16 Common Health Mistakes One Should Never Make Past Middle Age
When we’re young, our bodies are capable of
pulling off astounding feats. Doing all-nighters, drinking tons of
alcohol, and eating more chocolate than seems humanly possible are all a
piece of cake when you’re in your 20’s and 30’s. However, once you
reach middle age and late adulthood, recovering from events like these
becomes a lengthy, and often painful, process that could really affect
your overall health.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t extend a
fulfilling and active life all the way to your 70’s and 80’s, of course,
and to achieve that, prioritizing healthy habits and avoiding health
mistakes, even those you could previously get away with, is the way to
go once you’re in your late 40’s and up. Below are 15 common health
mistakes to avoid at all times for those of you who have reached the
noble age.
1. Forgetting to exercise your brain
Our brain may not be a muscle, but much
like a muscle, it needs constant training, irrespective of our age. Many
people mistakably believe that learning and brain development is just
for kids and students, neglecting their brain once they reach their late
40's and beyond. This mistake is completely ungrounded in fact, as
older adults are significantly more susceptible to cognitive decline and
memory problems even if they don't suffer from neurodegenerative
conditions, which is why it is crucial to train your memory and
cognition as much as possible.
Trivia quizzes, crossword puzzles, creative
activities, tactical games, crafts, and reading are all excellent ways
to maintain your brain in top shape, even if you only engage in these
activities for 2 hours every week (only 17 minutes a day).
2. Neglecting oral health
Visits to the dentist and hygienist, as
well as good oral hygiene, are a crucial element of long-term health,
especially since it has been shown that poor oral hygiene is closely
linked to cognitive decline and heart problems in seniors.
Even if you tended to skip or delay dentist's visits in the past, you
should make it a point to schedule regular appointments every 6 months
as you arrive at your late 40's. Apart from preventing oral and dental
issues, your dentist is also qualified to detect other serious health
conditions (e.g. diabetes, cancers, heart and kidney disease) that often
manifest themselves in the mouth and direct you to your physician.
3. Skipping meals
If you're in the habit of skipping breakfast (or any other meal of the
day for that matter), you should stop doing so once you've reached
middle age or late adulthood. Skipping meals can lead to spikes in blood
sugar, which is why people who tend to skip meals are more likely to be
diagnosed with diabetes, most often between the age of 40 and 64. You
don't have to eat a lot, but keep a steady and balanced meal schedule to
maintain long-term pancreatic health.
4. Losing touch with family and friends
Humans are social creatures, and that doesn't change much throughout
one's life, no matter your age, gender, or personality. Maintaining or
even strengthening familial and friendly ties with people is very
important for your physical and mental health, with studies suggesting
that socially active people tend to live more than 20% longer than those
who are lonely.
Even if your family lives far away, try socializing more by joining
different social groups, e.g. become a volunteer, join a book club, or
sign up to the gym. Not only will these groups make your day-to-day life
more interesting, but they will also boost your activity levels.
5. Being dehydrated 
When you're young, it's easy to brush away the occasional chapped lips
and dry mouth that come with dehydration. However, once you reach your
40's and 50's, dehydration can become a serious concern, causing
anything ranging from headaches and vertigo to constipation and even
kidney damage.
This issue is further worsened if you take certain medications, such as
diuretics and laxatives, as these can further dehydrate you.
6. Giving up when your health starts to decline
With age, all of us begin to experience all kinds of unexpected health
issues, which can be very discouraging, especially if the diagnosis is
very serious and unsettling. However, you must understand that all of
these symptoms and conditions are a part of the cycle of life, and most
people go through the very same pressures, fears, and doubts you are at
some point in their lives, so the best we can do is support each other
and carry on living as much of a fulfilling and pleasant life as the
circumstances allow.
7. Failing to monitor your sugar and salt intake 
Sugar, be it in the form of white sugar, brown sugar, artificial
sweetener, or even sugary beverages such as juice, are all very
disruptive for your pancreatic health, heart health, and digestive
system when consumed in excess. The same rule applies to salt, as too
much sodium is quite potent at disrupting your heart and kidney health
and contributing to stomach cancer. For these reasons, the FDA suggests
the following recommended daily intake of salt and sugar:
Sugar: 150 calories (37.5 g; 9 teaspoons) for men and 100 calories
(25 g; 6 teaspoons) for women.
Salt: 6g of salt (1 teaspoon).
We highly recommend starting to monitor how much salt and sugar your
food contains, as you might be unknowingly consuming a lot more of these
harmful ingredients, especially if you eat a lot of packaged foods and
eat out frequently.
8. Persisting with bad habits
Once you reach your 40's and 50's, it's time to acknowledge that your
body is changing, and it's unable to handle all that stress it used to.
One of the primary things you should realize is that bad habits, such as
a lack of sleep, smoking, a poor diet, and drinking alcohol will be
more and more difficult for your body to handle, and so these habits are
bound to cause more harm than they used to previously. These bad habits
are believed to be some of the leading causes of chronic diseases like
diabetes, heart disease, and cancers, so it's much recommended to
minimize or avoid them altogether.
9. Neglecting your feet
Your feet are likely the most neglected
part of your body. While we routinely take care of our hair, nails, and
faces, the feet are often completely ignored, which shouldn't be the
case. When you reach middle age, you should make sure not to walk on
high heels for long and not to wear poorly fitting shoes, as both of
these can restrain the blood circulation in your feet, contribute to
swelling, and make your feet sore and tired.
You should also examine your feet, toes, and toenails from time to time
to make sure there is no discoloration or signs of infection, as both of
these symptoms can point to an underlying issue and are best treated at
early stages.
10. Ignoring the potential for a fall 
This mistake is more targeted towards
seniors than middle-aged individuals, but it's a very important one, as
older adults often underestimate how easily they could fall in their own
home or outside. According to the National Council of Aging in the US,
for example, every 11 seconds a senior is treated in the ER for a fall,
and every 20 minutes, an older adult passes away as a result of a fall.
For that reason, it's recommended to make
sure the rooms in your home are well lit, you wear sturdy shoes, and
remove any scatter rugs from your home. You should also watch out for
cracks and steps on sidewalks and make use of walking aids and
eyeglasses if needed. Strength building exercises are likewise suggested
if balance is an issue for you.
11. Skipping recommended screenings
Recommended screenings and up-to-date
vaccinations are the primary ways to prevent and catch any dangerous
condition in time, and the older you are, the more likely you are to
develop such a condition. If you'd like to learn about the specific
health checks and vaccinations for people over 50- see my next post.
12. Not paying attention to your posture
Bad sitting posture can affect your spinal
health and can easily cause back and neck pain, which become all too
common with age. To avoid pain and stiffness in the back, the best thing
you can do is maintain a healthy posture and engage in core
strengthening exercises, such as abdominal exercises and stretches.
Don't be afraid to start strengthening and engaging your core muscles in
an attempt to relieve back pain and improve your balance even if you're
in your 60's or older, as research shows that you can build muscle
nearly as well as younger individuals.
13. Having a sedentary lifestyle
We get it. Getting back home after a long
day of work or any other activity is not the most conducive to more
physical activity in the evening or early in the morning the next day.
However, believe it or not, this is exactly what your body needs the
most.
As a matter of fact, most of the chronic muscle weakness and pain in the
muscles and joints people experience in their late 50's and onwards are
largely due to years of inactivity. Try to exercise just a few minutes
every day and choose the format that's most accessible to you - no need
to start lifting weights and running marathons. This will help you feel
stronger, more confident and capable, not to mention improve your health
and wellbeing, and protect you from falls and serious injuries.
14. Not eating healthy because you exercise
Another dangerous habit that's awfully
common across all ages, but is especially dangerous to older adults is
the belief that regular exercise will be capable of compensating for all
the junk food you indulge in on a daily basis. Unfortunately, even the
fittest looking people can end up suffering from ulcers, cancer, and
other chronic conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes, which are
heavily associated with poor diet choices.
The fact of the matter is that eating well and including a lot of
vegetables, whole grains and healthy plant fats in your diet is
necessary for longevity and digestive and overall health, even if you
exercise and don't gain a pound of weight. A healthy, nutrient-rich diet
will also ensure you get plenty of essential nutrients in your body,
which will help maintain your strength, mental health, and energy
levels.
15. Failing to use sunscreen daily
Skin cancer statistics are on the rise,
despite the attempts of doctors worldwide to make us wear more
sunscreen. Unfortunately, age is one of the factors that increase one's
likelihood of not surviving a melanoma diagnosis either, and the average
age of being diagnosed with the cancer is currently 63 according to the
Melanoma Research Alliance.
Also, when you reach your 40's and beyond, skin aging becomes not just
something you notice in other people or read about, it becomes the harsh
reality. To prevent skin cancer, sun spots, wrinkles, and crepey skin,
apply sunscreen daily, and don't forget such areas as ears, neck, and
tops of hands and feet. If you're planning on spending time outside,
it's also recommended to reapply a fresh layer of sunscreen every 2
hours.
16. Too much screen time before bed 
We can hardly imagine our lives without
mobile devices and computers these days, but if you care about your
sleep schedule, you might keep these devices out of the bedroom. This is
because the light these devices emit trick your brain into believing
it's daytime and prevents your pineal gland from producing melatonin -
the sleep hormone.
The older we get, the more likely we are to suffer from insomnia, be it
due to stress or a bothersome underlying condition, and the light from
your devices further lowers the likelihood of falling asleep. It is
recommended to stay away from computers, TV screens and mobile devices
at least 1.5 hours before going to bed.