Every year on the last Wednesday of September, National Women’s Health and Fitness Day brings together women across the nation to focus on physical activity, preventive care, and overall well-being. This year, we’re making it the perfect day to expand what we mean when we talk about women’s health.
Women’s Health & Fitness Day is most often associated with exercise and screenings, and those certainly matter. But there’s a dimension of women’s health that gets far less attention: mental and emotional well-being. For many women, it’s the area of health they’re most likely to deprioritize, and therefore the one with the most opportunity to grow.
The Mental Health Burden Women Carry
According to NAMI’s 2025 data, 26.7% of U.S. women experience mental illness annually, compared to 20.0% of men, meaning more than 1 in 4 women are affected each year, at nearly twice the rate as men. While anxiety disorders are among the most common conditions across every age group, women experience higher rates of anxiety and depression compared to men, partly due to hormonal fluctuations, societal pressures, and multitasking demands. Added to that is the reality that women are more likely than men to juggle multiple responsibilities, such as work, caregiving, and household duties, often at the cost of personal wellness. This means that for many women, self-care is the last item on a very long list.
Mental Health and Physical Health: Two Sides of the Same Coin
National Women’s Health and Fitness Day has always recognized the body – how we feel, how we move, whether or not we’re getting our steps in. What’s become increasingly important is recognizing that the mind can’t be separated from the body, because mental health is inseparable from physical health.
The relationship runs in both directions:
- Physical activity releases endorphins that reduce anxiety, depression, and stress (conditions that disproportionately affect women).
- Chronic stress and untreated mental health conditions can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, immune dysfunction, and other physical health concerns.
- Exercise reduces symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress, promoting overall emotional well-being.
- Better sleep, improved by both movement and emotional regulation, anchors everything else.
Caring for your mental health isn’t separate from caring for your body. It’s part of the same practice.
What Mental Wellness Looks Like Across Life Stages
Every life stage brings different health priorities for women. Mental wellness is no different:
- Adolescence and early adulthood: building emotional regulation skills, navigating identity, and establishing patterns that will carry into adulthood
- Childbearing years and early parenthood: postpartum mental health, the adjustment to new roles, and the challenge of balancing caregiving with self-care
- Perimenopause and menopause: hormonal shifts that can directly affect mood, sleep, anxiety, and sense of self
- Later years: navigating transitions, loss, shifting relationships, and maintaining connection and purpose
At every stage, emotional well-being is something that benefits from attention, not just during hard seasons, but as an ongoing practice.
Practical Habits That Support Both Body and Mind
If you’re looking for a place to start this Women’s Health and Fitness Day, here are habits that research consistently supports for women’s physical and mental health:
- Move your body regularly. The World Health Organization recommends 150–300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week. It doesn’t need to be intense or involve a gym, just activity that gets you moving and strengthening your body.
- Prioritize sleep. Hormonal changes, caregiving responsibilities, and stress all conspire against women’s sleep. Protecting it is one of the best things you can do for your health.
- Invest in your relationships. Social connection is one of the strongest predictors of both mental and physical health outcomes across the lifespan.
- Practice saying no. Overextension is a structural problem for many women. Boundaries are vital for your health.
- Check in with yourself honestly. Not just “Am I keeping up?” but “Am I actually okay?” Those are different questions.
When to Seek Professional Support
Healthy habits matter, but they have limits. If you’re experiencing persistent sadness or anxiety, mood changes that don’t seem tied to circumstances, burnout that rest doesn’t touch, or anything that’s making it harder to function or connect with the people you love, these are signals worth taking seriously.
National Women’s Health and Fitness Day reminds women that caring for the mind is just as important as caring for the body. Seeking counseling isn’t a sign that your self-care has failed. It’s part of what self-care actually looks like.
Oakwood Counseling: Supporting Women at Every Stage
At Oakwood Counseling, we work with women navigating every season of life, from postpartum adjustment and relationship challenges to burnout, anxiety, depression, and major life transitions. We offer individual counseling, couples counseling, and group therapy both in person in Bryan and virtually anywhere in Texas.
This Women’s Health and Fitness Day, consider making an appointment the act of self-care you’ve been putting off.
Ready to prioritize your mental health? Schedule an appointment with Oakwood Counseling or call us at (979) 229-7636.
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Resources
Revive Research
National Women’s Health and Fitness Day 2025: Wellness Tips
South Denver Therapy
Women’s Mental Health Statistics 2026
Metropolis India
National Women’s Health and Fitness Day
Celebrating Life Community Health Center
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is each counseling session?
The standard session is 50 minutes, but we can adjust that for more or less time depending on your needs.
How often should I attend therapy?
Most begin with weekly sessions, but the frequency of your sessions is a decision you make in consultation with your therapist.
Do I need a diagnosis to start therapy?
No. You can start therapy anytime.
Contact Oakwood Counseling – College Station & Bryan, TX
Website: https://www.oakwoodcounseling.com/
Phone: (979) 229 7636
Location:1100 Briarcrest Dr Bryan, Texas 77802
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