When Susan Henry spent time in Alaska, she saw women carry water, wash clothes by hand, and walk miles, since villages did not then, and generally do not now, have roads or vehicles. FitnessLink was puzzled that those women were considered inactive. As your thoughtful question shows, a lot more work needs to be done concerning the every day activities undertaken by many women which they may not have reported. Women living in hilly terrain exercise more than do flatland dwellers. Urban-area hillsides tend to be occupied by the more affluent.
Caregiving duties are important barriers to physical activity for women.
Many women in this age group are caring for elderly family members. Answer these questions by calculating your Target Heart Rate and your Body Mass Index. Track your workout progress, get fitness advice in our friendly forum and smile hard at The Fit Side - our comical fitness cartoon. Then tell us what you think in our viewer survey.