Your fourth decade might feel rather early to be thinking about your physical wellbeing in older age, but your body will thank you if you take preventive action today
For anyone who has recently blown out the 3-0 candles on a birthday cake, it can feel as if your whole life is still ahead of you. An exciting whirlwind of weddings, travel, job promotions and new house keys awaits. So, the last thing you are likely to be thinking about in terms of health – beyond finding the energy to fulfil a packed diary – is your long-term physical wellbeing.
Yet, there’s plenty of scientific research to show that developing healthy habits during your 30s, rather than waiting for your body to stop functioning as it should, will not only leave you feeling better right now but also set you up well for the future. “Our lifestyle habits impact on our risks of various diseases – the longer we smoke, for example, the greater our risk of suffering from heart disease and multiple cancers,” says Dr Helen Hartley, associate medical director at Aviva Health.
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