As you age, it is highly likely you will have noticed changes in how your body reacts and responds to different stimuli. For example, burning the candle at both ends in your 20s will likely have done no serious damage, and many people regale tales of living on caffeine and an hour or two of shut-eye while experiencing everything life has to offer. Ask someone in their 30s and 40s if they would consider this, and chances are the answer will be a resounding no with a painful grimace.
Bodies change as you age; there is no denying that. It can take longer to recover from minor illnesses and injuries, and most people by this age will have consulted Dr. Google at least once over something that is giving them cause for concern.
But just because your body is feeling the effects of age, it doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it, far from it. Being able to support your body as it changes and improve your health can, in turn, reduce the signs of ageing and support your body to function properly as you glide gracefully through the years ahead of you. Here’s how.
Move More
There is so much value placed on “exercise,” and by “exercise,” this means going to a gym or joining classes every night. While you need to get at least 30 minutes of activity that raises your heart rate at least 5 times per week, nothing in the rule book discounts any type of activity from being beneficial. In fact, simple tasks like cleaning the house, gardening, and or walking instead of taking the car all count towards how active you are and shouldn’t be underestimated. You use more calories performing everyday tasks than you likely will in a rigorous 30-minute gym session. So get up, move around, and stay active. Your body will thank you for it.
Build Better Habits
This doesn’t mean to say you need to give up everything you enjoy completely, but it does mean looking at some habits you might have that need to be broken or at least reduced. Smoking is one of them and contributes to poor health, increased signs of ageing, and higher risks of developing life-threatening illnesses. Switch to nicotine replacement products, switch to vaping liquids (you can purchase fruity flavour disposable devices from Vape Locker to try), or quit completely. The same with drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. Switch to lower alcoholic content drinks, swap a couple of drinks for non-alcoholic versions, or again, stop cold turkey. Whatever it is that you are indulging in, look at how it impacts your health and how you can change how often you indulge, if you continue to at all.
Sleep
As you get older, your need for sleep might change, and you might find you need to sleep less or wake up earlier. But the importance of sleep, as you get older, is still such that you must ensure you get a good quality snooze to support your body. You need around 7 hours minimum per night, and you need to be making sure you are going through each stage of sleep; light sleep, deep sleep, REM, and Non-REM sleep to give your body the proper rest it needs to get up and ready for the next day.
Staying healthy as you age isn’t some magic trick that only the elite few can master. By making small healthier changes to support your changing body, you can help yourself stay fighting fit for as long as possible.
