Beyond 40 is when a lot of health issues begin to show up and this age requires some serious intervention in terms of physical, mental, and spiritual health. If you are already in a habit of living a healthy lifestyle, then wonderful; half your job is already done! But in case health has not been your priority in early adulthood, then fret not…It’s not too late. Start now! This article will run you through the 11 best tips for staying healthy after 40 🙂

Earlier years are all passed in hectic jobs, growing kids, aging parents, and such. And with that, we hardly pay any real attention to our health.  So at least at 40, it’s really crucial to evaluate and take a harder look at our wellness and take necessary actions accordingly. Some most common steps towards a holistic wellness approach are to maintain decent levels of physical activity, eat well and rest even better.

Best Tips for Staying Healthy After 40

Let’s take a better look at them all, here:

Preserve Your Eyesight

Regular eye check-up is a must as you begin to age especially after reaching/nearing 40. the vision gets poorer with time and one very frequently noted condition is ‘macular degeneration; a condition with reduced vision. It’s important to watch out for any warning signs and be early in detection.

Ideally, a good vision should allow you to read even fine print medicine labels. The best natural way to prevent vision problems is to eat healthy foods rich in antioxidants and lycopene. Make it a habit to use sunglasses during any time of the day; it’s important to protect your eyes from sun exposure.

Maintain Cholesterol, Blood Pressure & Sugar Levels

Given the hectic lifestyles today, fluctuations in blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure have become very common and hence, are things that need to be checked regularly not just on touching 40 years of age. Discuss with your physician and learn about the appropriate numbers or levels that you should maintain as per your age, and stick to those numbers. An anomaly in these numbers can result in diseases or other age-related risk factors.

Know Your Family Health History

Some diseases or risk factors that can affect you at the age of 40, maybe caused by genetics, such as the probability of being diagnosed with colon cancer. Knowing your family history can allow you to take some form of preventive measures, such as getting a colonoscopy at age 40, rather than realizing it too late.  The same goes for heart diseases as well. A well-timed calcium test will help determine whether your arteries are starting to harden and if you need a major change in your lifestyle or medications.

Pay Attention to Muscular Strength

You may probably start losing around a percent of your muscle mass per year, after hitting the age of 40. If you were not someone who frequented the gym or were not keen on exercises and physical fitness before, this is the time you start doing them. You can benefit from incorporating weight-bearing exercises, along with cardiovascular exercise, combined in a weekly physical activity plan. Some kind of resistance training, whether it is through the dumbbells at the gym, or even a can of soup, can help you maintain healthy muscle strength.

Flexibility is also an important aspect that should not be ignored. It decreases as we age, so adding yoga or Pilates can help you improve your flexibility, core strength, balance, and range of motion. Ultimately, being able to maintain your muscle mass and flexibility makes for a healthy lifestyle after 40, and can let you do the things you enjoy.

Here’s something you can read for yoga for beginners.

Make Friendship with Fiber

As we age, our metabolism takes a hit. You just cannot keep eating without gaining weight anymore. To have the right diet after 40 years old, replace your calories with more fluids and fibers. Cut down on empty calories that come from sweets, cold drinks, junk food, and so on. Rather, load your diet with whole grains, low-fat dairy, bountiful vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins which will replenish your fiber count, which in turn, will help you avoid problems such as constipation.

Cut Ties with Smoking

Needless to mention, smoking has never helped anyone. And if you are one of them who is doing it into your 40s, then you have the most reason to stop it now. Quitting may not be easy, but if you do it, you have a higher chance of avoiding a lot of bad incidents, such as heart diseases, heart attacks, strokes, kidney failures, as well as lung cancers, and lung diseases.

If you are attempting to quit smoking, it’s believed that nicotex helps to quit tobacco

Frequent Thyroid Checks

Problems in your thyroid, which helps control energy levels and regulates hormones, can cause you to feel worn out, gain weight easily, and make your hair and skin lose their luster. This mostly happens when you hit the age of 40, thus getting your thyroid checked up at this time can benefit you. A test can determine whether your thyroid is functioning properly, or if there is an anomaly. An underactive thyroid can sometimes result from a genetic condition, but can still be managed with prescription medicines.

Say Yes to Good Oral Health

Your oral health can be an important factor in deciding whether you can enjoy your favorite food after the age of 40. Several studies have also linked gum disease with heart disease and many other chronic illnesses.  Therefore, visits to the dentist for regular check-ups are necessary.

Keep Check on Your Weight

As we age, due to changes in our metabolism, a lesser amount of movement, and physical activity, we become prone to gaining weight. This may actually harm you as it allows you to catch several chronic illnesses. There’s a drastic change especially in women’s health after 40 due to their hormonal changes, menopausal phase, increasing risk of breast cancer, cervical cancer, etc. A lot of these are directly or indirectly linked with heavy weight so it is important to control weight. Both men and women can reduce the likelihood of heart disease and a bevy of other medical conditions by staying fit and healthy.

Sleep well

Sleep is important for all ages; especially for maintaining a healthy lifestyle after 40. A minimum of seven to nine hours of sleep per night is recommended to maintain healthy living. If you find it difficult to sleep, reduce your screen time, turn off your smartphone and TV before bed, and try to set a regular schedule.

Keep stress at bay

Screen time, especially dabbling with your smartphones can increase stress in your daily life. Stress, in turn, increases the risk of heart attacks and other illnesses. Reduce your exposure to the laptop or phone to just as much as necessary. Try maintaining a healthy work-life balance to manage your stress. Indulge in exercising and meditation. If they don’t help, think about attending stress management classes.

If you are somebody with a 9-5 desk job or spend the majority of your time on digital screens. Then there are some eye protection tips that you must definitely check out.

So how to take care of one health after 40? The key takeaway is that a good lifestyle is very important, to begin with. Eat right, sleep well, and don’t forget to exercise. And in addition, if you are not already into regular health checkups, begin to develop this important habit. Because early detection leaves you with more room for tr