Women in Their 40's
The focus on health ratchets up a little when you reach your forties. Somewhere along the line during this decade of life, you may notice small signs that your body isn't getting any younger.
- Joints may start to ache. If you used to go for a run a few times a week, you may eventually need to change it to a fast walk instead to save yourself knee pain.
- You'll probably notice the signs of perimenopause, the phase that signals the transition from menstruation to menopause.
- You may find yourself much more interested in going to bed earlier at night than you used to be (that may already have started in your thirties).
- Your vision is likely to change. It's common to begin to develop farsightedness, which is why you may find yourself holding papers farther away than you used to for the print to come into focus.
The fewer health risk factors you have when you enter your fifties, the higher your chances of preventing heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and other health problems. In your forties, its time to take a serious look at your health status and make healthy changes in terms of food choices, exercise, health screenings, stress management. Make sure you know what your blood pressure is, what your blood fats are and what you need to do to change them if they're too high. Its time to take action on anything that can help you enter your next decade with controllable risk factors under control.
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