Top Questions About Fitness and Women (PDF, 105 KB)
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Physical activity is safe for almost everyone. Get tips from the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans on ways to stay safe.
Top Questions About Fitness and Women (PDF, 105 KB)
Physical activity is safe for almost everyone. Get tips from the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans on ways to stay safe.
Enter a city, ZIP code (such as 20002), address, state, or place
Physical activity has many benefits for your health. But staying safe during physical activity is just as important for your health. Start slow if you have not been physically active for a while. This will help you stick with it and avoid injury.
Maybe. Most healthy women do not need to talk to their doctor or nurse before becoming active. But if you have health concerns or have not worked out in a while, it is a good idea to talk to a doctor or nurse about the types of physical activity that are right for you.
This is especially important if you:
Yes and no. Both women and men are at risk for injuries during physical activity. The degree of risk depends on the type of activity. For example, contact sports carry more of a risk than activities like walking.
But women are more likely than men to develop “runner’s knee” during physical activity.1 This condition may happen when the shock-absorbing tissue (called cartilage) in the knee wears down or when there are problems with the alignment of the bones, tendons, and muscles of the knee. It can happen because of many sports or activities, not just running.
Women are three times more likely to have an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear than men are.2 The ACL holds the knee in place.
Reasons for the difference in injury may include the following:
You may benefit from exercises you can do to strengthen your knee joint and lower the chance for ACL injuries. Talk to your doctor or nurse about your risk and what you can do to prevent injury.
You can take the following steps to help prevent an injury:
You will probably feel some soreness or discomfort when starting any physical activity. But in many ways, being active will probably make you feel better. If you do have pain that continues for days after an activity, talk to your doctor or nurse.
Top Questions About Fitness and Women (PDF, 105 KB)
Physical activity is safe for almost everyone. Get tips from the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans on ways to stay safe.
Enter a city, ZIP code (such as 20002), address, state, or place
The Office on Women's Health is grateful for the medical review in 2017 by:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Physical Activity Guidelines Committee
Nancy M. Gell, PT, Ph.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science, University of Vermont
All material contained on these pages are free of copyright restrictions and may be copied, reproduced, or duplicated without permission of the Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Citation of the source is appreciated.
Page last updated: December 27, 2018.
Physical activity has many benefits for your health. But staying safe during physical activity is just as important for your health. Start slow if you have not been physically active for a while. This will help you stick with it and avoid injury.
Maybe. Most healthy women do not need to talk to their doctor or nurse before becoming active. But if you have health concerns or have not worked out in a while, it is a good idea to talk to a doctor or nurse about the types of physical activity that are right for you.
This is especially important if you:
Yes and no. Both women and men are at risk for injuries during physical activity. The degree of risk depends on the type of activity. For example, contact sports carry more of a risk than activities like walking.
But women are more likely than men to develop “runner’s knee” during physical activity.1 This condition may happen when the shock-absorbing tissue (called cartilage) in the knee wears down or when there are problems with the alignment of the bones, tendons, and muscles of the knee. It can happen because of many sports or activities, not just running.
Women are three times more likely to have an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear than men are.2 The ACL holds the knee in place.
Reasons for the difference in injury may include the following:
You may benefit from exercises you can do to strengthen your knee joint and lower the chance for ACL injuries. Talk to your doctor or nurse about your risk and what you can do to prevent injury.
You can take the following steps to help prevent an injury:
You will probably feel some soreness or discomfort when starting any physical activity. But in many ways, being active will probably make you feel better. If you do have pain that continues for days after an activity, talk to your doctor or nurse.
This content is provided by the Office on Women's Health.
A federal government website managed by the Office on Women's Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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1-800-994-9662 • Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET (closed on federal holidays).