They always say, ‘treat your body like a temple’. Not only should you take the time and care in looking after your body’s exterior but also its interior.

As we begin to age, some of us may forget to take care of ourselves, whether that’s due to a lack of time, energy, or the desire to overindulge. The fact is, if you take steps earlier on in your life, you can help prevent things from creeping up on you in your later life or delaying some aspects such as aging.

The best time to begin new habits to improve your health is in your 20s and 30s.

Your twenties are the time when you have no regrets, are young, wild, and free, and many, people don’t consider making lifestyle changes until later on. In fact, the sooner you start with making positive changes or additions, the better! As we all leave our teenage bodies behind, your earlier twenties can bring many changes to one’s overall health, whether that be the slowing of metabolism, the production of collagen, or simply not making sensible lifestyle choices.

And as for our 30s, it’s only the same but heightened, our bodies can go through even more changes such as pregnancy and we may begin to take less care of ourselves due to work or family commitments. Here are our top six ways to kickstart your healthy living!

Stay Active

Whether that be through going to the gym, weekend sport teams or a simple leisurely walk to get you started – staying active is vital. Not only does physical activity help keep the pounds off, but it’s great for mental wellbeing as it releases endorphins.

As we get older, our metabolism begins to slow down, however with consistent exercise, we can keep our metabolism levels up for longer. Another aspect of exercise that is important is your flexibility and mobility. As we get older, we can lose these elements, so it’s important to fit at least 10-minute stretching sessions into the start or end of the day – especially if you’re at a desk all day long.

If you need some help with integrating physical activity into your daily routine, visit our beginner's guide to getting fit.

Skincare

Thankfully, skincare has gained an enormous amount of momentum over the years, establishing its importance in one’s health routine. Many of us now take the time to learn about ingredients, their advantages and learn about what our individual complexions’ need. The sacred rule for everyone, at any age will always be SPF.

Whilst a source of sun as a vitamin D top up is good for the health, including that of our bones, it’s not so great on the skin. Protecting our skin from sun rays and damage can help protect us from skin cancer as well as signs of ageing. We advise to use nothing less than SPF20, even if you live in colder climates, as SPF can also help with rays from our screens.

As our knowledge expands on skincare, it’s worth noting that as we hit the various decades, our skin/complexion brings about new concerns, craving more or other ingredients to help with ageing. Look into retinols as they are a superfood ingredient for one’s complexion, as well as vitamin C serums etc.

Sweet Dreams

Throughout our years we’ll experience the lack of the holy eight hours of sleep. Whether that be through spending time online all night, out on the town or dealing with a little one – even life stresses can negatively impact our ability to get a sound sleep.

A good night’s sleep is an important step in one’s health routine. It’s the time where your body reenergises, renews and heals itself ready for the new day. A few steps to a good night’s sleep are cutting down on screen time a couple of hours before bed, use your senses such as sound and smell to help soothe you off to sleep or even read a book or write an entry in your journal.

It’s all about slowing the body down – plus a good night sleep will do wonders for undereye bags. If you need some help with getting a good night's sleep, and staving off the effects of sleep deprivation, head to our guide on building healthy sleeping habits.

The Foundation of Youth

There’s no complicated riddle or treacherous quest you need to go on for this tip. Simply turn the tap on and drink away. Water is great for your health, positively affecting the inside and outside of your body.

Drinking water will help with organ function, help your body feel energised and hydrated as well as assist with clearing acne and the overall appearance of one’s complexion.

Bonus – it can minimally help with keeping the weight off as you’re not drinking your calories.

Listen to Your Body

Many of us will take the necessary steps to be healthier such as working out, eating healthy etc. But one which is just as important is having a relationship with your body, listening to what it’s telling you.

This can include any food sensitivities you can pick up as you age, or learning to notice when your body is telling you to slow down etc.

It also means learning to eat and stop eating when your body is telling you you’re hungry or full – preventing you from the habit of snacking/overeating.

Vitamins

One quick fix to help boost your healthy habits and overall wellbeing is through vitamin tablets.

Whether you’re low on iron, vitamin D or want to help with bone density, vitamins are a great way of getting that extra dose of health you may not be getting from your food.

Vitamins can help with your general body health. You can even take collagen tablets which can help with your complexion and tackle the declining levels as you grow older.

Final thoughts

Those were our top six ways you can begin to boost your health in your 20s and 30’s.

You don’t need to do them all at once, simply incorporate one at a time into your lifestyle and you’ll be well on your way to feeling healthier.

What’s great is that you’re putting the effort into caring for yourself and overall wellbeing. To learn more about safeguarding your physical and emotional wellbeing, book a First Aid course with us today.