The perfect workout mix for women

If you have not been hitting the gym of late, here’s why you should. A study from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US says that women are more likely to be inactive than men.

If you have not been hitting the gym of late, here’s why you should. A study from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US says that women are more likely to be inactive than men, which increases their risks for a host of diseases, including early death, heart disease, and diabetes.

Plus new research finds that getting exercise can reduce a woman’s breast cancer risk. "Exercise as a means of preventing or reducing the risk of various cancers, particularly breast cancer, is important for two reasons: both the direct physical effects and the indirect effect, which is preventing or contributing to mechanisms that help prevent weight gain," says Dr. Marcas Bamman, who is part if the study, in a statement.



Another good reason to hit the gym? Loss of bone mass, which for women starts around the age of 30, says Dr. Retta Evans, University of Alabama at Birmingham associate professor of health education. While resistance training is ideal, any exercise can help maintain boss mass, from dance and Zumba to running and kickboxing.