FROM hitting the gym in your seventies to more sleep in your forties, today we bring you a guide to New Year resolutions for the different decades of life.
Two in every three of us will promise to improve their lifestyle in 2024 and health tends to be the top priority.
GettyNew Years is the time many Brits choose to improve their health[/caption]
But Dr Mike Prudden, a London-based GP, advises that choosing the right resolution for your time of life can help you get the most out of your health — and stick to your pledges.
He says: “Our health priorities and needs change over the years, so think about what change you’d benefit most from.”
But Dr Prudden, from ZoomDoc which offers same-day medical letters and certificates without need for a GP appointment, adds: “Understanding what can deliver the greatest benefit is a great place to start and will reduce pressure on both body and mind, as well as the NHS.
“Some resolutions, like cutting out booze, walking more, eating well and upping your exercise are good for you in every decade of life and can be achieved alongside those in this guide.”
So here is Dr Prudden’s resolutions guide for different age groups.
NOUGHT TO 18 – REDUCE YOUR SCREEN TIME: The pull of smartphones, tablets and game consoles makes children’s brains more reliant on a rollercoaster of hits from happy hormone dopa-mine, and causes them to spend more time sitting still indoors.
GettyTry to reduce your children’s screen time[/caption]
It also links to short-sightedness, and screens’ blue light blocks release of the hormone melatonin which is essential for quality sleep and brain-functioning.
Aim for no more than two hours a day for younger kids, and ending one hour before bed for all ages.
TWENTIES – QUIT VAPING: Some vapes contain more nicotine than traditional cigarettes and scientists who studied more than 3,000 adults found e-cigs can be twice as addictive.
GettyYoung people are more prone to depending on vapes and e-cigarettes[/caption]
Young adults are most prone to dependence.
Quit now to guard against risk of long-term damage.
THIRTIES – CUT OUT THOSE TAKEAWAYS: Working parents with young kids are most likely to turn to takeaways but the saturated fats, low-quality meat and low-nutrient carbohydrates drive up unhealthy sugar, salt, preservative and fat ratios in your body.
GettyTakeaways increase the chance of heart disease[/caption]
Studies in the British Medical Journal found increasing ultra-processed food intake by ten per cent can raise your risk of cardiovascular illness and coronary heart disease.
Eating large amounts of it is associated with a 62 per cent rise in risk of death from any cause.
FORTIES – GET MORE SLEEP: With men losing testosterone and women approaching menopause, body and mind will thank you for re-establishing healthy sleep patterns.
GettyGood sleep repairs cells and boosts your immune system[/caption]
Doctors recommend trying for seven to nine hours a night.
Establishing regular bed and wake-up times can help guard against everything from obesity and diabetes to cancer and heart disease, while repairing cells and boosting your immune system.
FIFTIES – CUT BACK ON THE CAFFEINE: When you’re still working hard but your body is growing more tired, you tend to rely more on coffee and tea to get through the day.
GettyCut out the caffeine and rely on exercise to boost energy[/caption]
While these are not inherently harmful, they trigger a fight-or-flight response which can be energising but also increase irritability and anxiety.
Caffeine is processed slowly so half of the hit from a mid-afternoon mug will still be in your system at bedtime, and can affect sleep.
Rely on vitamin-packed healthy snacks, fresh air and exercise to keep energy up.
SIXTIES – GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH OLD FRIENDS: Scientists have found loneliness to be as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
GettySocialising can help you live longer[/caption]
Analysis of almost 150 studies found that people with stronger social relationships are 50 per cent more likely to live longer.
Reaching retirement and losing our main source of stimulation — work — makes your sixties the most important time to pick up with friends you’ve lost touch with and socialise.
It will not only make you happier, research proves this will contribute to a longer, healthier life.
SEVENTIES – HIT THE GYM: It may seem like an unlikely age to take up weights but resistance training during this decade is just as important as cardio exercise that gets your heart pumping.
Research found that one to three sets, even of gentle weight exercises, repeating each between six and 15 times, up to six days a week, will keep your muscular-skeletal system strong, protect against lost muscle mass and power and reduce the likelihood of frailty, falls and being housebound.
EIGHTIES – TAKE UP JUICING: Daily juicing is associated with health fads among celebrities and the young but blending at home or buying cold-pressed juices is a useful way to deliver vital nutrients, antioxidants and polyphenols — which protect against inflammation and illness — when your appetite is reducing.
GettyMaking your own smoothies is a useful way to get vital nutrients[/caption]
Focus on vegetables more than fruit.
NINETIES – TACKLE THE DAILY CROSSWORD: Dementia is one of the biggest killers in old age but researchers who followed more than 450 people aged over 75 found those who did crosswords, enjoyed reading, or played boardgames or musical instruments were less likely to develop diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
GettyDoing crosswords helps stave off dementia[/caption]