3 Ways to Stay Healthy in Your 40s
This week, FoundHealth is excited to publish a guest blog by Oneika Mays, co-founder and writer for A&O ‘Discover Inspiration’. ‘Tips for Staying Healthy in Your 50′s’ is coming soon! Stay tuned and enjoy!
“I want to feel my life while I’m in it.”
- Meryl Streep
By the time that I turned 40 I was comfortable in my own skin. It wasn’t a parting of the Red Sea moment and angels didn’t sing. No huge party. The birthday itself was okay, but the sense of peace I’ve gained is constantly evolving and endlessly gratifying. I no longer obsess about what people think. I define my life by who I am and not by what I do for a living. And while I think the best years are ahead, I need to pay close attention to my health. My life journey now means incorporating changes to my mind, body and spirit.
1. Keep Your Mind Young
I can’t speak for all women (and at 40, I know not to), but I make sure to do the things that truly fulfill me. It’s important that I connect with my inner political animal and stay in touch with the world around me. Things weren’t always this way. In my 30′s I was informed but more centered around my own career. I didn’t have time for much else. While that definitely had its downsides I wouldn’t have changed anything. The life I have now is one that I love and without the path I created with my actions I might not be where I am. And while I’m not religious I have an appreciation and respect for the planet and my part in it. ‘An attitude of gratitude’ is my mind mantra.
2. Age Gracefully but Be Smart
I know that 40 is the new 30. Heck, I believe it! I’m lucky enough to have a mother who looks 20 years younger than she is, so I don’t look or ‘feel‘ 40. However, you can’t ignore some truths about getting older no matter how young you look. I keep a youthful glow by using an anti-aging moisturizer and drinking lots of water. Eating less is also a fact of life when you get older. The metabolism slows down. If you think the shift that happens in your 30′s is big, wait until 40. It was really big for me. Diet. Diet. Diet. I’ve cut down dramatically on white sugar and white foods. I’ve also embraced working out. My yoga practice and runs sustain me physically. Oh I’m not the size 4 that I was in my twenties, but I do love how I look and feel. When I was younger I lifted quite a bit, and when I hit 40, I realized that I needed to bring weights back into my life. Weight lifting can help women stave off osteoporosis. Speaking of my aging bones, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B and Omega 3 are a part of my daily regimen. My 40 year old body mantra is ‘you are your own best investment’.
3. Keep Your Spirit Young
Yoga is more than something I do, it’s a way to live my life. By learning to move my body in different ways, I’ve also learned how to move my heart. Stress, anger and negativity does more to make me unhealthy than all the fat in the world. When I stay connected to my mat literally and metaphorically, I move through my day with a greater sense of self and responsibility to the world.
Getting older was never something that worried me. Maybe I’m unusual but I’m thrilled at watching how my life unfolds. My twenties were fun but I wouldn’t want to go back there. My thirties were incredible and helped to set me up to be a woman that relishes the skin that she’s in. I’ve made adjustments to my life so I can keep up with what’s in store! I’m excited to see what comes next!
About the author:
Oneika is a yoga nerd, book nerd, foodie and newbie blogger. After a long career in retail leadership and training she decided to combine her love of teaching, writing and wellness. The result, a&o discover inspiration a place where women can find the yogi, chef, interior designer and guru that lurks inside them. When she isn’t writing, on her mat, cooking, reading or exploring she’s hanging with her dog Dakota.
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