I remember when the only choice in workout fashion for women was a pair of shapeless sweatpants and  stretched-out cotton t-shirt! As I exercised the cotton grew heavier as it became saturated with sweat.  Uncomfortable… and not a pretty sight.

Well, no more! Adidas, Nike, Champion and others have made a trip to the gym a fashion statement: beautiful designs for every body type made from state-of-the-art fabrics that literally wick the sweat from your body. My “workout stuff” drawer is now crammed with comfy yoga pants, running shorts and T’s made from miracle fabrics that make exercise a breeze!

But for all of you gals who love to peruse the “Title 9,” “Athleta” and “Road Runner Sports” catalogs and websites, I thought you’d like to know about an innovative new Poway Company that’s taking women’s athletic wear to the streets!

DiRTYReD Athletic Wear is a fun, clean clothing line with a “twist of street flare.” If I were a little younger, I’d go for the scrunch tank bra in black and red (with a little white accent!) or the low-cut lounge pant. But DiRTYReD’s Nicol Akins assured me I could pull off the combed-cotton long-sleeved t-shirt and peek-a-boo skort.” (It actually covers a multitude of sins!)

According to Akins, the workout gear is for “a woman who likes to get a li’l Dirty, turn a li’l ReD and hit the pavement before or after a hectic day.” According to the promotional materials, “Like you, your clothes should be able to hang no matter what the activity.”

It’s cute stuff. Check it out! www.dirtyredgear.com.

A San Diego health tradition is back and it’s better than ever! For 17 years, the Sharp Women’s Health Symposium was the standard for women’s health events nationwide — an annual opportunity for women to learn the latest on health and well-being, get free health assessments, mingle with celebrities and enjoy inspirational speakers on a wide variety of topics.

After taking a year off to “freshen up,” Sharp HealthCare, in partnership with the National Speaking of Women’s Health Foundation, will host its inaugural “Speaking of Women’s Health Conference” Saturday, May 31 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina. 

This year’s conference is taking the best parts of Sharp’s previous event and combining it with dynamic, new elements to deliver the latest in health news in a fun, informative way.

The day-long event includes scores of break-out sessions featuring Sharp doctors who will address medical issues of most concern to women including heart disease, cancer and diabetes. A host of experts will be presenting all that’s new on a wide variety of health and wellness topics.

Even the theme is fun! “Discover Your Everyday Super Heroes” will encourage women to develop super hero traits within themselves… while learning how to recognize those qualities in others.

One of the country’s leading women physicians, Dr. Pam Peeke, will jump start the day as morning key-note speaker. Communications skills expert, Colette Carlson will keep the “super heroes” energized with her motivational message. In between, there’s a gourmet lunch, Ask-the-Doctor and Pharmacist booths and informative breakout sessions given by national and local health and beauty experts.

Yours, truly will be on hand to emcee the event and talk about erasing the stigma of mental illness in one of the breakout sessions. It runs from 8am to 4pm and costs $40. You can’t beat the price!

The bad news? Due to an overwhelming community response, tickets are sold out. The good news? You can add your name to the waiting list as event organizers are looking at ways to increase the number of attendees.   Just go to www.sharp.com/womensevent to get on the waiting list.

If you can’t make it keep an eye on this space. I’ll tell you all about it!

I just came across some news that gives me one more reason to thank my parents! Not only did they “pop” for the orthodontia that corrected buck teeth that kept my mouth from closing all the way, they were also extremely supportive of my interest in sports.

Forty-five years ago it wasn’t very fashionable for girls to be involved in organized sports. But when I fell in love with swimming during lessons at the Family “Y” in my hometown of Davenport, Iowa, mom and Dad not only encouraged me to participate, they schlepped me back and forth to my swim team workouts and across the Midwest for weekend swim meets.

Swimming was a plus in my life at so many levels — building confidence, teaching teamwork and experiencing life lessons about fairness, winning and losing. Of course, the health benefits go without saying. But little did I know those swim workouts when I was 13 years old would benefit my health today. It turns out that exercise during the teen years can help prevent breast cancer later in life.

An interesting study just released from Washington University in St. Louis finds girls who began a lifetime of exercise when they were as young as 12 were 23 percent less likely to develop postmenopausal breast cancer.

The study, involving 65,000 nurses, found three hours a week of running or other vigorous exercise — or simply walking 13 hours a week — provide the best results.

If you’d like to learn more about the study, check out the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The study’s lead author, Dr. Graham Colditz, says the research indicates “sustained physical activity from adolescence through the adult years” lowers a woman’s chances of breast cancer.

Fortunately, these days girls’ sports isn’t a rarity. So rock on girls! Run an extra mile, log a few more minutes in the gym or swim a few more laps. It’s not only good for you now, it may pay huge dividends in the years to come.

A health warning has been issued for women who use the birth control patch. (Honestly, you almost need a score card to keep up with the latest on what’s safe and what’s not when it comes to birth control!) But this news is worth noting.

The government is being asked to pull the Ortho-Evra patch off the market. A consumer advocacy group called Public Citizen says the patch is much riskier than the pill.

Dr. Sidney Wolfe of Public Citizen actually goes so far as to say, “Ovra-Evra is a poor choice for women.”

Warnings about the weekly patch have escalated since an AP investigation in 2005 found women who use the patch have a higher incidence of life-threatening blood clots than women who take birth control pills.

That said, blood clots are a rare side effect for most estrogen-related products. But some of the studies suggest patch users have twice the risk of clots in the legs and lungs as do women who take the pill. Apparently, patients absorb up to 60 percent more estrogen via the patch. The FDA has updated Ortho-Evra’s labels in recent years to reflect the clot warnings… and demand for the patch has dropped dramatically.

In this latest warning, Dr. Wolfe argues the patch just isn’t worth the risk. The manufacturer insists the patch is safe and effective when used as directed. 

The FDA says it wants to review the request by Public Citizen. But, for the time being, the decision is up to you and your doctor. We’ll keep you posted.