Adopt these easy lifestyle habits to feel good in your 20s, 30s or 40s.
Adopt these easy lifestyle habits to feel good in your 20s, 30s or 40s.
In Your 20s
Bone mass is at its peak during your 20s, so it’s important to take up weight-bearing exercises like hiking, running and strength training to prevent osteoporosis in your later years.
Put On Sunscreen
Start now if you haven’t already. UV damage is the number one cause of premature skin ageing and the most effective way of preventing it is to apply a board spectrum sunscreen daily, even if you’re indoors. Remember sunscreens photo-degenerate, which means you have to reapply them every two hours. It’s tedious, but once you build up a habit, you’ll thank yourself for it when you’re in your 30s. Besides looking younger than your peers who don’t apply sunscreens, you’ll also be less likely to get skin cancer. In Your 20s Bone mass is at its peak during your 20s, so it’s important to take up weight-bearing exercises like hiking, running and strength training to prevent osteoporosis in your later years.
Stop Smoking
We know the cancer risks smokers face, but that’s not all. Smoking can interfere with calcium absorption and have negative effects on your bones. It can also lower the body’s ability to produce oestrogen, which can lead to early menopause and osteoporosis risk. The sooner you quit smoking, the less damage it has on your body. The effects of quitting can be felt in as little as 20 minutes, so stub out that cigarette now.
Get Support
Complementing your diet with an anti-ageing supplement such as Nu Skin ageLOC® Y-Span® helps the body fight the signs of ageing. It's formulated with a unique blend of 12 ingredients to target the body’s innate ability to resist ageing by positively modulating gene expression. In other words, it helps delay the ageing process, so you’re able to lead a healthier, youthful life for longer.
In Your 30s
Women reach their peak bone mass in their 20s and then move into a maintenance phase in their 30s, so it’s a good time to set up diet and workout habits for life.
Dose Up On Dairy
We need calcium to stay strong from the ages of 20 to 40, and the recommendation is 1,000 mg of calcium (about two to three servings of dairy) a day to prevent bone loss. Low-fat dairy is fine if you’re concerned about weight gain, but watch out for the sugar content.
Jump To It
Women in their 30s can start to see a slow progressive loss of bone density – up to one per cent every year if you don’t exercise. But certain types of cardio can strengthen bones. Impact jumping, such as jumping jacks or skipping, or sports like tennis and basketball are all good for your bones, and the key is making such activities more difficult over time.
Use It Or Lose It
Resistance training equals to muscle strength – and it’ll keep you looking toned too. Never done weights before? Start with exercises like squats, push-ups or dips, then you can move on to machine-based weight training in the gym. It’s important to work on keeping the core strong as it not only alleviates back pain, but paves the way for a stronger back when you get older.
In Your 40s
By age 45, we start to lose muscle and pile on fat. The good news? Raising your muscle mass helps to control weight.
Focus On Spine And Hip Workouts
Target the muscle around these areas, as it’s where we tend to lose bone and suffer fractures. Exercises to include are squats, step-ups and lunges. Start with your body weight and as you improve, add external resistance in the forms of weight-bearing machines or free weights.
Tweak Your Diet
Protein is crucial to building muscle. Adult women require around 46 to 50 g of protein daily, so aim to include at least 20 g of protein at main meals and 10 to 20 g of protein at each snack. As a guide, there’s 31 g of protein in 100 g of chicken and 23 g in 100 g of seafood. The protein content in cooked eggs is about 7 g, and you’ll get 10 g of protein in 200 g of yoghurt. For calcium needs, dairy foods such as cheese, milk and yoghurt are the best sources. You could have a glass of milk or a kilo of broccoli to get the same amount. Take your pick.
Let The Sun In
Our skin uses sunlight to produce vitamin D, which helps us build bones – but skin cancer fears mean many of us are covering up and missing out on what we need. Many in their 40s tend to have low or insufficient vitamin D levels, so try to take a 10-minute walk outside during mid-morning or late afternoon when it’s not too hot.
