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Laugh and Learn with Spirit
Spirit of Women Educates, Inspires Women About Good Health
By Kelly D. Burgess
"I've been to every one of the seminars except for the ones that were aimed at new moms and enjoyed them all," says Wilkison, 65. "The speaker at the urinary incontinence seminar was wonderful, and I was surprised at how much I learned. I hadn't realized that the urinary tract could be strengthened by certain exercises the same way you strengthen other muscles. It was very informative."
More important, Wilkison says, she's learning practical life skills she's never thought about needing but that may come in handy some day. After all, as she points out, not every woman is lucky enough to have a partner to put air in the tires or make sure there's enough money available after retirement. Women have to be proactive.
Women probably do need these skills and knowledge, but Tanya Abreu thinks American women are already pretty busy and stressed out. That may be why many of us are not as healthy as we can be. Abreu, president and national program director for Spirit of Women, says it may be time to start taking a slightly different approach to health and fitness, making it a fun and natural part of our lifestyles rather than something we feel that we have to do.
"Women today are too focused on health and fitness as a chore," says Abreu. "If working out after you have a baby becomes a source of stress, that additional stress has been proven to wreak more havoc on your health than a few extra pounds. People should not purue health out of guilt; it should be part of a fun lifestyle."