Healthy Habits You Should Do In Your 20's For A Healthy 30's

If you are interested in maintaining an excellent state of health for as long as it is possible, you should educate yourself to develop healthy habits. Begin this education in your 20s and, luckily, you will be able to enjoy your 30s, impressing others with how good you are actually feeling. In this article, we will explore some of these habits and help you to understand that the best time to start looking after yourself is now. Enjoy your read and do not hesitate to give all of our suggestions a try!

#1 Physical exercise

Leading a sedentary lifestyle has been associated with an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure. We are spending too much time sitting behind a desk, we drive in a car instead of walking and we prefer watching TV in the evening rather than going out.

While you are still young, do your best and be as physically active as it is possible. Play your favorite sport, go swimming or take a walk every day after work. Once you develop a taste for physical exercise, you won’t be able to go back to the couch.

#2 Healthy eating

The concept of healthy eating has become more and more difficult to grasp, as we are constantly attacked with choices that are not healthy at all. The supermarket shelves are filled with refined and processed foods, fast food consumption is on the rise and we have less time for home-cooked meals.

Being in your 20s, you might be tempted to resort to less-than-healthy food choices. However, the modern diet has been known to have a negative impact on our general health, leading to diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular conditions.

Change your long-term prognosis by eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as lean meat, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Prepare your own meals and have some fun in the kitchen. Discover healthy eating as a concept and you will bring down the risk associated with the above-mentioned chronic conditions.

#3 Proper hydration

Nowadays, we have such a wide choice of beverages, that often times we forget about water. We drink chai lattes, green tea, and other warm beverages, appreciating their delicious taste and enticing flavors. At the same time, we have sugary drinks, sodas, and flavored coffees; all of them have an intensely dehydrating effect, causing sugar spikes and subsequent crashes.

Sugar-rich beverages can predispose you to chronic conditions, such as obesity and type-2 diabetes. By drinking plenty of water and reducing your intake of sugary drinks, you can keep these risks down to a minimum. Moreover, proper hydration is vital for the healthy functioning of body organs and systems. It keeps your skin young and prevents the premature aging process, not to mention it has a positive effect on cognitive performance.

#4 Sleep

Young people have a busy schedule, from day to night. There are social events to attend, travels to be planned and parties to be enjoyed. You might be able to compensate for the lack of sleep with coffee and other similar beverages but this is not a healthy way to live. All those wasted hours will come back to haunt you in your 30s, leading to a state of chronic tiredness.

Sleep deprivation has a negative impact on the overall well-being, affecting your concentration and cognitive performance, memory, and other important functions. It leaves your body vulnerable to infection and influences the hormonal balance in a negative manner.

What you need to do is make a change in your sleep schedule. You need to sleep at least 7-8 hours per night, avoiding wasting nights and partying all the time. It is no good to sacrifice sleep for work either, so pay attention to your personal/professional life balance. Practice good sleep hygiene, avoiding heavy meals right before bedtime and looking into bright screens (smartphone in particular).

#5 Skincare

The youthful appearance of the skin is a given when you are young. However, if you want to look just as good in your 30s, you have to perfect your skincare routine now. By taking good care of your complexion, you will prevent the premature aging process and keep fine lines, wrinkles, at a safe distance.

What does good skin care entail? First of all, you should always clean your skin, resorting to a three-step process: cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. Use products of high-quality and suitable for your skin type. You can also use natural remedies, such as green tea, honey, and avocado, as facial masks can nourish and protect the skin against aging.

As a preventative measure, you can apply cosmetics with integrated SPF. This can protect against the damage done by free radicals, which are often the result of UVA and UVB exposure. It is important to understand that such products can offer protection against the premature aging of the skin but also against skin cancer (which has an incidence on the rise, especially in young people).

#6 Personal/professional balance

The modern generation is defined by over-achievement. We are pressured to succeed as young as it is possible, which leaves us drained of energy later on in life. We work from day to night, bring our job at home and often forget about having a personal life. While all of this might seem exciting in your 20s, it will cause you to become a stressed adult. Moreover, it increases the risk of stress, anxiety, and depression.

The best thing you can do is separate matters. Work is work, while your personal life is yours to enjoy. Try to maintain a balance between your personal and professional life, as this can help you stay healthy. Avoid working long hours, do not bring projects to complete at home and, most importantly, do not sacrifice your free time for work.

Find time to relax and enjoy spending quality moments with your friends and family. Discover new hobbies, listen to your favorite music and spend some time in the open outdoors. The free time will bring down your overall stress levels, reducing the risk of anxiety and depression. Develop this balance into a long-term habit and you will thank yourself later.

#7 Work

Speaking of work, you should never settle for something that you hate. Find a job you love and stick with it. The way work makes you feel in your 20s has a definite impact on your mental health, especially on a long-term basis. If you end up settling with a job you loathe, the risk of depression and chronic stress is considerably higher.

While still young, you might say to yourself that the current job is only a temporary solution. Pay attention, as this can be a trap and, before you even imagine, you will be in your 30s and suffering from depression, hating your job and the entire field in which you are active.

Take your time and go through several jobs, before you find the one that is suitable for you. It is often said that it won’t feel like work if you find something that you love doing. Do not pay attention to others and find your own path. Loving your job is more important than you might think, as it can determine your entire career path and your mental health later on in life.

#8 Nature

Being in the open outdoors is something we should all be more interested in, as the fresh air and direct contact with nature are more beneficial than we might believe. We spend too much of our lives indoors, working and not paying attention to the beautiful world that is out there. The indoor air is often times of poor quality, affecting our performance and causing us to feel stressed, anxious and even depressed.

On the other hand, when we go outside and discover nature in all of its beauty, we feel better all of a sudden. People who live closer to green spaces or water are healthier, so the connection here is clear. Spending more time outside reduces anxiety levels, strengthens the immune system and stimulates our creativity.

Go outside and take a walk. Find a new park to explore. Check out the outdoor recreation opportunities in your area. Develop the habit of coming into contact with nature and you will be healthier, not only in your 20s but also in the next decades of life. Your body will be stronger, with flexible muscles and well-lubricated joints. Moreover, you will keep the risk of stress-related disorders down to a minimum.

A final note

As you have seen, many of the recommendations included in this article are easy to follow and they have plenty benefits to offer in return. Begin changing your life now and you will be thankful later. While in your 30s, you will enjoy an excellent state of health and appreciate life for the gift that it is. And, remember, it is never too late to start taking good care of yourself!

Author bio: Amanda Roberts is one of the authors of Nutrition Inspector. She writes about health, nutrition and fitness article to help people live a healthier lifestyle. Follow her on Facebook.