ad | I’m turning 34 this September so in a just a few months, I can say I’m in my mid-30’s *deep breaths*. Age is a weird thing because as a teenager, your 30’s always seemed old. But now that I’m in them, I can safely say I still feel like a teenager sometimes, waiting for my mum to tell me what to do next. For me personally, my 30’s has been my best decade by a mile. And I’m hoping by prioritizing my health and introducing some new habits into my life, I can keep it that way.
On the flip side though, your 30’s is where health problems are more likely to start to crop up. Or at least health scares might start becoming more common. Things might start to ache and creek. And don’t get me started on the fact that your skin’s collagen and hydration declines by 1-2% each year when you hit 30.
Because of all of this, 30 is the age where women really start to take control and power back over their own health and body and your 30’s can then start to look like some of your healthiest years. I know I’m healthier both mentally and physically than I was in my 20’s!
But it doesn’t come without some time, effort and education. Learning about what happens to your body as you age is one of the greatest tools we have. The education can then give us the knowledge to know what we need to do, what we need to take and what we need to change to not only maintain but improve our health in our 30’s – and keep it that way after our 30’s have gone.
Here we’re going to look at some women’s health habits which are even more important to consider or adopt into your routine as a woman in your 30’s!
Attending all your screenings
We’re going in hard with a really freaking important one and that’s to attend all your health screenings that you’re invited to. A couple of years ago, I got pre-cancerous cells removed after they were found after my routine cervical screening came back abnormal. Had I not had that screening, I might have had to have a very different type of treatment further down the line.
Focus on managing your stress levels
Stress is one of the most common causes of health problems. From more minor symptoms, such as breakouts and headaches to more serious issues such as high blood pressure which can lead to things like heart problems or even a stroke. The prolonged wear and tear of excessive cortisol and adrenaline suppresses the immune system and increases inflammation, making it harder for your body to cope.
Your 30’s are an age where stress is bound to rise. Children growing up, ageing parents, house moves, career changes or even just figuring out what it is you want to do can all take it’s toll. And that’s not to say any one of these things is bad, it’s just incredibly important to have coping mechanisms in place for when your stress levels start to creep up.
Whether that’s joining a Yoga class so you have an hour to yourself each week, taking time to journal your feelings or getting out for a walk in nature.
Incorporate exercise that supports posture, core strength and joint stability
We all know that strength training is an important part of our exercise routine and keeping ourselves healthy as we age but combine that with exercise that helps support posture, core strength and joint stability then you’re on for a real winner!
Pilates and Yoga are excellent for this type of improvement and can be a real asset to your workout routine. Strengthening the core muscles through Pilates style workouts can help back and hips, reducing the risk of falling as you age and can help counteract osteoporosis by improving bone density.
Add a collagen into your diet
Our collagen production declines naturally as we age. It’s not something we can stop. A decline in collagen is most commonly associated with sagging and dry skin and a lack of elasticity resulting in wrinkles. Whilst these things certainly aren’t the end of the world, from a confidence perspective, it might be something you want to address to continue to feel good in your own skin.
This is where a good collagen supplement can come in really handy. Not only can it improve the look and texture of the skin, it can also provide structure and strengthen your bones and connective tissue – two really important elements which need taking care of as we get older.
With so many collagen’s on the market, it can be hard to find one that’s worth taking because they’re certainly not all made the same. I’ve been using the Naked Nutrition Collagen Peptides Protein Powder recently and I’m really enjoying it. I personally put a scoop full in my tea every morning because I know I won’t forget it that way (gotta have your morning tea!) and you can barely taste it in there.
Naked Collagen is free of additives and sweeteners and contains only one ingredient: Bovine collagen peptides from pasture raised cows in Europe. One of the main things you want to look for in your collagen is a LACK of ingredients – you don’t want it full of filled and unnecessary ingredients. The Naked Collagen contains:
- 9g Protein per scoop
- 63 servings
- 39 calories per scoop
- no carbs or sugar
Optimise your sleep health as much as you can
Improving your sleep health is something we should all be actively doing, whatever our age. Getting bad quality sleep along with not enough sleep can have many different negative affects on your health, especially your metabolism so it’s important to try and take steps to ensure we get not just more sleep but better sleep.
Don’t skip the SPF
Come rain or shine, you should be putting SPF on. Yes, it protects our skin against the sun but I feel like most people don’t really know what that means. It can prevent sun damage which yes, includes wrinkles. But guess what else SPF does? Helps protect you from harmful UV rays which causes skin cancers. And remember, a base tan is a myth. Wear the SPF.
Cut down the alcohol intake
I think it’s safe to say we all know the effects that too much alcohol can have on us, especially as we get older. Too much alcohol can affect almost every part of our bodies from our heart, blood pressure, liver – even our mental health if the drinking becomes a problem. So cutting down the intake from your mid 30’s onwards is never a bad idea.
That doesn’t mean cutting it out completely if it’s something you enjoy. It’s all about balance. You can still enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or a cocktail with your girlfriend. But having more alcohol free days or having 1 drink instead of 2 can really start to make all the difference.
Remember those small changes make a difference
Like cutting down on alcohol, we don’t need to change everything all at once. If we did that, it would never be sustainable and we’d never keep anything up. But small changes really do make the difference and it’s important to remember that.
Don’t be too hard on yourself
We need to look after our mental health just as much as our physical health and when we’re mid 30’s with all the extra responsibilities and stresses that come with ageing, it’s more important than ever. If you find you need a bit of extra help or need to reach for a glass of wine or two after a hard day, don’t beat yourself up. Perhaps you’ve not reacted in a way you wanted to when your children acted up or you got frustrated at work when you shouldn’t have.
We’re all spinning lots of plates, so forgive yourself and go easy.
Find a balance and enjoy yourself
It’s all about balance and making positive and healthier changes in your life doesn’t need to mean never enjoying yourself. Have a coffee and a sweet treat with a friend or an ice cream with your kid. Have a movie night in and a pizza with the family or have a nap in the afternoon when you get the chance. Don’t sacrifice enjoying this one beautiful life!
