutes Hold stretches for 10 to 15 seconds Move at a pace that allows you to carry on a conversation Begin workout by warming up for 5 minutes then do about 15 minutes of the actual workout then spend 5 minutes cooling down Prevent injuries by: balancing all 3 types of fitness, stretch and warm up, drink plenty of water, use proper equipment for activity, slow down and cool off, rest between sets and listen to your body

15. RICE(injuries and safety) Avoid activities that use the affected body part Decreases swelling, bleeding, pain and inflammation. Apply 2-3 times a day for 10-20 mins Direct external pressure helps decrease hemorrhaging and bleeding Raise injured area to decrease bleeding and prevent fluid accumulation REST ICE COMPRESS ELEVATE

16. Too much exercise? Exercise can become an addiction Some use exercising as an outlet for pain and avoiding problems It can become an obsession in pursuit if the “perfect body” All of these things can have severe health consequences Late 1990’s health care professionals identified the female athlete triad as a syndrome with 3 interrelated components Disordered eating Amenorrhea Osteoporosis

17. Too much exercise? Significantly restricted diet reduces the body’s metabolism. It causes changes to the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, endocrine, and reproductive systems Low body weight and fat leads to amenorrhea which is when one misses 3 or more consecutive menstrual periods Amenorrhea is linked to bone density loss which results in osteoporosis This is the most recognizable symptom of a female athlete triad and it is not normal to not get your period Proper training practices and nutrition is essential for both performance and health

18. Politics of Sports Title IX education amendments of 1972 states that the U.S. educational institutions that receive federal funds provide opportunities for women to participate in sports equal to those available for men. Since 1972 many women have come to play sports on teams in school Many women however are still denied opportunities and treated like 2nd class citizens Women’s Sports Foundation facts: U.S. men receive $133 million more in collage athletic scholarships then women Professional female tennis players make 37 cents for every dollar that the make athletes earn 16% of collegiate athletic directors are women, 8% media coverage is on women’s sports High school women’s basketball games are scheduled during the week where as men’s basketball games are scheduled on Friday nights

19. Politics in Sports Female athletes are successful because of what their bodies can do not how they look Mainstream media tends to portray female athletes as sex objects They tend to pose nude or in revealing outfits whereas men pose in athletic clothing The athlete that are good looking and will pose for the camera get more news coverage and endorsements even though they may not be the best athlete in their sport

20. Politics in Sports President of FIFA suggested that women soccer players wear tighter uniforms to attract the audiences of fashion beauty advisors and attract more t.v. viewers Ladies’ Professional golf association gave their players makeovers for similar reasons Women’s sports are increasing in popularity however many questions remain

21. Quote “ Rather than conforming to social expectations, women need to be comfortable being who we are, so that we can play our best.” I agree with this quote. Many women are not comfortable with themselves and therefore tend to not exercise. When someone feels comfortable in their own skin they can accomplish anything.

22. Discussion Questions How do you feel about the media and the way that they portray female athletes? Is there anything that makes working out easier for you? Do you think that you get enough exercise?

23. References Women, B (2005). Our Bodies, Ourselves; A new edition for a new era