Lifetime Personal Health

By emilyrobinett

  • At the physical peak

  • Period: to

    20s

    Healthy Eating Focus: Limiting fast foods & processed foods.
    Physical Activity Focus: Exercising regularly.
    Preventative Health Care Focus: Avoid accidental injuries.

  • Regulate alcohol consumption & don't smoke

  • Always wear a seat belt & do not text while driving

  • Find your own primary care provider

  • Get a check-up annually (including important screenings)

  • Take care of sexual health

  • Be aware of mental health issues w/ studies & career

  • For your emotional health -- Understand that you're just starting out

  • Get plenty of sleep

  • Protect your eyes and skin from the Sun

  • Starting to age/mature into full adulthood

  • Period: to

    30s

    Healthy Eating Focus: Eat to maintain a healthy weight and not to lose weight.

    Physical Activity Focus: Exercise, but without overexerting yourself.
    Preventative Health Care Focus: Pay special attention to heart/cholesterol problems.

  • Continue to eat healthy & exercise regularly

  • Take vitamins and dietary supplements to get all necessary nutrients

  • Avoid indoor tanning salons and always use sunscreen

  • Reduce stresses that can carry over from work

  • Make sure that your home has smoke detectors

  • Do not drink and drive ever

  • Be wary of back pain or joint aches

  • If pregnant or trying to get pregnant, visit a fertility/prenatal center

  • Take care of your dental hygiene and visit the dentist bi-annually

  • Transition from young adult to middle-aged

  • Period: to

    40s

    Healthy Eating Focus: Limit sugar intake and monitor blood glucose.
    Physical Activity Focus: Exercise regularly, addressing chronic pain and doing therapeutic stretching where necessary.
    Preventative Health Care Focus: Special preventative measures for diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

  • Keep in touch with the people who are important to you

  • Monitor blood pressure and blood glucose consistently

  • Address changes in mood or attitude that are common during your 40s.

  • Monitor sexual health as it begins to decline during your 40s

  • Get bifocal lenses if needed because vision and other senses regress

  • It is more critical now than ever to know your family medical history

  • Get screened for various complications like diabetes or cancer

  • Continue to get annual immunizations

  • You may experience digestive or urinary issues which need treatment

  • Challenge your mind by taking up mentally-stimulating hobbies

  • Period: to

    50s

    Healthy Eating Focus: Cut back on salts and unhealthy fats.
    Physical Activity Focus: Do light aerobic activities that you enjoy, but ask a doctor first.
    Preventative Health Care Focus: Now, more than ever, it's important to end old unhealthy habits (like smoking).

  • Try to stay a healthy weight, especially after menopause

  • Exercise is even more important because the body starts turning muscle into fat

  • Avoid chronic stress so not to speed up the aging process

  • Drink no more than one drink per day if at all

  • You may begin losing hearing and may need a hearing aid

  • Get screened for chronic illnesses

  • Understand that it's natural to not be as fit during your 50s

  • Talk to a doctor about how much sleep you should be getting

  • Get plenty of calcium so to avoid osteoporosis

  • The golden years -- retirement, grandchildren, etc.

  • Period: to

    60s

    Healthy Eating Focus: Eat a variety of healthy foods and be sure to get the correct amount each day.
    Physical Activity Focus: Always talk to a doctor before beginning an exercise program.
    Preventative Health Care Focus: Visit a doctor even more regularly and every time something unusual occurs.

  • Choices from the past really start to have an impact now

  • Be especially wary of heart attacks and watch blood sugar/cholesterol

  • Ask a doctor about all medications you take -- including over the counter

  • Get a flu vaccine every year

  • Even more tests for a wider variety of illnesses or complications will be needed

  • Talk to a doctor about any changes in cognitive function or memory

  • Make sure that all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are functioning properly

  • Learn how to do CPR so to help someone else of your age if they need it

  • Avoid all falls and install mechanisms in your home to help you move around if needed