Five Healthy Living Tips That Will Help You In Your 40s


People in their early 20s are so busy making a mark in their career that they often end up overlooking the importance of good health. But, ignoring a healthy lifestyle in the early stages may prove fatal in the 40s and beyond.  Well, many people may already be advising you about healthy living, if you have been turning a deaf year to this advice, it’s time to take some serious action. 

Here are some healthy living tips that will help you stay fit not just today but also in the later stages when responsibilities will come haunting from all sides.

Have a balanced diet

The first and foremost tip to keep your body immune to diseases is to have a balanced diet. A balanced diet often creates an impression of a boring diet but this isn't true in most cases. You just need to include more fruits and vegetables in your diet and stop living on processed foods.

K Srinath Reddy, the President of PHFI (Public Health Foundation of India) made a startling revelation in an article published in Deccan Herald last year. According to him, factors like unhealthy diet and smoking are responsible for 5.2 million deaths in India every year. Nutrition-deprived diet welcomes problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and blood sugar that start showing their consequences by the time you step into the 40s

Take health insurance plans

It may seem unnecessary when you are in the 20s, but subscribing to health insurance early has some advantages. If you take health insurance plans at the beginning of your career, then you are supposed to enjoy lesser premium along with waving off of the pre-policy check-up. Most of the health insurance companies in India don’t ask for the pre-policy checkup before the age of 45.

Apart from these benefits, health plans provide many other benefits. HDFC ERGO health insurance plans include cashless hospitalization facility, daycare procedure and domiciliary treatment to take care of all your medical expenses. Major health insurance plans in India don’t just provide coverage for certain diseases but also act as your savior in times of emergency.

Further, health insurance policies put some waiting period on availing maternity benefits. So, take such policies in your early 20s, and enjoy their benefits instantly when you plan a family later on.

Relax & recuperate

Young achievers may get carried away with aspirations to make a mark in their career in the early 20s. Well, there is nothing wrong in being ambitious but it should never be at the cost of health. Long working hours in a stressful environment often leads to anxiety and depression, affecting the overall wellbeing. Only by taking out a few minutes for relaxation daily, one can let his/her body recuperate.

Maintain a diary for upcoming tasks, prioritize your work, and most importantly communicate with other employees to create a supportive work environment. There is no harm in hitting the gym floor of your office after work.

Even when you are not working in the office, don’t spend rest of the time in managing the house and arranging grocery. Take out some time to sit, relax and breathe deeply!

Stay fit, stay moving

You may have plenty of excuses to skip exercises, but cheating on fitness sessions may lead to serious health hazards. If treadmill workout is not your preference, you may switch to other activities in your daily life that can help you to stay fit. Use stairs and participate in outdoor play sessions, as these also count as great cardiovascular activities.

Take minimum 8 hours of sleep

We often compromise on our sleeping hours to make up for pending tasks and late night socializing. If you do the same, then avoid doing so to stay healthy. It’s not just an assumption but has been proved by several recent studies that little sleep and apnea often lead to cardiovascular diseases. In an article published in The Straits Times, Dr. Reginald Liew, a Senior Consultant Cardiologist at The Harley Street Heart & Cancer Centre affirmed the importance of more than six hours’ sleep in improving cardiovascular health.

Sooner you start taking your health seriously; the better are chances to stay healthy and stress-free in later years. You may not go overboard but adhere to a healthy lifestyle.