Women's Health Week: Tamworth exercise physiologist reminds women to press pause and check in on their health

That's the pattern Tamworth exercise physiologist Jess Barber wants to break, and with life a lot slower during lockdown, she says it's the perfect opportunity to press the pause button.

"A lot of GPs are reporting that regular check-ups are well and truly down due to COVID," she said.

"People are really concerned about going to their doctors surgeries but now is the best time to really prioritise that, because we do have a little bit more time to work on our health.

"I think this whole pandemic the last two years has really shown how much of a priority your health is."

This Women's Health Week, she is encouraging women to take a moment to check in with themselves physically, emotionally and mentally - and reach out for support.

"Whether it be through a GP, potentially a close family member or friend or us working in that field of exercise prescription for those clinic, chronic diseases," she added.

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Every day she works with women who are faced with barriers when it comes to putting health first, with the main one being time constraints.

"Most women are always prioritising everyone else and what everyone else has to do, particularly women with children," she said.

"The health and wellbeing of the family tends to come first before the mum or woman themselves."

Nearly 50 per cent of women live with a chronic disease, many of which are silent conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis and mental health illnesses.

"Within the field of exercise of physiology we work and have a bit more knowledge around the clinic exercise prescription for those chronic health conditions and how to exercise correctly for the management of them," Ms Barber added.

She said just ten minutes of movement a day can significantly improve your mood.

"Women should be celebrating the movement their body can do, as opposed to punishing the body through movement," she added.

"When we exercise it creates a few chemical changes in the brain and body which stimulate that good mood and increased energy level which is definitely required at the moment when life is quite mundane."

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