The link between physical fitness and overall good health in women will be explored in a two-day conference presented by Yale and Yale-New Haven Hospital that will draw nationally known experts in women's health to New Haven.
The Yale Conference on Women's Health & Fitness will take place Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3, at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale, 155 Temple St.
Conference sessions will cover topics such as the effects of physical activity in women; physical activity and cancer risk; physical activity and the prevention of cardiovascular disease; designing exercise programs for girls and women; issues confronted by the adolescent mother; the sexually healthy woman; menopause; the art of relaxation; updates on contraception; prenatal exercise; women's health in the 21st century; body weight and body image; and maternal depression. Among the speakers at the event will be health experts from the School of Medicine and its department of epidemiology and public health, the School of Nursing and Yale-New Haven Hospital.
The conference will feature two keynote presentations. On Saturday at 12:25 p.m., basketball player Rebecca Lobo and her mother, RuthAnn Lobo, will give an address. The women are coauthors of the recent book "The Home Team: of Mothers, Daughters and American Champions," which tells of their victories on and off the basketball court. Rebecca Lobo is a member of the WNBA's New York Liberty basketball team and was a member of the NCAA national champion University of Connecticut Huskies team and the Gold Medal U.S. Olympic basketball team. RuthAnn Lobo is a guidance counselor and teacher for students at a Connecticut middle school. She is also a breast cancer survivor.
On Sunday at 10:30 a.m., Dr. Steven Blair, director of epidemiology and clinical applications at the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas, Texas, will discuss "Health Burden of a Sedentary Lifestyle." Blair is responsible for the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study.
The conference will feature an activities room where informal instruction and demonstrations will be offered periodically, including exercise, massage, nutrition, prenatal exercise and sessions on low-fat cooking, Tai Chi and relaxation. On Saturday evening, there will be a reception and open house at the Yale Sports Medicine Center. Hosting the event will be Dr. Peter Jokl, professor of orthopaedics and rehabilitation. Also, there will be optional evening activities, morning exercise programs and walking tours.
In addition to Jokl, Yale speakers include medical school affiliates Loretta DiPietro, Dr. Philip Sarrel, Dr. Florence Comite, Dr. Michael Berman, Kelly Brownell, Dr. C. Neill Epperson and Dr. Mary Jane Minkin; School of Nursing faculty members Susan Cohen, Ann Cowlin and Lois Sadler; and Lorna Sarrel of the mental hygiene department at University Health Services.
All conference events are open to the public, and continuing education credits may be earned. The cost for non-credit attendees is $65 for single-day admission or $120 for both days. For further information, call (203) 688-WELL.
Other sponsors of the conference are Yale New Haven Health System, Procter & Gamble, Solvay, Women's Educational Life Learning at Yale-New Haven Hospital, DTP®, Inc.- Women's Health & Fitness Programs and the Yale Department of Athletics.
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