National Women’s Health Week starts on Mothers Day each year. We’re a bit early, but we might not be too early for those of you thinking about Mothers Day gifts that can help a mother, grandmother, aunt, or other special woman in your life to stay healthy. As long as they use them, that is, I got my mom a gift card to a thermal spa experience two years ago and she still hasn’t used it, despite a) wanting to go, and b) hearing my aunt, grandma and I rave about it. Some things you just can’t explain. 😉

Here are some fun ideas for Mothers Day gifts that may also help improve her health, too!

If you’re thinking “A medical bracelet is a good idea, but where would I start? What would I put on it?”, those are great questions! What to engrave on a medical ID bracelet can be very personal, so it may be best to go “shopping” online with your mom to get her to pick the bracelet and choose her engraving, or simply pick up a gift certificate by e-mailing jon [at] myidentitydoctor.com, so that she can be surprised by a thoughtful gift and you can be surprised when you see which bracelet she chooses! (There are a lot of newer styles out on our site, so be sure to check them out!)

There are a lot of things you can do to celebrate National Women’s Health Week coming up—and if you start planning now, you can make them even more fun! Women can invite their female coworkers (and any men wanting to join in) to go on a lunchtime walk each day the week of May 14th to 20th—you could make lunchtime walking club an activity that lasts all summer (and winter, if you’re brave or live in warmer places!). Have a healthy potluck to wrap up the week, or rotate bringing in healthy snacks to the office—getting people talking about staying healthy is always easier over food bringing people together!

While we’re aware of the many health issues that only affect women, there are also other ways National Women’s Health Week can be used to positively impact women’s health. For instance, education about heart attack symptoms which may be different in women, might save a life one day! Learning about the importance of breast self exams, regular pap smears, or simply talking about exercise, are all straightforward ways women can refresh their memories about these important steps to staying healthy and catching potential problems early to have better outcomes.

No matter who you’re celebrating this Mother’s Day, or how you’re celebrating, we hope you have a safe and healthy time with the ones you love. We realize this time of year can be difficult for some, too—be sure to care for yourself if this time of year is hard for you, or express your support for others who may have a difficult time this Mothers Day.