When you’re around the age of 40, your children may be growing up and moving out, you may be starting a new career, or you may even be preparing to retire. Whatever changes are happening in your life, one thing remains the same: taking care of your health is essential! Let’s examine some of the best habits to follow in your 40s to stay healthy and live your best life.
Manage Stress Properly
When life happens, dealing with it however you see fit may be tempting, but properly managing stress is critical in your 40s. Stress can harm your health, so do what you can to minimize its effects. The best way to manage stress is to change how you view it in the first place. Our perception of stress determines how much it affects us. Often, stress comes from fear of what we can’t control, which is natural. But accepting what we can and can’t control will help us see the bigger picture in certain situations and help us feel better about it.
Try to stay in the present moment and appreciate what your mind is “warning” you about while taking deep breaths—you’ll find you can undoubtedly change your relationship with stress.
Stay Active
Exercise has many health benefits, including naturally reducing stress and improving your mood. It’s also a great way to stay in shape and maintain muscle mass as you age. Try to include at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity five days per week, whether it’s walking around the neighborhood, riding your bike, or gardening. Additionally, you should engage in strength or resistance training at least twice a week.
Get Quality Sleep
The amount of sleep you need reduces as you age, but you still need to ensure you get high-quality sleep so you can recover properly, your tissues and fiber rebuild, and your body systems and mind reset. People in their 40s should get at least 7 hours of sleep at night—this may be a challenging task at times, but it’s certainly possible. If you have trouble sleeping, try to stick to a daily morning and evening routine and do relaxing activities before bed, such as reading, taking a bath, and having a light snack.
Stay Hydrated
This is a habit that you might’ve been trying to keep up with since your 20s, but it’s critical nonetheless! Whether through soup, Gatorade, water, or tea, staying hydrated is of the utmost importance in your 40s. Dehydration can lead to several health problems, so try to drink enough fluids throughout the day.
Maintain Nutritious Diet
As you get older, your body still goes through hormonal changes, changing the way your body metabolizes what you eat. This is why you might experience energy dips or other symptoms when you eat too many processed foods. Fill each meal with the proper amounts of fiber, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, and protein. Protein is vital in your 40s—you lose muscle mass as you age, which is why adding jerky to your meals can help a great deal in maintaining adequate protein levels.
These are just a few of the best habits to follow in your 40s to stay healthy. By making the above changes, you ensure a happy and healthy life for years to come.
To a Fitter Healthier You,
The Fitness Wellness Mentor
