In today’s day and age, forty is the new thirty. Women everywhere are realizing that 40 is not old, in fact, it is the start of the prime of their lives. But even if we don’t feel old it doesn’t mean there aren’t some changes that need to be made as we prepare to enter our next 50 years. 40 is a great age to start some new routines or get more involved in old interests. Here are six tips for women over 40 that are useful in ensuring we are living our best life.
Eat Healthily
This tip is obviously useful for people of any age, but some changes in our bodies make it even more important once we turn 40. At 40 the body’s metabolism naturally begins to slow down and foods we use to eat might suddenly start to become an issue. The slowing of the metabolism can lead to unexpected weight gain and the new pounds can be hard to lose. Making sure we are choosing healthy foods and healthy portions can prevent health and self-esteem problems before they happen. Healthy foods help lower your chances of many diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. If you are unsure how to choose a healthy diet for you it could be a good idea to talk to a dietitian.
Get Out of the House
Growing sedentary is one of the fastest ways to grow old. Don’t let yourself fall into a routine of nothing but work and bed. Making new friends, hanging out with old friends, or even discovering a hobby on your own are all great ways to keep the mind young. If we let our routine grow stagnant our minds can also grow stagnant. Learning new things and meeting new people is one of the best ways to keep our minds sharp. Even if you are a homebody it’s important to find things that keep your mind involved. Growing a garden or learning a new skill are great things to do at home that still keep your mind engaged.
Keep on Top of Your Health
The older we get the more things that can go wrong in our bodies. It is important to get screened for a multitude of things to ensure any sickness or disease is got as soon as possible.
Once you hit 40 the list of things to get screened for increases.
Get screened for:
- Diabetes
- Breast Cancer
- Cholesterol
- HPV
- Pap Smear
- Mental Health
It’s always important to stay on top of your medical health but it becomes more vital once you hit 40. Many of the things that would not be an issue in your youth can quickly become a problem if not caught early enough. Managing an illness does not have to be scary if caught at an early stage.
Build an Exercise Routine
Exercise is good for every part of your body. It helps keep you strong so that you can be active long into your twilight years, it keeps your mind invigorated and gives your body a sense of purpose. If you are over 40 and struggle to exercise daily, it might be because you have never found a workout that works for you. In today’s world there are so many options for workouts you are nearly guaranteed to find one that brings you joy. If plain cardio isn’t doing it for you, you should check out these 5 reasons to try strength training. Strength training is something many women might have overlooked as a workout and is surprised by how much they enjoy it once they give it a try,
Create a Sleep Routine
A not-so-fun aspect of getting older is the inability to fall asleep. After 40 you are much more likely to struggle with sleep insomnia. A good nighttime routine can help relieve some of this. Tricks to help make it easier to fall asleep include:
- Avoiding all electronics an hour before bedtime
- Having a warm drink
- Playing soft music
- Taking a warm bath
- Do nighttime Yoga
A bedtime routine does not have to be anything extreme but teaching your body signals that mean it’s time to start winding down for sleep can make falling asleep much easier. You might also find that going to bed earlier and getting up earlier is something that agrees with you more now than it did in your early 20s.
Stay Social
Friends circles naturally decline as we age. People get caught up in their own lives and forget to reach out. Feelings can get hurt over the years and relationships break and never get mended. It can be equally hard to make new friends as it is to keep old ones, but it is very important to keep a social circle. Having people to talk to can greatly reduce the chances of depression and remove feelings of being alone. Find social groups that meet in your area to make new friends or keep in touch with old ones. It is also important to make friends that enjoy the same hobbies so that you can keep doing the things you love with the people you love.
Getting older does not mean growing old. Many things in life only get better with age, but its important we take care of our whole body in order to age gracefully. Staying healthy is a full-time job that includes many different aspects. Making sure you have friends who enjoy similar hobbies can make sure you are getting out of the house and being both mentally and physically stimulated. Working out and eating healthy will keep your body strong and your mind sharp. Getting your yearly checkups will ensure that anything that might be wrong is caught and handled quickly before it becomes too much of a problem. These are all tips that we can take and implement at any point in our lives. But for women over 40, they become even more important to make sure you are living the best life you can.