6 Daily Self Care Tips for Women

Last Updated on August 4, 2022 by Lori Geurin

After you turn 40, there are subtle changes in your body that make you aware you are aging, from your hair color to the wrinkles on your face. You may feel good, but there are certain steps you need to take if you want to maintain your health and fitness for the next couple of decades. Here are some daily self-care tips to consider.

Table Of Contents

1. Take Calcium and Vitamin D
2. Give Your Metabolism a Boost
3. Manage Your Stress
4. Incorporate a Range of Exercise
5. Get Enough Fiber and Fluids
6. Schedule Vital Health Checks
Final Thoughts – Daily Self-Care Routine

Self-Care Tracker Printable

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This is a guest post courtesy of Maria Leonardson at Drip Hydration.

woman exercising on the beach / daily self care

1. Take Calcium and Vitamin D

If you want to keep your bones strong, you need to make sure you get enough calcium and vitamin D. Women in their forties typically need 1000mg of calcium and 800 international units of vitamin D every day. It can be difficult to get this amount from food sources, especially vitamin D, which you get mainly from sun exposure.

If you haven’t considered it before, think about getting IV therapy. NAD IV San Francisco could ensure you get the vitamins and minerals you need, and your energy levels will stay high. Drip Hydration, Bio Hackr Health, Cure IV, and others have certified nurses who will administer the therapy in your own home.

2. Give Your Metabolism a Boost

Many women in their forties struggle with metabolism changes that can lead to increased abdominal fat, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and high blood sugar. Your metabolism also slows down by about 2% with every decade that goes by.

Intermittent fasting is a great way to kick-start your metabolism, and there are many different ways to do it.[*] Try going 12 hours without eating, and eating during a 12-hour window. You could also try fasting for 24 hours once or twice a week.

3. Manage Your Stress

Your 40s can be quite a stressful decade as you’re looking after your family, holding down a job, and may even be looking after aging parents. Stress can trigger many unhealthy changes in your body and it’s crucial to manage your physical health as well as your mental health.

When you’re experiencing stress, your body responds by releasing the hormone cortisol. If you experience ongoing stress, your cortisol levels remain high. This can make you age faster, gain weight, experience anxiety and depression, and increase your risk of developing chronic diseases.

Develop a set of stress management tools to avoid this. Recognize the destructive nature of too much stress, practice self-care, and try some stress-relievers such as mindfulness, deep breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, etc. They will trigger the body’s relaxation response and lower your cortisol levels, while improving your mental health.

Check out the Weekly Wellness Log and Gratitude Journal to deal with stress in a positive way.

4. Incorporate a Range of Exercise

Stay active throughout the day! Muscle mass decreases by approximately 3-8% every ten years starting from the age of 30. This decline is even more drastic after the age of 60.[*] You can benefit from incorporating some muscle exercises as well as cardiovascular activity into your weekly physical exercise plan. It doesn’t even have to be at the gym. You can incorporate any kind of resistance training with items you have at home.

As you age, you also become less flexible, so it’s important to do some stretching exercises. This can improve your core strength, flexibility, range of motion, and balance.

5. Get Enough Fiber and Fluids

Improve your well-being by making sure your diet is packed with nutrient-dense foods such as lean protein, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. It’s important to keep eating high-nutrient foods, especially when you get older. Fiber-rich foods are important to keep your digestive system healthy. They also help to regulate your blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Aim to include a cup of whole grains at every meal.

Fiber and fluids are both important to a healthy digestive system. Drinking enough fluids ensures that the fiber moves through your body and prevents constipation. It is easy to forget to drink enough, and staying hydrated is very important. Carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go and take a sip every few minutes. Enjoy a cup of tea in the morning or after lunch. Herbal tea is a great choice!

6. Schedule Vital Health Checks

This is the decade when your routine health checks can really begin to count. These tests often include:

Mammogram
Cervical smear
Blood pressure
Blood sugar
Cholesterol
Thyroid
Bone density
Eye exams

Taking health checks can allow you to pick up problems early on and get treatment promptly when conditions are still easily treatable. Breast cancer commonly affects women, and early detection and treatment increase the chances of survival. Type 2 diabetes can also benefit from early detection and changes in lifestyle.

Final Thoughts – Daily Self-Care Routine

When you turn 40, it is a good time to take stock of your health, even if you feel perfectly healthy. The risk of many health conditions starts increasing at this age, so it is worth taking all the above actions to lower your risks and ensure good health for the next few decades.

Self-Care Tracker Printable

If you want to stay healthy and fit after 40, it’s important to make self-care a part of your daily routine. Use the tips above to get started, and get the weekly self-care tracker to help you stay on track.

This tracker includes daily tasks to help you manage stress, eat well, get enough exercise, and stay hydrated. It also has space for you to add your daily supplements. So what do you have to lose? Get started today!