39 Habits to Start Now That Will Keep Your Health Strong After 40

Aerobic exercises — which are generally low- to moderate-intensity exercises like jogging and cycling — are great, of course. But adding anaerobic exercises to the mix is great for your long-term health. A refresher: Anaerobic exercise is any type performed at a high enough intensity that your bod can’t provide the energy it requires to complete the activity with your oxygen intake alone (think: HIIT training or CrossFit).

“Science shows that this method of training can be extremely beneficial for power development, building muscle mass, and fat burning,” Andy Coggan, the director of fitness at Gold’s Gym, previously told WH.

Gaining muscle and burning fat not only makes it easier on your joints as you age, but you’ll also build stronger joints and bones due to the increased impact on your body, Coggan says.

Eating frequently keeps your metabolism stoked and energy up, and it helps you avoid becoming so hungry that you overeat when you finally do get your hands on a snack or sit down for a meal.

According to research, having three meals and two snacks seems to be best for both losing weight and maintaining it. Getting accustomed to a healthy eating schedule now will set you up for success and good nutrition even as you age and life gets in the way.

When you eat carbs by themselves, your body converts them into glucose (aka sugar) faster than it would if you were eating something else at the same time that slows digestion, like protein or fat, Liza DeFazio, RD, MS, previously told WH.

High glucose levels cause a spike in insulin and then a crash in your blood sugar, which makes you feel hungry, she explains—and then you overeat. This is a smart rule of thumb to remember when you're crafting meals all throughout your life and to make it easier to manage and maintain your weight as you age.

Pretty much everyone could stand to stress less (at any age), and being able to actually ace this can help your health over time, says Heather Bartos, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn and founder of Badass Women, Badass Health. The stress hormone cortisol is “terrible for your heart and your waistline,” she notes.

How much fat you eat doesn't really have an impact on your weight or your risk for disease. Instead, it’s the type of fat and the total calories you take in that matter, DeFazio says.

You want to avoid trans fats, but your body needs polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated fats on some level to keep your body healthy and working well as you age.

Forcing yourself to take a mental break when you feel overloaded can help with stress relief — a crucial part of being healthy and staying sharp for the long haul. Mental time-outs are like a mental “cleanse,” says clinical psychologist John Mayer, PhD. Go for walks during the day, or go read a book for a few minutes to get away from your computer and email.

Some people just aren’t into breakfast, and that’s okay. But DeFazio says you should keep in mind that taking a pass on this meal means that you’re probably going to end up eating more calories overall because you’re so freaking hungry by the time you actually do eat. While it’s important to eat something in the a.m., a carb-fat or carb-protein combo is really best for all-day energy and productivity (things you want to develop sooner rather than later!).

You’ve probably eaten at some point while doing something like watching TV, answering work emails, or reading. But DeFazio says this isn’t a great habit—and it's one that so many people in their 20s, 30s, and beyond fail to break early.

When you don't concentrate on your food as you're eating it, it doesn't quite register in your body and can lead to overeating. That’s why she recommends taking 15 minutes to sit down, eat your meal, and focus on your food. Hey, that's also giving yourself a little mental time-out — two birds with one stone.

That's what the World Health Organization recommends. Don't worry: While that sounds like a lot, it’s not as extreme as you’d think.

A large apple, for instance, can easily be one-third of a pound, and things like tomato sauce and beans count as well. Studies show that people who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables weigh less, and that can have big implications for your long-term health.

Regular strength training helps preserve muscle mass as you age, says Doug Sklar, a certified personal trainer and founder of New York City fitness training studio PhilanthroFIT.

“Strength training improves the strength of your muscles and the density of your bones, thus reducing the risk of osteoporosis,” he says. Strength training also plays a “vital role” in maintaining your weight and helping to save off injuries, he says.

Most of the people in the Mediterranean eat a diet of mostly plant-based foods but still have dairy, meat, poultry, or fish. Several studies have shown that people who eat this way have lower risks of chronic diseases and early mortality.

Added sugar has been linked to weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer cancer, DeFazio says. The average person eats 22 teaspoons, or 88 grams, of sugar a day, but the American Heart Association recommends a maximum daily intake of just five teaspoons for women and six teaspoons for men, she points out. Cutting way back on your sugar intake can mean big benefits for your health.

And it's better to start curbing your sugar habit now, as you can get hooked on the stuff the more you become accustomed to eating a lot of it regularly.

Your weight can only tell you so much about your health. “Overall health is total picture with many factors,” says women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, MD. “Your weight is just one of these factors, but you can very healthy if you don't have any risk factors for disease.”

Focusing on healthy habits like exercising, eating a nutritious diet, and cutting back on alcohol will do a lot more for your health overall than stressing over your weight specifically on any given day, she says. Appreciating your body and all it does for you goes a long way in cutting stress levels down, too, and all of these things add up to way better health 40 and over.

You know, you know — you should get more sleep. But this is actually pretty crucial. “Sleep is incredibly important to overall health and often overlooked,” Dr. Wider says. “Poor sleep puts you at risk for emotional and physical conditions in the short term and in the future." Studies have linked poor sleep to heart disease, obesity, depression, and anxiety, among other things, she adds.

When you have good foods in easy reach, that’s what you’ll eat. “Stocking your pantry with healthy foods makes it easier to make the right choices with less effort,” says Beth Warren, RDN, founder of Beth Warren Nutrition and author of Secrets of a Kosher Girl. The longer you wait to practice little nutrition habit like these, the tougher it is to recalibrate your behavior down the road.

“It's always important to stay on top of any issue that may arise,” Dr. Wider says. Things like periods and gynecological symptoms may change as you get older, and you need to be able to have open, candid conversations with your doctor about that if and when issues arise.

That includes things that impact your sex life, too. “Sexual health is a key part of your overall health, so if you have any gynecological issue getting in the way of a healthy sex life, address [it] immediately,” Dr. Wider says.

This is important even if your vision seems sharp AF. “Some eye conditions present with few or no symptoms initially, therefore a comprehensive eye exam can aid in early detection,” says Kelsy Steele, OD, a clinical instructor in the College of Optometry at Ohio State University.

While eye exams can pick up on eye health issues, they can also detect conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and multiple sclerosis, Steele says — and those are health issues you want to address as early as possible and have under control in adulthood.

It’s not just to help keep you from squinting: Your eyes and the tissue around your eyes can get damaged from UV exposure, so it’s best to wear high-quality sunglasses (and hats, if you can) when you’re outside, Steele says. Start today, before it's too late and eye degeneration has already occurred.

Not only are these appointments a great time to check in with your doctor about anything that’s bothering you in the health department, they're also a time when you can be screened for heart disease risk factors, which are crucial to know as you enter your 40s and 50s.

“Early intervention is crucial as many of these risks like diabetes, hypertension, and smoking cessation can be treated and reversed,” says Jennifer Haythe, MD, director of cardio-obstetrics and an internist at NYPH/Columbia and co-director of the Women’s Center for Cardiovascular Health at Columbia.

Keep forgetting to schedule an appointment? Dr. Bartos recommends always scheduling it during your birth month so you don’t forget.

Sure, taking the time to stretch after a workout can be a total pain in the you-know-what, but it’s worth it now...and later. “It helps maintain and even improve your flexibility,” says Sklar. Following a consistent stretching routine can also help with posture and minimizing or preventing lower back pain as you get older, Sklar adds.