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9 Things Women’s Health Doctors Would Never Do

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15.06.2025

As women age, it's important to keep a number of factors in mind to bolster health and longevity.

Between periods, menopause, perimenopause and pregnancy, being a woman can be a lot on the body.

More, women’s health just isn’t as studied as men’s health. Women largely weren’t included in medical research and clinical trials until the early 1990s (yes, you read that right, only 30 years ago), which has caused gaps in knowledge when it comes to health treatments for women.

Now, there are entire practices and specialities that focus on the differences in health outcomes for women, and doctors who are passionate about furthering research.

We spoke with doctors who focus on various aspects of women’s health about the health habits they avoid and what they wish all patients knew about their well-being. Here’s what they’d never do:

1. Discount the importance of movement.

“I’m moving all day long. And I think if everyone can make it a habit to just keep moving, our general health would be better in so many ways,” said Dr. Priya Freaney, a cardiologist and women’s heart health specialist at Northwestern Medicine in Illinois. Freaney added that she stretches every day at a minimum to prep her body for a day of rushing around.

“I run a postpartum hypertension clinic where I see new moms who have had blood pressure or other heart problems during pregnancy, and I tell people that as new moms, you have to be kind of creative in where you get your movement because there’s not a lot of time and there’s a lot of other responsibility,” Freaney said.

Trying to fold in movement whenever you can is key, whether that’s taking the stairs, going on stroller walks or walking instead of driving to your errands, she noted.

“Certainly compared to generations previous to us, we have more of an emphasis on exercise. Most people have sitting jobs, we spend most of our day sedentary, and we know that the biggest killer of women is heart disease, so as we get older, it becomes more and more important to protect our hearts, keep those arteries clear by doing things like exercising,” added Dr. Brintha Vasagar, a family physician in Wisconsin.

Exercise can also lessen feelings of anxiety and depression, help you sleep better and lowers the risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer.

2. Skip out on nutrition.

All three experts told HuffPost that healthy eating is one of the pillars they stick to for their current health and future health. This means fresh foods and less meat for Dr. Clara Paik, the co-chief of the division of general obstetrics and gynaecology at UC Davis Health in California.

Vasagar described diet as well-being 101 and said she limits processed foods and focuses on lean meats, fresh........

© HuffPost