When you’re hitting your forties, it can be depressing to look in the mirror and see yourself in the not-so-best of health. Age catches up with everyone, but it does have different effects on people depending on how active they have been in their life. However, it is possible to turn things around when it comes to your health. Here are several tips that should help ensure that you enter your golden years with a spring in your step.
Be More Active
One of the first things you should be doing is to be more active. As people get older, they tend to be more sedentary. It can be a struggle to get up from the couch or bed to get some active exercise going. However, this is necessary to get the muscles in good condition, as well as the other body systems like the heart and lungs.
Starting an exercise regimen is a good way to start getting into good condition. For example, even low-intensity aerobic exercises like running can help start strengthening muscles and bones. Doing them even 30 minutes a day can go a long way in helping you keep fit. This level of activity should be enough to get your body to shed some pounds. You can even intensify it for faster results.
Handle the Pain
Another issue is the various aches and pains that you are suffering from. While many people think they can live with the pain, it is better to seek treatment at the local pain clinic. Pain is your body’s way of saying that something is wrong. Finding out what is causing the pain can help resolve the issue.
Additionally, helping deal with the pain can allow you a better quality of life. For example, for people suffering lower back pain, exercises and stretches can do a lot to help ease them most of the time.
Watch What You Eat
As you get older, you should not be keeping your old dietary habits. You can’t drink multiple bottles of beer anymore or eat a whole pizza. It is a smarter move to start watching what you eat. At 40, your metabolism starts to slow down. This means that you won’t be able to process all the food you eat as quickly as possible.
The important thing now is to ensure that when you eat, all of it becomes energy that you can use. You can do this by avoiding late-night snacks and eating smaller portions.
Take Supplements
Your body needs a few more vitamins if it intends to be as healthy as possible. Even if you eat the best possible diet, you will still be short of various nutrients. This is where supplements come in. Taking the extra vitamins can be a big help.
For example, taking extra Vitamin D can be a big help since it helps encourage weight loss. Other nutrients that would help would be calcium, which helps fight bone loss, and magnesium, boosting the immune system.
Take a Rest
Besides all that, there is also the need for a proper rest. Many older people don’t get to have a decent sleep. They often wake up late in the night or become night owls. Insomnia is a common condition that many people face as they age.
You should consider having a proper sleeping time as well as trying sleeping pills. Avoiding naps during the day can also help since it preserves your time of sleep. A good night’s sleep is essential and can help your body recover from various aches and pains.
Keep to It
The greatest challenge that you will face is the temptation to give up. A lot of people start a fitness regimen and diet and then give up. That is not the way for you to reach your goal. Choose to stay the course, and you will be rewarded with a healthier body.
Your best bet is to have the proper mindset for it. Aim to do your best one day at a time. When that is over, try again the next day. Besides that, keep track of your progress to ensure that you are progressing properly.
There is a lot of work needed to get into good health when you start later in life. This is especially worse if you have not been taking care of yourself. But with dedication and effort, you should be able to repair the damage to your body from your years of neglect. At the very least, you will have fewer aches and pains in the coming years.
