Women often spend their time caring for those around them: children, spouses, aging parents, neighbors and friends. After all this effort, they may not have much energy left to prioritize their own well being. However, if women get run down, then how will they care for everyone else?

Mother’s Day marks the beginning of National Women’s Health Week. During these few days, let’s focus on preserving and improving the health of the women that we love – including ourselves!

A woman’s needs evolve as she ages due to both changes within her and changes around her. Within, childbearing years give way to menopausal transition and beyond. Without, her roles in family and society can shift with time. All these factors affect her health.

In celebration of National Women’s Health Week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has developed an excellent online tool for women to take better control of their health: womenshealth.gov/nwhw.

This Web site has pages for each decade, from our 20s to our 90s. Each decade page includes: the importance of an annual well-woman visit, what to to ask our doctor about, a list of screenings and/or vaccines that we may need, things to do every day for a healthier life, and additional information specific to our life stage.

Basically, taking care of ourselves boils down to seeing a doctor at least once a year and practicing healthy habits every day. Let’s look at these in more detail.

Once a year: An annual well-woman visit is a yearly checkup given by a doctor or nurse, and is recommended no matter what our age. If we have not had a checkup in more than one year, we should schedule one today!

Worried about cost? Most medical insurance will cover the entire price tag of the well-woman visit. If we do not have medical insurance, government health centers provide these preventative services free of charge.

Worried about having a test or a shot? Remember, we do not have to have every test, every year. Also, the old proverb is true: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Before the well-woman visit, we should write down any health concerns and goals that we wish to discuss. The lists on the DHHS Web site are excellent tools to help us communicate effectively with our health care providers. Asking informed questions is key to a successful checkup.

Every day: No matter what our age, we can adopt simple daily habits to enhance our quality of life. Eating healthy foods, exercising and getting adequate sleep are essential.

Healthy daily living also includes removing unhealthy habits like smoking, overeating, and drug or alcohol abuse. Visit www.healthfinder.gov for recommended first steps to change these behaviors.

This week, let’s share these tips with the women in our lives, and also take time to prioritize our own health care needs. Happy National Women’s Health Week!

Chrissie Kaufmann is a group fitness instructor at the YMCA of Southwest Michigan.