C’est la vie – translated as, ‘Such is Life.’ It means to accept what may come your way, be it anything negative or positive. The same goes for old age. It is just life taking its natural course. Something you cannot stop or avoid. But what you can do is make the best of it. Even if you feel like it might be too late, there is no expiration date to your efforts. You can start now, today, and right after you read this. It is more about giving your best, and the results will eventually show in whatever capacity. If you are approaching your 40s or in the latter years that are considered to be ‘old age’ for many, then this post is for you.
A lot of the realization comes to us when it gets too late or when we finally understand the need for it. Later years of your life are like that; you finally realize the need for a healthy lifestyle and why certain things are deemed necessary after the earliest of your days as a child.
Among those things is exercise. Did a light bulb go on above your head? Yes, it is one of the best things you can do for yourself at any stage of your life, in a different capacity. As you age, you need to ensure that you are avoiding any injury that may come due to a specific workout regime. Of course, no matter how great you feel from the inside, you still wouldn’t want to work out like a 20-year-old.
Medical studies have also shown a positive association between increased levels of physical activity and improved health in order adults. In addition to this, there have been nearly 3.2 million deaths per year that have been caused due to inactivity. However, before we speak about the importance of exercise and the ways you can achieve that in your latter years of life, let’s first discuss the mistakes to stop making after you bid your 30s a bittersweet farewell.
Mistakes to Avoid After 40
Are you prepared to live a healthy life? We aim to reach our 80s and still have healthy joints, bones, and overall health. Not taking care of yourself and letting yourself go is sabotaging your chance at a healthy and happy life. Below are some mistakes to avoid to help you stay fit in your 40s.
1. Forgetting about Hormonal Factors
Our hormones affect us in various ways, and the changes to our bodies can easily be noted. However, it is the underlying causes that are not too obvious and often problematic.
Isabel Smith, MS, RD, CDN, registered dietitian and founder of Isabel Smith Nutrition, says, “We can experience hormonal changes as we get older, which can change the way food is metabolized and the way our bodies use and produce energy.” Women specifically, are affected by drastic hormonal changes. This is why women in their middle age see more belly fat that bothers them. Again, with mindful living and a healthy lifestyle, this can be managed as well. All you have to do is educate yourself on hormonal changes and how they can affect you. Once you have that knowledge, you can start working on how to curb them the best you can.
2. Not Caring for Your Blood Sugar Levels
Changes in your blood sugar levels affect your body and health drastically. If you experience changes in your mood, energy, or sleep, that can indicate that you need to get your blood sugar levels sorted.
Here are a few things to do to manage your blood sugar levels.
- Eat at proper times and don’t skip meals
- Limit your alcohol consumption
- Choose foods lower in calories, including saturated fat, sugar, salt, and trans fat
- Keep a tracker with you that helps you monitor blood sugar levels
- Drink water and avoid soda or juice.
Instead of going for processed sugary treats, choose a natural sweet that you find in fruits - Ensure that your diet includes the necessary protein and fiber to give you the boost you require as you age.
3. Taking Supplements Without Professional Consultation
We don’t blame you if you take supplements without any prescription or recommendation from a professional doctor. Why? Because of the heavy endorsements and advertisements that sell such supplements with big claims. Yes, these pills can be beneficial for your health and produce no side-effects. However, considering your age, it is best not to take any without first getting consulting your doctor.
4. Not Making Sleep a Priority
This is another way to quickly age yourself. Sleep is important in all stages of your life –be it your 20s, 40s, and onwards. Lack of sleep will slowly worsen your health. As you know, everything that affects you badly in your 20s or 30s is heightened in older ages – biological aging can be quite unforgiving if you do not take care of yourself.
5. Over-Caffeinated Body
Yes, with aging comes a gradual decline in caffeine intake. Those 3-4 glasses of coffee or tea need to be cut down to one a day if you want your physical health to last longer. Too much caffeine can cause insomnia and robs your body of its strength and self-recovery power.
Make sure you reduce caffeine intake and replace your coffee mugs with a better, healthier elixir, like exercise, yoga, or meditation.
How to Stay Fit in Your 40s and Onwards
We spoke briefly that with aging, you need to shift gears in your health priorities and start treating your body differently. Sadly, as you get older, your muscles and tendons get tighter. This gives way to injuries like tendon tears, which become quite common in middle age. It is important to be aware of your body and answer its needs accordingly.
Preventing Injuries Related to Sports in Middle Age
Considering how vital workouts, exercise, and any kind of physical movement increase the potential of sports injuries, you should take proper steps to reduce risks.
- Warm up the best you can. It’s helpful to make sure to warm up your muscles to reduce the risks of pulling muscles.
- Try switching to weight machines. If you are lifting free weights, there is a possibility of meeting an injury. This is why it is best to switch to machine weights to be on the safer side.
- Include stretching exercises within your workout regime. As you age, it becomes more about keeping your muscles in shape and in good health, rather than toning them and worrying about your looks. For this, it is best to indulge in yoga or meditation. Such stretching activities will keep your flexibility in check and will reduce tendon tears and other injuries.
- Listen to your body and respond well. This should be your mantra for all ages, but it is never too late. When you are younger and suffering from some form of illness, you immediately recover without having to go to the doctor. However, as you age, that is not the case anymore. If you are suffering from some form of pain that has been there for more than a few days, then it is a major red flag, and you should address that with a doctor’s appointment.
Exercise is one of the easiest ways to keep oneself healthy after one crosses the 40 mark. The importance and evidence of workouts significantly improving the lives of people in their old ages has been proven by countless reports and studies. Since physical function reflects the motor function and control of a person, the more a person stays in shape during their old age, the more control they have on their motor functions as they age. This is why, many who have been keeping themselves in great shape even in their 70s, often hear the phrase ‘aging like fine wine.’ – You too can age like your favorite wine!
One of the best things you can do is to consult with your primary care doctor, or if you have home healthcare services on your radar, you can explain your requirements to them when hiring a caregiver to ensure you get the right exercise daily.
