Physical Therapist Holly Herman Cautions Women to Exercise for One Hour Every Day with the Right Equipment to Avoid Injury
BOSTON: As 100,000 seniors participated in the 26th annual National Senior Health & Fitness Day at 1,000 locations throughout the U.S. with the goal of keeping older Americans healthy and fit, Holly Herman, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Orthopedic and Women’s Health, reminds us why it’s easier for women to gain weight and harder for them to lose it.
“It’s biology and other factors. Women need more fat. A woman’s body is designed, in part, to protect a fetus. In turn, women have more enzymes to store fat than to burn fat,” says Herman. That’s why body-fat content for a normal-sized woman can be as high as 25% compared to 15% for men. Women gain weight faster, but a healthy, mostly plant-based diet combined with an hour per day, several days a week of aerobic exercise and two or three days a week of strength and circuit training can go a long way toward keeping the pounds off. But that program can get derailed quickly if women don’t have the right equipment when they exercise. If their bodies are not conditioned to that kind of regimen, they are more vulnerable to injuries.”
For a beginner’s fitness routine, the National center for Health Research offers a “Beginner’s Guide to Developing an Exercise Routine” that recommends adults should “aim for 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise every week (such as walking quickly) or 75 minutes of high-intensity activity per week (such as running), plus two days of strength training (training with weights or resistance bands). If you haven’t been very active, start exercising at a low intensity, then slowly increase the amount and intensity of exercise each week.”
“In other words, don’t overdo it. That’s good advice any time, but especially for people who have not been exercising regularly. But no matter the level of fitness, it’s essential that wrists are protected during aerobic activity,” Herman says.
Wellgate for Women provides support that not only helps to reduce the chances of injury, but also provides functional improvement to help relieve pain that might crop up during a workout. “These supports are designed specifically by women for women, who can be more vulnerable to certain types of injuries than men,” adds Herman. “Because men’s and women’s bodies are different, their supports should be different too.”
Dr. Holly Herman has been a physical therapist (PT) for more than 43 years, with a full-time private practice, HealthyWomen HealthyMen, in Cambridge, MA, providing diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic, biofeedback, sexual medicine and pelvic rehabilitation for women and men.
