Your likes, dislikes and perspectives will no doubt change over time – and while you may not notice every aspect, your body does too!
Understanding how the stages of your life affect you can help you understand how to adjust your wellness routine as you get older. Likewise, it can help you appreciate what remains the same: the importance of caring for your body, mind, and spirit at every moment of your life’s journey.
Hair
Your graying will likely start in your 30s, although some women experience this earlier “it all depends on your genes”. But as you get older, your hair also gets thinner and grows slower. If you’ve been noticing more hair on your comb lately, don’t be scared:
Almost everyone experiences some hair loss over time, especially after age 50. Female pattern baldness, a hormone-related condition that can be inherited, usually starts with some spacing in the middle of the hair that spreads to the top and crown of the scalp. Unlike male pattern baldness, it rarely occurs in all of a woman’s hair.
Whatever your age and the condition of your hair, you can improve its health by avoiding harsh chemicals and treating it with care.
As you encounter these and other changes, remember that the passage of time has numerous benefits. As they get older, many women appreciate things like not having to think about birth control and the freedom that comes with having children outside the home. You may also notice a change in your attitudes, such as letting go of the need to please others. And you may find that this is the time to reconnect with your true passions and joys.
Breasts
A woman’s breasts change slowly after puberty, although each menstrual period often brings short-term changes. During pregnancy, breasts swell as the milk duct system grows to feed a baby. During menopause, as estrogen levels drop, breasts change again, becoming less full and less elastic, which can result in “sagging.” The risk of breast cancer increases. Genetics play an important role in breast cancer, but you can reduce the risk by maintaining a healthy body weight, exercising regularly, minimizing alcohol consumption, and maintaining a happy lifestyle with these changes. .
Pelvic and Reproductive Health
Your sexual, reproductive, and urinary health depends on strong muscles and ligaments that support your pelvic floor. Childbirth, hysterectomy, and menopause can all cause changes, leading to conditions such as pelvic organ prolapse, when the pelvic organs slip out of place, and urinary incontinence, an inability to control urination. Maintaining your pelvic floor and core strength can help prevent these problems. The basic pelvic floor exercise, Kegels, is simple:
With an empty bladder, pretend you are holding the gas for a count of 10 and then relax for a count of 10. Do five to 10 repetitions, three to five times a day. Menopause also causes thinner, drier vaginal tissue, which can make sex less comfortable.
Skin
Women maintain skin thickness until around 50 years of age. After that, the skin becomes thinner, less elastic and dry, and wrinkles become more apparent. Throughout life, following a nutritious diet, sleeping well, drinking plenty of water and not smoking are the cornerstones of healthy, glowing skin – even more so as you age. You can try natural remedies to minimize wrinkles, such as exfoliating and applying a retinol night cream, if you wish. But what is the most important step you can take? Protecting yourself from the sun. Your dermatologist can do a full-body scan to check for any abnormalities (such as patches that have changed size or color), but checking it once a month is also important.
Body weight
The body fat gains both sexes experience after age 30 usually stop in men around 55, but weight gain tends to continue in women until around 65. Excess weight tends to settle in the hips and thighs of women from puberty to menopause. After that, however, a woman’s extra pounds are more likely to result in unhealthy abdominal fat, which is associated with a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Maintaining a healthy diet and exercising to control weight is always important, but it’s especially important as you get older.
