Health For Your Stage of Life

Just like men and women's health is different, there is also a variation in women of different ages. As women age, there are interesting things that happen in their bodies: pregnancy, menopause, and other occurrences can have a huge effect on your health. Although not every twenty year old is in the same health as other twenty year olds just as every fifty year old has varying health needs and concerns, there are some generalizations when it comes to health within certain age ranges that usually pertain to the majority of women within the age range described.

TWENTYSOMETHING

You're not invincible. You're probably tired of hearing this from people older than you, and while you may acknowledge it on an intellectual level you may be doing things that are contrary to this principal. Women in their twenties sometimes drink like there is no tomorrow, smoke as if they were chimneys, and hop into bed as though their partner was the last man on earth.

Some psychologists call this tendency the "Personal Fable," which means that younger people feel as though there is nothing that can stop them and bad things will certainly not happen to them. Here is the bummer, Twentysomething: It's just not true. All that drinking will eventually harm your body, not to mention put you in bad situations where you may do things you may not do sober. The smoking that doesn't seem to be affecting your health right now will catch up with you rather quickly, especially if this is the decade you happen to get addicted to nicotine.

Sleeping around with a variety of men is an obvious issue, and even if you are using protection every single time, there is no guarantee that the protection will do its job. Essentially, you're rolling the dice with every man you sleep with. Of course, not every twenty year old woman does all these things. Some women in their twenties are already married with children. Just be sure to realize the boundaries of your body, and know that the things you do now will have a lasting effect on your health for years to come, no matter how invincible you feel right now.

Start a trend of good health now as a basis for life. You may not feel like going to the gym or picking the healthiest foods to eat right now, but the truth of the matter is that this is the absolute best time to get into the habit of doing so. Think about it; if you start a steady habit of exercising on a regular basis while also avoiding bad foods then you are setting the stage to be healthy as your age advances. There are plenty of women who are now in their forties and fifties who truly wish they would have began healthy habits back in their twenties because perhaps they would enjoy better health at the age they are now.

Some women don't even start living healthy lifestyles until they are far into middle age! Think of healthy living now as an investment. It doesn't take much at this stage of life to get healthy, but the longer you wait the more difficult it gets. You can virtually guarantee that the choice you make now to get and stay healthy will be one that you will always be happy about. Trust this: there aren't many choices you can make in your twenties that you can be absolutely sure will yield great results, but this is one of them.

Enjoy your health at this stage of life. How annoying is it when older women tell you that you should really enjoy your youth while you have it? For most twentysomething women, it seems like a trite thing to say, but what you may not realize is that it's absolutely true. Generally, the younger you are, the more easily you will recover from infections and illnesses. You will probably be more energetic and limber, and you won't pop and creak every time you go from a sitting to a standing position.

The thing you may not realize is that, for many women, these things are actually right around the corner. You'll start to notice changes in your body and health as early as your late twenties or early thirties. You can avoid or delay some of these changes by being as healthy as possible now that you are in your twenties, but now is definitely the time to backpack across Europe or go bungee-jumping. It isn't that older women don't do these things, but your health in your twenties makes it much easier to tackle big things than you would in your later years. Of course, there are plenty of women in their forties and fifties who are actually healthier and more fit than some women in their twenties, but in general these ideas ring true.

THIRTYSOMETHING

There are special health concerns with pregnancy. Many women decide that their thirties are the ideal time to have babies, although some women begin earlier and other women begin later. The thirties seem to be a relatively common decade for women to jump into motherhood, and therefore there are certain health concerns that women at this age should be aware of before getting pregnant.

One thing to take into consideration is that you should try your best to get as healthy as possible before getting pregnant, because this will provide a greater chance of your pregnancy being as smooth as possible (keep in mind that there is no guaranteed method to ensure a smooth pregnancy because you never really know what is going to happen, but whenever you can get the cards stacked in your favor it's a good thing). Here are a few things you should try to do before getting pregnant:

Have a preconception check-up with your doctor.
Get to - or near - your ideal weight.
Wean off any prescription drugs that aren't okay during pregnancy (this should be done in conjunction with your doctor's advice…never stop taking a prescribed medication without consulting with your doctor beforehand).
Stop smoking or drinking.
Establish a regular exercise regimen far in advance.
Start taking prenatal vitamins or multi-vitamins with sufficient folic acid before attempting to get pregnant.

Doing these things will set you up with a great foundation for a healthy pregnancy. You should also keep in mind that at age thirty-five you are considered to be of an advanced maternal age, and this means that you will be subject to other tests and concerns that women younger than you may not have to deal with. For example, your doctor will probably suggest an amniocentesis, which involves long needles and scary risks. Remember that you aren't required to submit to risky tests that are considered by your doctor to be optional, and you should make the decision based on what you and your partner are comfortable with for your pregnancy.

Birth control may have to change here. If you are like some women, you have been on birth control pills since you first started having sex, probably in your late teens or early twenties. What some doctors don't tell you when you first start taking the pill, however, is that most women cannot stay on the pill continually for decades. Eventually your body is simply going to start freaking out, for lack of a better term. Some women find that their emotions start to go haywire while other women have a physical reaction to the pills. It may be surprising at first, especially if you have been on the pill for a long time without incident and if you don't realize that it's the pills that are doing it to you.

Keep in mind that if you have been taking your pills religiously for years and then start to feel a little like you can't control your emotions that it may actually be your body saying, "Enough with these birth control pills…I can't take it anymore!" The good news is that there are plenty of other forms of birth control to choose from, and it may just be a case of having to take you down to a lower dose of birth control pills in order to get you functioning at your optimum level again. Just be sure to keep this in mind so you don't think you're going insane if all of a sudden you feel as though you're riding an emotional rollercoaster.

Are the signs of aging freaking you out? The thirties are an interesting age to be for a woman. At this point, a woman's body is usually starting to exhibit some signs of aging, such as gray hairs, wrinkles, and a slowing down of the metabolism. If this sounds familiar then there are some things that you should know with regard to aging and your health. First of all, know that aging is inevitable and there is no surgery or procedure that can be done to freeze you in time so you don't age anymore.

You should also make the bold attempt of accepting the aging process and realizing that you're still a beautiful and vibrant woman. This isn't easy for every woman, but it will serve you well if you can embrace this frame of mind. The reason why you should try to do this is twofold: The better your mental health is, the better your physical health is in many cases, and also because there are some procedures offered by plastic surgeons and other medical professionals that may make you look younger but are detrimental to your health. How much are you willing to risk in order to feel pretty? Wouldn't it be easier to simply try to accept who you are instead of going under the knife in an attempt to look younger?

On the next page we discuss Health for Forty and Fifty-Somethings.