Your health through the decades
A healthy lifestyle is always important but your needs can change at different stages throughout your life. Liz Connor talks to some of the experts to let us maximise our potential
Living well is important at any age, but experts say our health priorities can change as we get older. While the principles of exercising regularly, eating well and managing stress will always be relevant, there may also be specific things you can do at each milestone decade to make sure you’re harnessing your full healthy potential.
So, what are they? We asked health experts to share their tips for happy, healthy ageing, and looking after yourself at different stages of life…
In your 20s you should… support your bones and set good habits
Our bones carry on developing into our late-20s, so it’s important we continue to get plenty of calcium and vitamin D during these years, says Dr Naveen Puri, a lead physician at Bupa Health Clinics.
As well as taking eating a good diet and taking supplements where necessary, he adds that resistancebased exercise, like weight training, can help strengthen bones, as well as repetitive activities such as hiking, jogging and playing tennis.
Your early adult life is also a great time to avoid too many unhealthy lifestyle choices. “When we’re young, we might not notice the impact of drinking too much or smoking, but now is the ideal time to minimise these habits,” says Puri.
“Drinking too much on a regular basis is linked to a host of long-term health conditions, from high blood pressure and heart disease, through to liver disease and certain types of cancer. Similarly, smoking is heavily linked to issues like cancer, heart and lung disease, strokes, and diabetes.”
In your 30s you should… eat well and protect your mental health
As you move into your 30s, you might start noticing some subtle body changes as your metabolism slows down. “This is perfectly normal, but does mean it becomes more important to eat well,” says Dr Puri. Although it’s tempting to find a quickfix for those stubborn extra pounds, don’t turn to fad diets. “Instead, look at making smaller, sustainable changes, as these are often healthier and easier to maintain,” he advises.
“Try to avoid grazing and stick to three meals a day, including highfibre foods like wholegrain bread or brown rice, and protein like chicken or tofu. Also aim to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day to make sure you’re getting a range of vitamins and minerals.
At this time of life, many people may find themselves in more stressful situations, with greater demands on their time. This can come from lots of different sources, like our growing career responsibilities or family life.
“There are many methods to help manage stress, and it’s about finding what works for you,” says Puri. “Relaxation therapies – like meditation, yoga or mindfulness – may be helpful.”
In your 40s you should… maintain a good diet
It’s believed that almost one in 20 people in the UK are living with diabetes. While type 1 diabetes can occur at any age and is not linked with weight or lifestyle, generally speaking, type 2 is more likely to develop in over-40s, and this form of diabetes is often associated with factors like weight and diet. Maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle may help prevent type 2 diabetes, as well as being important if you are diagnosed.
“Maintaining a good, balanced diet and exercising regularly is key to managing both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In some cases, you can reverse type 2 diabetes with the right diet and exercise,” says Lloydspharmacy pharmacist Anshu Kaura.
In your 50s you should… check your breasts and prostate regularly
Giles Davies, lead surgeon and director of breast surgery at Cromwell Hospital, says it’s really important for women to check for the signs of breast cancer in their 50s.
“Women should check their breasts from a young age – ideally in their late-teens or 20s, but it becomes even more important as you get older,” he notes. “Around 80% of breast cancers happen in women over 50, so it’s important you attend your screenings.
“It’s also vital you know the signs of breast cancer, so you can act on any concerns. One of the most common signs is a new lump in the breast area or armpit, though women may also experience nipple discharge, skin changes, or a change in size or shape to either one or both of the breasts.”
Men should also get regular prostate checks. Professor Hashim Ahmed, consultant urological surgeon at Cromwell Hospital, says: “Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer amongst men in the UK and mainly affects those over age 50. Problems with urinating can often be one of the first signs that something is wrong. Other common indications may include needing to pee more frequently, often during the night, or finding it more difficult to start or stop urinating.”
These symptoms don’t always mean you have cancer. However, getting things checked out quickly is always sensible. And in some cases, cancer doesn’t cause any symptoms so it’s important to keep up with regular health checks.
“Maintaining a good, balanced diet and exercising regularly is key to managing both type 1 and type 2 diabetes”
In your 60s you should… look after your joints
Joint pain is very common as we get older, and it’s often caused by osteoarthritis, or wear and tear. Lifestyle measures may help prevent these problems worsening, as well
as helping ease flare-ups. Keeping physically active can still be very important. If you are concerned about joint pain and exercise, speak to your GP and perhaps a physiotherapist for tailored advice.
Kaura adds: “In winter, many individuals with joint conditions find their sensations of pain can become more frequent. For those experiencing heightened joint pain in winter, a cod liver oil supplement may help.
“Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids helps support the body’s anti-inflammatory response, which can in turn help to prevent joint conditions such as arthritis from deteriorating.”
In your 70s and beyond you should… keep active
Experts say even people in their 70s should look to undertake some form of exercise every day, but it doesn’t need to be anything as intense as marathon running.
Lin Seeley, wellbeing co-ordinator at Bupa Sandhills Court care home, says: “Light activity, such as a brisk walk or a bike ride, will still provide good benefits, and people should try to clock up about two-and-ahalf hours of this a week. I always recommend that older people work on strength and balance training. Some great exercises for this can include gentle weightlifting or aerobics. Yoga and Pilates are also
You might not associate yourself with the stereotypical anorakclad, binocular-wielding bird-watching ‘twitcher’, but as lockdown has connected more people with their gardens and wildlife, you may want to get a better view of welcome visitors to your green space.
As The Wildlife Trusts gears up for its 30 Days Wild annual celebration of nature in June, you’ve plenty of time to equip yourself with the garb, tech and wildlife feeding accessories to give you the best chance of seeing wildlife.
Stuart Edmunds, of Shropshire Wildlife Trust, has been using the latest wildlife camera technology to record some of our more elusive species for the last 12 years, filming the first known pine martens in Shropshire using remote cameras.
He suggests some of the kit you might need, and things to consider…
Invest in a webcam
“Webcams are really easy to set up these days, and are cheaper than they were a decade ago,” says Edmunds. “They send back live pictures you can watch on your TV. You not only see birds feeding and in nest boxes, but you can find out what other wildlife you get in your garden. You can get webcams that just plug into the aerial socket of your TV, then you can run the wire through a tiny gap in your kitchen window and set it down where you want it in the garden on a cable.”
Wireless versions are also available, including ones that can stream HD video to your phone, computer or tablet via an app.
Set up a camera trap (trail cam)
“This is a completely remote camera that functions on its own battery power and records everything that moves in front of it through motion detection and records it on an SD card,” explains Edmunds. You can buy bendy tripods to secure the camera to tree trunks, branches and fence posts.
Again, they are not as expensive as you might think, he says: “I paid almost £350 for my first camera trap 11 years ago, but you can get them for about £40 now.” But be aware that you’ll have to buy an SD card and batteries on top of your initial purchase. You can also buy nest boxes with cameras already installed.
Choose your camera position
“Have a play around with the camera,” Edmunds suggests. “I’ve tried placing it in bushes, where
I can’t see what’s going on.” Most camera traps have an infra-red night vision facility. “If you only have a balcony, set up a covered feeder, like a bird table with a roof on top, put some peanuts and seeds on it and attach the camera to it and you can get some great close-up views. These cameras have really focused lenses, so you get to see the birds close-up.”
Boost your vision with binoculars
“I’d recommend a good starter pair of binoculars such as Opticron, which are ideal for watching birds on feeders, depending on the size of your garden. It’s the best way to get up close and personal to bird life.”
Choose the right time of day
“The best time to see birds is at first light, when it’s light enough for them to start feeding, and when the sun goes down, when they’ll be feeding as much as they can to get through the night,” says Edmunds.
Place feeders and nest boxes carefully
“Birds feel much more comfortable if they have places to hide as well as the shelter of a nestbox. It’s best to have trees and branches close by which they can perch on during the day.”
Think about camouflage
While many garden birds will become used to the presence of humans at a distance, if you want to take close-up photos of slightly rarer birds such as goldfinches and bullfinches, camouflage can be useful, he says.
“A few people I know have constructed a willow screen, made a hole in it and observed from behind it,” says Edmunds. “You can also buy really cheap camouflage netting, which you can drape over yourself and sit quietly and peer through it.”
Seek out hedgehog hotspots
You can capture other wildlife visitors such as hedgehogs with strategically placed cameras near a bowl of dried cat food (which hopefully won’t just attract next door’s moggie), says Edmunds. “In Shropshire, we’ve found that hedgehogs like bird seed that falls from feeders,” he notes. So keep an eye out for hedgehogs under your feeders.
For information and activities for 30 Days Wild (available from April 12), visit wildlifetrusts.org/30dayswild
Grey wintry days may not seem to be the most inviting for a trip to the allotment but I guarantee that most of us will feel all the better for making the effort. Daylight hours are lengthening. An afternoon session no longer seems so short as to be hardly worth the bother of pulling on boots and warm clothes.
Even if conditions aren’t suitable for working on the plot, cleaning and sharpening tools and pumping up the wheelbarrow tyre save frustration later on.
Looking closely I can see signs of spring.
Buds on fruit bushes are now swelling and garlic, which was planted before Christmas, is showing a couple of leaves.
Small birds are also prospecting for mates and nest sites in the hedge.
Kneeling down and clearing up leaves I managed to unearth some tiny pink buds of rhubarb.
In another month of two there’ll be enough stems for a picking.
Last year’s frozen fruit is just a distant memory.
We should have no regrets about giving over a bit of our plots for growing some flowers for the sheer pleasure they give at this time of year.
Snowdrops are first but I really look forward to the yellow cheerfulness of crocuses and daffodils which follow on.
Winter crops are looking sparse though.
There are a few rows of overwintering perpetual spinach looking rather bedraggled but as soon as the soil begins to warm up a bit, towards the end of the month, it’ll start to regrow.
Nine Star perennial broccoli grown from seed last year looks promising. Kale is a reliable winter source of green leaves.
Adventurous cooks crisp it in the oven with spices and a bit of oil.
Potato Days can’t take place this year.
I’ve been to many different ones over the years but Borders Organic Gardeners’ annual event in Kelso takes some beating.
Excitement builds up as one joins the queue armed with lists and brown paper bags in which to put one’s selection.
The joy of these events was buying a few tubers of lots of different varieties to say nothing of bumping into old friends and enjoying a chat over soup and a scone.
Cultural advice was always available from potato experts John Marshall and Alan Romans.
Hopefully we can look forward to these events taking place next year.
Sourcing small quantities of seed potatoes has proved difficult and those I’ve ordered online seem eyewateringly expensive compared with what I had grown accustomed to.
Nine Star perennial broccoli grown from seed last year looks promising