Aging Well by the Decade: How to be Healthy in Your 40s

If you’re approaching age 40, you might be thinking more about what you need to do to age well—you, know, with less aches and pains and visits to the doctor. Since there’s a lot happening in your body during your 40’s, let’s take a shallow dive into understanding those changes. Then, follow our tips for what you can focus on in order to age well in your forties.

What’s Happening to Your Body in Your 40s?

As we age, our bodies become less physically resilient. Women and men in their forties will begin to notice several changes in body and mind, such as:

•  Having less energy, losing strength, and fatiguing faster
• Catching colds more often
• Stiff joints, less flexibility, and increased muscle tension
• Thinning hair
• Changes in taste and hearing
• Skin loses elasticity, wrinkles appear
• Softer around the middle as body composition and weight changes
• Needing more time to recover from physical activity & the demands of life

These age-related changes happen for men and women because the immune system, metabolism, nervous
system, and muscle physiology all begin to wither, so-to-speak. Due to inflammatory responses that occur
in aging, these systems becoming less resilient to the stresses of life, the environment, illness, use of alcohol/ drugs/nicotine, and other factors. Ageing in the fifth decade of life happens at a different rate for each person based on genetics and lifestyle.

If you have a family history of any chronic illness, such as heart disease, dementia, depression, or arthritis, and you have not focused on preventive care, then your 40’s is the time to put a plan in place to protect your heart, brain, and joints from further decline. Be sure to see your healthcare provider for age-specific health screenings for women and for men.

WHAT CAN I DO TO AGE WELL IN MY FORTIES?

The key areas that experts say you should focus on to support healthy aging and well-being in your forties
include:

Eat a rainbow every day!

A healthy diet is the foundation for overall good health and a colorful diet—full of a variety of fruits, veggies, lean protein, and unprocessed grains is essential for your mind and body. Shop at your local farm market to find the freshest in-season produce. Limit how much food you eat from a box or bag as this will help drive down your intake of sodium, sugar, and trans-fats. Hydration is important at every age, and especially in your forties and beyond so be sure to drink more water and less juice and soda. You can enjoy a glass or wine or beer every so often, but your forties is really the time to minimize alcohol consumption to support optimal health.

Move Your Body!

Daily physical activity is preventive medicine for a healthy mind and body. In middle-age, sitting has become the bane of our existence, especially in midlife. Research shows sitting has a negative effect on blood pressure, circulation, and even blood sugar level. Stand and walk frequently throughout your day as a minimum to off-set the ill-effects of sitting. Even better: Get 30 minutes of sustained physical activity that you enjoy, five days a week. A combination of heart-pumping aerobic exercise and muscle pumping strength training will help protect the heart, lungs, muscles, bones and joints from age-related chronic illness and injury.

Sleep Soundly.

New research shows that age sleep may be at its worst in your forties so it is essential to focus on creating a sleep routine. Getting sound sleep each night is not just about the number of hours of sleep, but the quality of the hours you sleep. Your sleep routine includes a bedtime routine, keeping the room cool and dark, getting to bed and waking at consistent times, and avoid use of digital devices within 2 hours of bedtime.

Supplement Your Diet.

There are specific nutrients that men and women need after age 40, either because the body does not make the nutrient, doesn’t absorb it well enough with age, or because you aren’t eating a balanced diet to get a sufficient amount of certain nutrients. You might want to ask your healthcare provider if you should supplement your diet with one or more of these nutrients: calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, probiotics, and Omega-3 fatty acids. Women and men require different amounts of these nutrients at different ages and based on individual health concerns.

Be a Social Butterfly.

Even introverted people can benefit from spreading their social wings and engaging with new people and new situations. Social connections are crucial to mental health. And while it’s great to have friends your own age, research shows being multi-generational with your social connections invigorate your mind by bringing in rich, unique perspectives into your relationships. So, look for ways within your family circle or community to engage with people older and younger than you, including teenagers!

Be Mindful & Cultivate Optimism.

Mindfulness practices help us to build resilience and maintain a positive attitude , which are important for
mental health. In our forties, as life gets busier with work and family obligations, it’s essential to become intentional with how we spend the hours in the day. Mindfulness practices have been shown to help “reset” your brain, your mood, and your energy level.

In your forties, a healthy lifestyle routine, such as we’ve outlined here, can help slow down how fast your
body ages so that you can be well, feel great, and can do more than you thought possible in midlife!