When it comes to your health, there are never any guarantees. But there are ways that you can give yourself the best level of protection at each stage of your life. You have probably heard the basics a thousand times before; eat right, get plenty of exercise and visit your doctor when you need to. This advice still rings true no matter what stage of life you are at, but in this article we are going to take a more detailed approach to each stage of life.
As you get older, you may find that your priorities start to shift and adapt, so in this guide, we are going to go decade-by-decade from your 20s to your 60s with some top tips to help you protect your health as best you can. Even if you feel like a lot of this is common sense, but it is still worth reiterating regardless. So, without further ado, let’s begin at the beginning.
Your 20s
In your 20s, it is easy to feel invincible but this is the stage of life that you should be establishing good health habits that you will take with you throughout the following decades. Skipping appointments with your Dentist Mount Vernon is not something you want to be doing as it might lead to bad habits further down the line and unnoticed dental problems. Sometimes, even if you do everything you can to protect your health, life has other ideas. In these circumstances, a decent health insurance plan and the contact information of personal injury solicitors can go a long way. This is something that some young people may not have thought about. But when it comes to your health, it is important to put this first. Plus, it is always best to speak to someone who knows what they are taking about when it comes to injuries. From getting assistance from a slip and fall lawyer to a lawyer if you’re involved in a motor accident, there are people out there who care willing to give you a helping hand.
Another important thing that you should do is register with a doctor and set yourself up with a physical. Once you have all these basics established (height, weight, blood pressure, alcohol consumed etc), you are in a better position to establish any problems that you could encounter down the line related to any preexisting health conditions.
Your 20s is also the perfect decade to establish an exercise program that you will carry with you for life. Discover the physical activities that you love doing and work out ways that you can incorporate them into your regular routine. Cut down on harmful activities like drinking too much and eating a lot of junk food. This way, you will establish the basis for staying healthy for the following decades.
Your 30s
Your 30s is a decade when your priorities start to shift and you may think about starting a family. You will probably find that you have less time on your hands to stay active, but try to balance your priorities as there is nothing more important than protecting your health. So, if you start to put on a little weight, take steps to address the problem and don’t just assume it will go away by itself. Keep up the exercise regime you started in your 20s, making any adjustments as needed. You are much more likely to notice the ill-effects of a poor diet and drinking too much, so this should provide you with an extra incentive to cut back!
If you notice any problems with your health, make sure that you visit your doctor at the earliest possible opportunity as they are there to help. This also applies if you’ve suffered a personal injury whilst out or at work, especially if the injury in question causes a chronic issue. Getting legal assistance can help you focus back on your health and recovery, or in trying different options to help ease said chronic conditions. You may also need to discuss with them getting more information regarding family planning as this becomes more difficult the further through this decade you go. As well as this, you can reassess the health insurance that you have and decide whether or not it is worth making an upgrade.
Your 40s
During your 40s, you may start to notice your joints creaking and your muscles aching more than they used to. And this is also a decade during which regular health check-ups become increasingly important, particularly regarding screenings to detect early stages of cancer. Another thing that is worth getting checked for is diabetes. People with a BMI over 25 and high blood pressure tend to be at higher risk, so you should speak to your doctor about ways that you can reduce your risks.
As for your exercise program, you may find that you need to start making adjustments depending on whether it is causing you any discomfort. For example, running can be hard on your joints, so you could choose to take up a form of cardio which causes significantly less strain like swimming. Also, you might find that you need to take more steps to reduce aching the next day such as proper stretching.
Your 50s
As you approach retirement age, you will probably find that health is on your mind more and more. Essentially, you need to be proactive in monitoring your vitals like your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. You should also seek guidance from your physician if you find that any of these things are taking an upwards turn. You will find that you need to seek out specialists to deal with specific health concerns.
Regular screenings are also important, so you should look to schedule these in as often as your doctor recommends them. A huge cause of concern for people in this health bracket is suffering from a heart attack, so you should take steps to tackle this risk. Tobacco usage, high blood pressure and obesity are just three things that have been closely linked to increasing your chances of having a heart attack.
Your 60s and Beyond
Of course, as you get older the risks to your health start to stack up, so it is more important than ever that you do the basics of eating right and getting a good amount of exercise. But if you have done this from a young age, you are more likely to maintain a good standard of living into retirement. Staying active is still very important, even if you aren’t pushing yourself as much as you used to.
Whenever you notice any changes to your health, major or minor, it is always worth getting a professional opinion as then you can start dealing with these at the earliest possible opportunity and make any adjustments as necessary.
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