IT'S YOUR TURN!

National Women's Health Week is a weeklong health observance coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health. It brings together communities, businesses, government, health organizations, and other groups in an effort to promote women's health. The theme for 2011 is "It's Your Time." National Women's Health Week empowers women to make their health a top priority. It also encourages them to take steps to improve their physical and mental health and lower their risks of certain diseases. Those steps include:

• Getting at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity, or a combination of both, each week.


• Eating a nutritious diet.


• Visiting a health care professional to receive regular checkups and preventive screenings.


• Avoiding risky behaviors, such as smoking and not wearing a seatbelt.


• Paying attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress.