#HealthBytes: 5 ways to stay fit in your 40s
Maintaining good health during middle-age could be tough. Medically speaking, aging brings hormonal imbalance. In women, estrogen levels tend to fall, and men go through decrease in testosterone. Furthermore, aging also leads to mood swings, muscle weakening, and fading of memory, among other issues. However, with consistent efforts, one can maintain fitness. Here are 5 ways to help you stay fit in your 40s.
Eat healthy
If you have waited until middle-age to start eating clean, you will have to make rather dramatic changes in your diet plan. A balanced and nutritious diet shall go a long way in helping you maintain good health. Include more veggies and whole food items in your diet, and let go of junk food. Say hello to salads and bid adieu to those fries!
Exercise religiously
The toughest part about starting to exercise is the starting part itself- once you get going, it only gets easier. So, after 40, make exercise a regular and religious part of your life, to stay healthy in the long-run. Consistency will take you places. If hitting the gym is not your thing, aim for mild aerobic exercises (jogging, biking etc.) on a regular basis.
Eating clean and exercising key to maintaining a healthy weight
Eating clean and exercising will help you maintain a healthy weight and Body Mass Index (BMI). This is extremely crucial in middle-age, because obesity is a virtual invitation to a host of dreadful health issues, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, among others.
Rest and recreation
Getting proper rest is just as important as eating the right food items and exercising regularly, if not more, in order to stay fit in the 40s. Assure yourself regular, sound sleep of at least 7-9 hours to let your body recover from fatigue. Also, build a consistent daily sleep-schedule. Not just that, regularly reward yourself with recreation and relaxing activities, to stay motivated.
Shrink stress
Needless to say, mental wellness and physical well-being go hand in hand. Stress could be a major trigger for poor health. This is so because it hikes one's tendency to go for fats-infused comfort foods, and to overeat, thus leading to obesity. It might also lead to heart disease. When not feeling well emotionally, consider taking a walk or meditating, to calm yourself down.
#5: Lifestyle changes
Those greens and gym sessions won't really help, if your lifestyle habits directly contradict your fitness plans. To save your body the harm, and stay healthy in the true sense, you'll have to say goodbye to smoking, drinking and substance-abuse, once and for all.
