As a young adult in your 20s, you can eat all the junk food your heart desires without giving them a second thought. You stay up till past midnight bingeing on your favourite shows and your weight is in control. Come your 30s, things start taking a nosedive and you realise health and wellness become your new mantra.
The 30s is a time of major transformation – both for your lifestyle and body. At work, you may be taking on new responsibilities; at home, new roles ensue as you grow your family. Soon, you’ll realise that you can no longer enjoy a full on buffet sesh like before without crashing, and late nights become late evenings. You start to wonder if you should have started to take care of your health earlier.
What has changed?
Janet Jackson, an American singer, quotes, “There is a moment when you get older when your metabolism slows down and you don’t feel like working out any more”.
If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. According to WebMD, your metabolism slows down as you age. As a result, you burn calories at a slower rate as compared to when you were younger.
But don’t fret. As you enter this new phase of life, start incorporating these tips to improve your health in your 30s.
1. Set SMART health goals
You’re familiar with setting new year resolutions and other health goals, but do you find it hard to reach them? SMART goals, on the other hand, helps you set sensible and significant goals which are attainable. The acronyms refer to:
- ‘S’ for Specific: Keep your goals as specific as possible, and ask questions such as “What do I want to achieve?” or “What resources or limitations do I face?”
- ‘M’ for Measurable: Set a quantifiable measurement for your goal so you can track your progress and success.
- ‘A’ for Achievable: Make sure your goal is realistic and attainable. Remember, if you think you can do it, you probably will.
- ‘R’ for Relevant: Ensure that your goals are closely connected to the objectives.
- ‘T’ for Time-bound: State when you want to get it done, and be specific on the date-and-time frame you wish to achieve your goals.
An example of a SMART goal is to lose 3kg by 30 days. With the objective of losing weight so you can be healthier, you can then set in place actions which are attainable, such as cutting down calories and reducing starchy carbohydrates like potatoes or rice during lunch and dinner. You can also set a maximum calorie intake for each meal.
2. Stay active
Our lives have become more sedentary than ever, especially with the increase in smart devices and home automation. One important aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is to stay active. You don’t have to run a marathon – simply work in easy ways to be on the move, such as parking your car further away from your destination and walking the rest of the way.
3. Eat and drink well
Avoid high sugar content, fatty foods, and exercising portion control. Taking care of your health includes monitoring what you consume, so choose food that fits in the Healthy Plate.
Hydration is also important not just for nutrition, but also things like skin health. Water helps keep your gut working well and also prevent issues such as constipation and toxin build-up.
4. Say bye to bad habits
We all have habits – some better than others. Things like staying up late might be the norm during your younger days, but would likely harm your body as you age. Start by developing healthy routines, and removing harmful ones such as smoking or excessive drinking.
5. Stick to a primary care provider
Whether it is a doctor or even a care provider like Jaga-Me, stay with those that can understand your needs. They will likely have a copy of your history, which is useful when you need to seek help or advice without needing to go through a lengthy explanation on your past health problems.
It is important to feel comfortable with whichever healthcare professional you are working with, so stick with one that you feel right at home with.
Jaga-Me will soon be offering home medical services such as health screening or house call services by trained medical professionals. With these convenient programmes, you can assess, diagnose and treat your medical conditions right at your doorstep.
Take time to take care of your health
Taking care of your health should start at an early age, but it’s never too late to start. Start by having regular health and wellness checkups which can help detect potential issues or give you an avenue to seek medical advice from your doctor to improve your health.
Our health declines as we age, but this is a normal process of life. Take charge of your life and contact us to find out more about how our upcoming screening and health services can help you today.
