If you’re rapidly approaching the big four-oh, chances are you’re starting to wonder how you can ensure a great decade ahead of you. Women start to go through a lot of physical changes around this time. It’s really easy to feel a little down about the inevitable happening to you. So how can you embrace the next ten years and ensure you feel fabulous over forty?
Eating Right
We all know the importance of healthy eating, whatever age we reach. But during our forties, it’s a good idea to eat right. Healthy eating is just a part of that. We need to make sure we are eating the right foods to supplement our body as it reaches this incredible age. There are foods that can give our fertility system a boost if you feel you’re ready to try for another child. And for those of us that are starting to feel a little perimenopausal, there are choices of foods to help make these changes a little easier to tackle.
Image via Seemann
The forties are different for everyone. Some of us still have young children. Others of us are about to send our babies off to college. And there are those plucky women who are determined that this is the best time in their lives to try for their first child. Our bodies can still do as much as they did twenty years ago, but they may need a little more dietary support to perform optimally.
Exercising Right
Exercise is important for everyone, but forty is the age when wear and tear are starting to show a little more. Aching joints may occur after your usual workout. Don’t panic, and don’t phase out your favorite moves. Instead, extend your warm-up and cool-down sessions to give your body the best chance of being ready.
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You should also add extra stretches and activities to your exercise program. If you no longer have small children to run around or play with, your body can lose its flexibility, strength, and stamina. Activities like walking and running are great for strengthening your muscles and bones (and protecting your hip joints!) Why not lift a few twenty-pound weights once in a while to keep your motherhood tone?
New Activities
If the kids have reached an age where they have more independence, now is the perfect time to reclaim some of your life back too. You can enjoy evenings out again, and maybe even take a class or two on the weekends. There are so many great activities to get involved with in your forties. Have you tried amateur dramatics? What about a Yoga or Tai Chi class? Did you ever wish you could learn to play a musical instrument?
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New activities at this stage in your life help you to fill the gap left by kids as the mature through school and beyond. It’s a good time to choose activities you know you should be able to keep up for the next forty years. Choose things that are good for the body, the soul, and the mind. Anything that ramps up your social life again is ideal.
New Routines
As we reach our forties and beyond, the skin and hair change considerably. The hair thins out, and can even become patchy. This is mostly due to hormones, so check with your doctor if a replacement therapy can help you. The skin loses its elasticity and can appear droopy. Deep lines and wrinkles are more noticeable too. Again, hormones have a part to play, but you can also reduce these symptoms of maturity by changing your beauty products. Many cosmetics are made for young women in their twenties. Your beauty regime needs to change, and you’ll need products for a more mature skin.
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You can also start new lifestyle routines to see you through this fabulous decade. A few stretches or a brisk walk help to wake you up and get the circulation going too. Now the kids don’t get you up at dawn, you can use that time for you. And if you’re still working on a young family, this can be a great time to help boost your stamina to cope with the little darlings.
New Fashion
What woman doesn’t love a good shopping trip? And your forties are the best time to shop for new fashions. You’re feeling sexy and vibrant, but not girly and flirty. It’s time to find those outfits that suit the woman you’ve become.
Choose cuts that suit your current body shape. And don’t forget to double-check your size. Your proportions will continue to change as you go through the menopause in the next few years. And if you’re still childbearing, you may be surprised at how gorgeous your new figure will become.
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You can also choose a fab new color palette for your makeup. Do away with the heavy eyeliner, and try lighter tones with a hint of blush. Getting a new hairstyle can be a fantastic way to celebrate your coming of age too. If you’ve been married for a while the next year or two may see a big anniversary come up. What better time to get that beautiful eternity ring you’ve always dreamed of?
Bigger Family
Perhaps the most exciting things that may occur for some of us at the end of the next decade is the start of an extended family. Our babies will meet their husbands and wives, and may even have babies of their own. Becoming a Grandmotherin our forties isn’t unheard of these days. And it can help to be still so young and vibrant!
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If your children are grown up and moving out soon, you might even be thinking of downsizing. This can release so capital for you to enjoy a better quality of living. Or perhaps you want to treat yourself to a holiday of a lifetime. It can also be a handy pension supplement to help you retire early.
They say life begins at forty, so why shouldn’t it? And if you can feel fabulous over forty then why not? Love yourself for life, whatever your age.