As you enter your 30’s, life starts to get pretty busy, and taking some time to consider quality health tips can make a big difference for you.
We get it—you have a very full plate. Between work, time with family, possibly some young kids running around, your 30’s can be overwhelming. Incredible, but overwhelming. Your health may not be at the top of your list of priorities, but trust us. Prioritizing your health now is going to save you a lot of time and energy later, plus it will help you establish effective habits that will pay off for years to come.
So what exactly should men over 30 be thinking about when it comes to their health? Take a look at some of our top health tips to make your 30’s and beyond the very best!
1. Carefully Consider Your Meal Size
In your teens and twenties, it was easy to eat as much as you wanted without experiencing too much discomfort. However, it’s time to start to be more intentional about your meal sizes. It’s recommended that you fill half your plate with vegetables and fruits, one fourth with your protein, and another fourth with your grain. Portion control really can make a difference, and is well worth the effort.
2. Exercise, Exercise, Exercise
If you haven’t made it a priority yet, make exercise a regular part of your daily routine. At least 30 minutes of exercise on a regular basis will make a big difference over time, not only with maintaining body weight and building muscle, but with giving you more energy to do the things that you love.
Whether you’re just entering your 30’s or you’re well into your 60’s or 70’s, you want to be able to get on the floor and play with your kids or grandkids, or perhaps get out on physical adventures, like white water rafting or a backpacking trip. Whatever it is, you deserve the energy and capacity to do these things, and exercise is going to help make that happen.
3. Keep Your Bones Strong
If you haven’t started thinking about bone strength, now is the time to be more intentional about it. Read up on what you can do to keep your bones strong. You might be surprised by how simple some ways are, including:
- Eating lots of vegetables
- Prioritizing protein
- Eat foods with high levels of calcium
- Strength training style exercises
- Collagen supplements
Keep in mind that what works for one person may not work for another. Try out a handful of these and do what works best for you. Incorporating these into your day-to-day routine will eventually become a habit, and you won’t even have to think about it anymore. You’ll just be reaping the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and strong bones.
4. What’s up with Your Testosterone?
As you get older, you may find that your testosterone isn’t what it once was. This is common for many men, and there are effective solutions for you to consider.
Something we recommend is testosterone replacement therapy. It’s very effective, especially for those facing symptomatic hypogonadism. This is essentially where someone is dealing with decreased libido or erectile dysfunction. Both of these are caused by low testosterone levels, which is where testosterone therapy comes into play.
There are a handful of things that can cause low testosterone, including depression, stress, fatigue, even diabetes or heart disease. We’ve seen testosterone levels start to decline in a man’s early 40’s, sometimes even earlier. Stay on top of your testosterone levels and get the treatments you need as you enter your 30’s.
5. Check Your Mental Health
Often when thinking about health tips, we’re thinking about our physical health. However, it’s equally important to consider the state of your mental health, as well. As we mentioned over, your 30’s bring a lot of wonderful things, however, they can also bring on a lot of stress.
This will look different for everyone. It could mean taking medication to manage stress, anxiety, or depression. Talk to your doctor about what medication and dosage is going to be best for you.
It could also be regularly seeing a therapist. Luckily, there are tons of different options out there, making it easier than ever to find a therapist that fits your preferences, as well as your schedule. Whether you’re meeting with someone in person once a month or you have Zoom calls scheduled multiple times a week, find what works best for you. It will be worth it.
6. Keep Stress Under Control
While we’re on the topic of mental health, let’s talk about stress. It’s safe to say that stress is unavoidable. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t solutions. There are plenty of things you can do to keep your stress under control.
Again, this is going to look different for everyone. What brings calm and peace may actually bring stress for others, so find what works best for you! Maybe it’s going on a walk or a jog in the morning. Maybe it’s setting aside time to read a few chapters in a book or listen to a podcast. Perhaps there’s a hobby that you want to dedicate some time to on a weekly or even daily basis.
Whatever it is, set aside the time and make it a priority. When your stress is under control, and when you have something to look forward to, it makes everything look more manageable.
7. Take Care of Your Heart
The older you get, the more important it’s going to become to properly take care of your heart. And no, we’re not talking about dating and romance.
No, we’re talking about the old ticker. Keeping your heart in tip top shape is absolutely worth the effort. Maintaining a healthy heart consists of all of the classic health tips that we’ve been hearing all our lives. Eat a heart healthy diet. Prioritize regular exercise. Cut alcohol and tobacco out.
There’s a reason why these are consistently brought up and advised. It’s because they’re effective and they really work, not just for taking care of your heart, but for your overall health. It’s worth the effort.
8. Say No to Smoking
Speaking of tobacco, it’s worth repeating that smoking is not doing you any favors, and cutting it out of your daily routine will serve you well. There have been many, many studies that have proven that smoking wreaks havoc on your body, and if you’re looking to live a long and healthy life, tobacco can’t be a part of it.
It’s better to start sooner than later. There are plenty of options available to help overcome tobacco addiction. Consider what might work best for you and make it a priority to move past your tobacco use.
9. Sunscreen Matters
Some may think that sunscreen is just for kids getting ready to go out and play in the sun, or that you only need to wear it when you’re planning on spending a significant amount of time outside. In reality, wearing sunscreen should be a part of your daily routine, no matter what you have on your agenda.
At the end of the day, wearing sunscreen is a simple yet effective shield from sun damage and even skin cancer. When you start early, it will easily become a habit and you’ll reap the benefits without even thinking about it.
So when you get up in the morning, find a way to fit it in your morning ritual. Shower, breakfast, brush teeth, sunscreen. It’s as simple as that!
10. Prioritize Regular Doctor Visits
It can become easy to fall out of habit with seeing your doctor on a regular basis. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it, right?
Wrong.
If you’re under the age of 50, you should be visiting your doctor at least every three years. Once you’re over 50, you should be scheduling a visit at least once a year. And if there’s ever anything that comes up that seems concerning, don’t hesitate to set up an appointment and get things checked out.
Here’s the thing: it’s much better for you to err on the side of caution and find out that there’s nothing wrong than to do nothing and find out too late that it’s pretty serious.
11. Daily Water Intake
When it comes to the most under-appreciated health tip, drinking enough water is up there. It’s easy to underestimate how powerful it is to get those 15 full cups of water in on a daily basis, but it can really make a huge difference.
There are tons of benefits that come from drinking water daily. From the nutrients that you receive from water to the digestion aid, not to mention that it helps to normalize your blood pressure and stabilize your heartbeat, it’s a no-brainer. Prioritizing your daily water intake is a must.
Find out what works best for you to help get those full 15 cups in a day. Get yourself a high quality water bottle that you can carry around with you. If you like your water especially cold, fill your cup up with ice and a little water at the beginning of the day and then gradually fill it as the day goes on. The ice will melt, but there will still be enough to keep your water at the temperature that you prefer.
12. Sleep Matters (More Than Ever!)
We get it. This is a really busy part of your life, and it may feel like you have to sacrifice sleep in order to get everything done on your list. And let’s be real, we could all do with an additional six hours in every day, right?
But sleep matters, and no matter how long your to-do list is, there needs to come a time when you decide to push it to the next day. We had a bedtime growing up while we were in school for a reason. We needed sleep in order to have enough energy to perform well in our classes.
That doesn’t change as we get older. It’s still just as important to get a good night’s sleep so that we can have the energy to work hard and engage with those around us.
13. Maintain Your Friendships
It can be really easy to get caught up in the flurry of work and home life, and maintaining friendships can easily slide down on your list of priorities. However, keeping even a handful of close, reliable friendships will serve you well.
It could look like getting together for some golf or basketball, or perhaps scheduling a regular game night to get together with your buddies. Whatever it is, make it a priority. You will be surprised by what it can do for your mental health.
14. Maintain Your Relationships
Now when we are talking about maintaining relationships here, we are talking about your family. Finding a good work-life balance is going to work wonders for helping you to enjoy the time that you spend with your family, keeping the stresses of work where they belong—at work. Leave aloof that at the office and allow yourself to disconnect and be present during your time with your family.
Genesys Men’s Health Is Here for You
Here at Genesys Men’s Health, we understand just how important it is for men to stay on top of and prioritize their mental and physical health. Giving yourself permission to put yourself first is crucial, especially as you enter and venture into your 30’s. Be sure to take these health tips into consideration as you think about what you can do to improve your health.
When it comes to testosterone replacement and erectile dysfunction, we’ve got everything covered for you. Located in Midvale, we are happy to help those in the Salt Lake City, Utah, area improve their physical health. Contact us today to get more details on the services that we offer and how we can help you!