No matter how old you are, it is never too late to start taking care of your body and mind. But where you are in your life’s journey may have an effect on the steps you need to take to work towards better health. It’s important to make time to care for your health and educate yourself on strong wellness techniques to make the next decades of your life wonderful.

Here are some great pieces of advice for your health between the ages of 30 and 69.

The 30’s

Fresh out of your 20’s, many of those in their 30’s feel that they’re paying for the mistakes of their younger selves. These tips will help those between 30 and 39 turn it around:

Watch Your Diet and Maintain a Healthy Weight

Now is the time to start cementing a healthy diet, if you haven’t already. Eat in moderation, eat the right foods, and get the nutrients your body needs for health. Fresh ingredients should be used and those in their 30’s should be focusing on increasing their whole grains, fiber, antioxidants, and omega 3-fatty acid intake.

Exercise

As with diet, if you haven’t hammered out an exercise routine yet, there’s no better time than the present. These habits will carry over to your later decades. If you’re sitting all day at a desk, get up and move around, even at work. There are plenty of ways to add exercise to your daily routine. You may consider parking further away than you normally would from your home, workplace, or the store, for example.

If you’re having trouble keeping up an exercise routine, make sure you’re picking something you actually enjoy.

Create Other Good Habits

You will also want to focus on lowering stress levels and developing good sleeping habits. 30-year-olds should be going to sleep at the same time every day and practicing relaxation techniques to get ahead of stress and anxiety. A few changes you could consider are

• Quitting smoking
• Getting a meditation app
• Starting yoga
• Listening to your favorite podcasts
• Getting out in nature regularly
• Taking vitamins and supplements as necessary

40’s

40-year-olds have often been called “over the hill” but that doesn’t mean they need to feel like it. These tips will help you keep your mind and body sharp.

Adjust Your Diet

You’ll also want to keep up (or start) your healthy diet. Eating breakfast each day, for example, will help your metabolism and give you energy. Hormones start changing quite rapidly in those between 40 and 49; your body will be producing energy differently and metabolism can slow quite a bit. This makes it much easier to put on weight.  

You’ll also want to add more calcium, vitamin D, protein, and antioxidants to your daily meals. If you haven’t yet, now is the time to seriously consider the Mediterranean Diet.

Modify Your Exercise

An exercise routine that worked for you in your 30’s may no longer be the case in your 40’s. But don’t be ashamed of that! You can absolutely keep up your favorite routines with appropriate modifications. Try opting for more low impact choices during these years.

Start Getting Health Checks

Your 40’s is when the regular health checks and tests are generally recommended by doctors. Some tests your doctor can suggest include

• Diabetes screening
• Cholesterol screening
• Blood pressure tests
• Eye tests

    For “old sight” or presbyopia

• Thyroid tests
• Cervical smears
• Mammograms

50’s

During your 50’s, changes can happen more rapidly. The average age for menopause in women is 51. Men can also undergo a drop in testosterone production. Keep these tips in mind for continued good health.

Modify Your Diet (Again)

Your diet needs to keep up with you, and your intake should be adjusted once again. Calcium and vitamin D are more important than ever, as are B12 vitamins. You’ll also want to cut back heavily on salt and iron.

The Mediterranean Diet can actually help you tick all the boxes in this department!

Walk, Swim, and Work on Flexibility

Exercise can get tough when you reach your 50’s. During this age, you’ll want to focus heavily on walking and low impact exercises like swimming. Swimming can also help you get on track for fitness if you haven’t exercised much during your 30’s and 40’s.

Stretching to improve your flexibility, even for just 10-15 minutes a day, can help you work on being pain-free.

Keep Your Brain Stimulated

Just like your body, you need to work on keeping your brain sharp. Puzzles, chess, crosswords, research, genealogy, and other similar activities are great ideas to keep your brain moving. You absolutely need challenges during this time in your life, so consider what you enjoy!

Keep Up Preventative Care

Screening tests will continue during your 50’s. In addition to the tests received in your 40’s, you’ll probably be tested for

• Colorectal cancer
• Osteoporosis
• Lung cancer
• Prostate cancer

60’s

Even in your 60’s, it’s not too late to turn your health around! These suggestions will help you do just that or work to maintain your established healthy habits.

Stay Positive

During the ’60s, many people are retiring. Vacations or hobbies are often planned for these years, so it can be fun to look forward to. If you are retiring, make sure you have plans that continue challenging yourself so you can keep your mind and body going strong. Did you know that a positive attitude towards aging can add over 7 years to your life?

Stay on Top of Medical Care

You should be regularly visiting your doctor during your 60’s, and getting the screening tests listed above. Eye exams are more common during this time, too. Always talk to your doctor if you notice any changes – don’t put off appointments.

Don’t Ignore Your Social Life

Your social life is essential at any point in your life, but don’t let it fall off a cliff during your 60’s. Consider joining local groups in your community, especially if you’re retiring. It can be a big change to move from the workforce to home 24/7, so you need a strategy for spending time with friends and loved ones.

Aging doesn’t have to be a bad thing. A positive attitude and healthy habits can carry you far!