Body mass and composition make exercise and nutrition different for a female. Women are genetically engineered for their reproductive capabilities; this means carrying around more fat mass than men. Goals of fitness and nutrition for a woman should be aimed at maintaining a healthy body weight and preventing gender-related disease.
Calories
Staying fit means having a healthy body mass with the appropriate amount of fat and lean mass. Maintaining a caloric balance between the energy you expend and the energy you eat is necessary for a healthy body composition. Generally, a woman's caloric needs are lower than a man's. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a woman should consume 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day based on her physical activity level.
Goals of Fitness Training for a Female
As a woman, there may be specific goals to keep in mind when designing your fitness program. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the number one killer of women. You may want to design a program that aims at increasing your cardiovascular health. Osteoporosis, a condition that causes loss of bone mass with age is another parameter to structure your exercise regimen. Weight bearing exercises can help stave off osteoporosis. Menstruation and menopause can also be positively affected by exercise: Hormone fluctuations caused by menstruation and menopause can be minimized with regular aerobic exercise. Your program should include moderate intensity exercises, resistance training and flexibility exercises.
Sample Fitness Program
For fitness and wellness purposes, strive to exercise five to seven days per week, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Aerobic exercise should consist of dynamic large-muscle movements that are weight-bearing in nature, such as walking, jogging or stair climbing. Weight-bearing activities challenge your bones and can increase bone density. Your aerobic exercise routine should last for 20 to 60 minutes at a moderate to moderately hard intensity, based on your ability.
Resistance training is known as progressive weight training. You should pick 8 to 10 exercises that work all of your large muscles such as hamstring curls, leg extensions, leg presses, bicep curls, overhead presses, chest flies, lat pulldowns, abdominal curls and triceps pushdowns. Perform 10 to 15 repetitions of one to three sets. Finally, flexibility is important to prevent injury and keep your joints healthy. Make sure to stretch all of your major muscles after exercise, holding each stretch for at least 20 seconds.
Vitamins and Minerals
A good diet for a female should be balanced and include adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals. While most vitamin and nutrient requirements are the same for males and females, there are certain nutrients that females should increase. Women should focus on getting essential nutrients to keep their bones healthy, such as vitamin D and calcium. Post menopausal women need to increase their calcium intake to 1,200 mg per day. During menstruation, blood loss can lead to an increased need for iron; a vegetarian diet can also call for an increase in iron intake, since the best sources of iron come from animal-based foods. Adult women ages 19 to 50 need 18 mg per day.
Womens Health.gov, recommends emphasizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy, lean proteins and unsaturated fats. To prevent heart disease, limit intake of saturated fats, cholesterol, sodium and refined sugars. Limiting your alcohol consumption can also stave off disease. A woman should limit her alcohol intake to one drink per day.
References
- Womens Health.gov; How To Eat For Health; June 2008
- "Health Fitness Instructor's Handbook"; Edward T. Howley and B. Don Franks; 2003
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; Mithcell H. Whaley, PhD, Peter H. Brubaker, Phd, Robert M. Otto, Phd (Eds.); 2006
- Female Diet and Nutrition
- "Dietary Guidelines for Americans: 2010"; United States Department of Agriculture; February 2010
- American Heart Association: Women and Cardiovasular Disease
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