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Preventative Health
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Physical Health
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Healthy Eating
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Preventative Health: 20s
Protect skin and eyes from sun by staying in the shade during the midday to mid afternoon, wearing sunscreen, and avoiding indoor tanning salons. Practice good hygiene, find medical providers (both a primary care physician and various specialists), and talk to your family to find out if you have a history of certain diseases. Take care of your sexual and mental health too, especially as the twenties are a time of exploration and life changes. -
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Healthy Eating: 20s
The twenties are often a time for partying and going out. While this is all well and good, alcohol and highly processed/junk foods should still be consumed in moderation. Learn to pay attention to nutrition labels and portion sizes, and develop the habit of chewing food slowly. Keep a healthy, balanced diet and avoid illegal/addictive substances. -
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Physical Health: 20s
Bone mass peaks in the twenties. Thus, load-bearing exercise such as hiking and running will help built bone strength to reduce risk of osteoporosis later in life. Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, ideally about 4 times a week. Varying the exercise provides a well rounded exercise routine. Sleeping well and observing basic safety measures, such as wearing seat belts and helmets, are also critical to physical health in these years. -
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Healthy Eating: 30s
During the thirties it is very important to maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese leads to increased risk of diabetes, blood pressure problems, heart disease, etc. Metabolism slows down in the thirties, so the amount of food you find yourself needing may change. Making sure to get enough essential vitamins and nutrients is crucial. -
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Physical Health: 30s
During the hectic time of being a "thirty-something," it's important to maintain physical health. In order to make sure you get the recommended amount of exercise each week, it may help to find a couple of regular physical activities you enjoy doing. Load-bearing aerobic exercises such as jogging, hiking, tennis, etc. are especially beneficial. Like the twenties, getting enough sleep is incredibly important, and short naps in the afternoon can make you feel very refreshed! -
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Preventative Health: 30s
Quit addictive substances or simply don't start them. Make sure your home has working smoke/carbon monoxide detectors. Do things in moderation, especially alcohol. Make sure to monitor your physical health as well as your stress levels, and ask your doctors for screening tests as well as tips for how to avoid common chronic illnesses. -
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Physical Health: 40s
Chronic pain, heart problems, and type 2 diabetes are major concerns for this decade. Maintaining a healthy body weight/BMI will help reduce your risk for diabetes, and monitoring blood glucose after eating can provide valuable information on how to adjust your diet. Exercising regularly is very important, but it's also important not to over stress your aging body. -
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Preventative Health: 40s
It is common for mental state to change as you progress into this next stage of your life. However, it is also important to keep an eye on your mental health and watch for depression, anxiety, and other problems. Skin problems, changes in hearing, and vision loss are common changes. Sexual and reproductive health are also important in the forties. -
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Healthy Eating: 40s
The forties are a transition time from young adulthood into middle-agedness. Maintaining healthy eating habits like eating right,
exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, avoiding addictive substances, drinking alcohol only in moderation, and taking basic safety precautions such as wearing your seat belt can help reduce your risk for a number of chronic medical conditions, which are a growing concern in this decade. -
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Healthy Eating: 50s
This is a time when it is especially important to pay attention to good nutrition and reduce sodium. It is important to limit foods that are highly processed and/or high in unhealthy fats, and make sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and take essential vitamins. Diabetes is still a continuing risk during this decade, so monitoring blood sugar and other diagnostic tests/blood work may be important to do. -
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Physical Health: 50s
Metabolism continues to slow as you get older, making it harder to maintain a healthy weight. Especially for women after menopause, your body may change in shape and size and it becomes more important to watch your BMI. Muscle tends to be replaced with fat during this decade, so watch your hip-to-waist ratio. In addition, keeping up with an exercise program will help you stay in shape. -
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Preventative Health: 50s
During this time when your body and life continues to advance into "older," bringing with it the problems of aging, it is important to make sure you maintain good mental health. Additionally, medical checkups should become more regular, and you may need more tests and screenings as recommended by your doctor to keep yourself healthy. -
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Healthy Eating: 60s
Being overweight or obese can more greatly affect your health, and how you feel, as you get older. Therefore, even though your slowing metabolism and reduced energy make it harder to maintain a healthy weight/BMI, it becomes in some ways more important than ever. Eating healthy is crucial to maintaining a healthy weight and managing blood glucose levels. -
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Physical Health: 60s
Chronic diseases associated with growing older are even more prevalent in this decade. While some are unavoidable, keeping healthy can help reduce your likelihood for certain diseases or delay their onset. Continuing to exercise in a way that doesn't overly stress the body is important, as well as taking the nutritional supplements and medications as recommended by your healthcare provider. -
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Preventative Health: 60s
Make sure to ask your healthcare provider about any additional screenings or checkups that you may need as you get older. Also contact them about any changes you encounter in your physical or mental health. Some tips for the elderly include learning how to reduce risk of falls, learning CPR, practicing safer sex, continuing to use basic safety precautions such as seat belts, and making sure there are working carbon monoxide and smoke alarms in your residence.
