SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – According to the CDC, roughly 15 percent of women are in fair or poor health.
For women’s health month, we spoke with someone who’s not only an expert but also understands the struggle all too well.
Like many women, Carisa Elmore wears many hats all day every day
Elmore is a Nurse Practitioner at Southcoast Health. Specializing in helping kids and new moms.
As a mom herself, Elmore is making it her mission to remind other ladies that taking care of your health is just as important as taking care of your loved ones
“We’re taking our kids to the doctor every three months for that first year of life, every year to get their sports physical but we need to be healthy enough to also be able to take care of them and take care of other priorities,” Elmore said.
Which is why Elmore stresses the importance of prioritizing our health. She says yearly check ups with primary care physician and ob/gyn are vital. You should also talk to your doctor immediately if you notice any changes in your body.
Elmore says her patients are also struggling to find to time to do daily activities with health benefits.
“It’s a very tricky balance and I often see that with new moms, especially new working moms, who are coming home from work and their last thought is going to the gym because they haven’t seen their baby all day.”
Goal setting and finding activities that make you happy is what helps Elmore juggle it all.
“I think it’s important to know that what are your goals and just starting with the small steps you because once you start that goal of being active then you realize how good you feel. You realize that getting in that activity, whether it’s a brisk walk that’s low impact and low risk for injury or it’s actually going to a gym to find your community. You’re going to sleep better. You’re going to have that dopamine release and overall feel happier when you get it done and then you’re prepared to take care of others.”
The real challenge is fitting these activities into your busy schedule. Elmore encourages you to just start and go little by little every day after.
“Just finding somewhere to start. If you’re goal is I want to drink 100 ounces of water a day, lets start there and then we can snowball on that goal of, then I’m going to meal prep my breakfast all week and then I can start to realize what it’s like to get into meal prepping and knowing what we’re going to eat.”
Another tip that I thought was really helpful, she says to find an accountability partner. They can encourage you to reach your goals like setting a doctors appointment, drinking more water and getting active.
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