Are you middle aged? What exactly is the definition of middle age? Is it a number? Is it a situation? Are you middle aged when you hit 45 or 50? Or when you send your children off to college? The good news is that middle age is not necessarily a numerical milestone. People are living longer and taking better care of themselves, and middle age is becoming more of a state of mind then an age. Living a healthy lifestyle is helping people feel young and enjoying life more as they age. People are starting families at an older age, which tends to make them feel younger as well.
There are some health challenges that come with aging, but living a healthy lifestyle can help minimize some problems. Many middle aged people struggle with obesity and metabolic syndrome, which can put them at risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. There are many ways to fight the battle of the bulge, but of course increasing exercise and decreasing calories is the best way! Many people are using pedometers to make sure they are getting in enough steps through the day and burning the calories that they are eating.
Arthritis and Osteoporosis are two other problems that plague the middle aged. An old injury from playing sports or overdoing it on the weekends can cause long term problems. Obesity can also lead to joint pain. Regular exercise instead of weekend spurts of exercise can be beneficial as well as losing just a little bit of weight. And it is important when you are older to stop doing something if it hurts, the old saying “no pain, no gain” is simply not true.
As we age, the risk of many kinds of cancer also increases, which is why regular cancer screenings are important for both men and women. Screening for Colon Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Prostate Cancer and Breast Cancer are recommended and when caught early, these Cancers can be treatable. Lung Cancer is particularly deadly, so quitting smoking is essential for good health. Vision and Hearing problems are also often a part of middle age, but again with regular screens there is help available.
As you approach middle age, the important thing to remember is take good care of yourself. Exercise and eat healthy foods. After all, age is really a state of mind.