When our cars get over three years old we have to take them in to be checked. The same is true of our bodies when we get towards the end of our third decades.
The mid to late 20s are a time when a lot of problems can begin to rear their head. Often getting an early warning of these problems means that treatments and lifestyle changes that could help can be started.
Weight & Fitness
CC 'Corey T. Burns' (Flickr)
General fitness, and especially weight, plays a big role in overall health. Your weight obviously is something that you can check yourself. You can calculate your ‘body mass index’ to get some indication of whether you have a problem.
It should be pointed out that BMI is far from being a perfect measure. For instance there are many highly fit individuals with advanced muscle development who would be classed as overweight by the measure. Equally it is possible to be in the ‘correct’ weight range, but still to have fitness issues.
Diet and exercise are widely recognised as being the only real ways of addressing health and fitness issues. It is not good idea to rush into any fad diets or unaccustomed exercise however. It is always advisable to check with your doctor before beginning a program of exercise, and if possible to get advice from an experienced trainer.
Bones
For women osteoporosis is a big problem. It will develop in as many as 1 in 3 women, and it is after the late 20s that the first warning sign can be detected. There is a test known as a DEXA scan and measures bone density.
There are a number of ‘risk factors’ that increase the likelihood of bone problems. These include issues with diet as well as smoking and drinking to excess, along with a history of certain illnesses. Detecting problems with bone density early gives plenty of chance to make the lifestyle changes that can help before it is too late.
Cancer Screening
For both men and women there are a number of cancers that can appear during the 20s. Often these can prove to be very dangerous, as in an otherwise healthy person they can go unnoticed.
Women tend to be better informed regarding the need for cancer screenings. Unfortunately for men this is less widespread, and topics such as prostate and testicular cancer are often not talked about openly.
These are just a few of the issues that it is a good idea to get checked out and discuss with either your GP or somebody recommended by an individual health insurance provider. It can be a bit unpleasant to realise that you are not in the first flush of youth any more. However making the changes to live a longer and healthier life has to be worthwhile.
What are your tips for staying healthy and youthful? From clean living to monkey glands, we would love to read a comment that reveals your secret!
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June 12, 2012
Health and Fitness