Lifestyle changes can have an enormous impact on health. Without a doubt, the most powerful lifestyle habit affecting health is cigarette smoking. Physical inactivity is a lifestyle risk factor for many serious diseases. For example, not exercising is almost as great a risk factor for developing heart disease as smoking.
Adequate exercise is the crucial ingredient missing in most women's lives.
Activities such as brisk walking, running, aerobics, cross-country skiing, dancing, and tennis not only help the heart, but also the bones, the muscles, balance, and weight management. Some women report fewer hot flashes when they exercise regularly. It is, without a doubt, the best remedy for a whole host of menopause complaints. Women who are just beginning an exercise program should first check with their health care provider to determine if this level of exercise is appropriate initially. With declining estrogen levels, midlife women are at increased risk of developing heart disease and osteoporosis, two serious conditions that are greatly affected by diet.