Youna Angevin-Castro is a wellness coach specializing in midlife health. When working with her clients, she invites them to shift their focus from purely aesthetic goals to optimizing their overall well-being and longevity.
"For many of us – especially women – our forties are only the halfway mark, and we may have another 30-40 years ahead of us, so the focus should be on staying fit and healthy for as long as possible," she told Bored Panda.
"In our 40s, both men and women begin experiencing natural muscle loss and changes in metabolism," Angevin-Castro explains. That's why strength training is essential if we want to maintain bone density and muscle mass.
"I recommend setting goals around functional activities – being able to carry groceries easily, play with children or grandchildren without getting winded, and maintain good posture and mobility throughout the day," the wellness coach says.
Women in their 40s have another thing to deal with – perimenopause. Angevin-Castro emphasizes the importance of adapting health routines to hormonal changes. "Women may find that exercise routines that once worked for them are no longer as effective as they once were," she says. "Rest and recovery become much more important to long-term well-being."
"There are no hard and fast rules because everyone's experience of perimenopause is individual, but I encourage my clients to focus on consistent, sustainable movement that energises rather than depletes your body. Find something you love doing and do it regularly – even better if you can do it with friends. And make sure to build adequate rest into your weekly routine," the health and wellness coach notes.
As you'll see from the tweets we've collected here, many people think that exhaustion, weight gain, and loss of vitality are just natural parts of aging. But Angevin-Castro says it's not true. "While both men and women experience age-related changes, these shouldn't significantly impact quality of life."
"For women, there are additional misconceptions around perimenopause and menopause," she adds. "Many believe these transitions must be endured with suffering. But with the right support and understanding, women can navigate these changes while maintaining energy and well-being. The idea that mood swings and weight gain are inevitable is a myth," the wellness coach explains.
The wellness coach points out that everyone ages differently. However, hormonal changes can make it more challenging, especially for women. She urges individuals to look for support. "Start a conversation with [your] healthcare provider about what's happening and discuss the options available to [you] to alleviate negative symptoms," Angevin-Castro says.
Good habits and self-care are important throughout our lives, even when we're in our 40s. Angevin-Castro points to the nervous system and says that its health becomes crucial. "Chronic stress can accelerate aging and impact everything from sleep quality to immune function."
"This makes stress-management practices like meditation, deep breathing, or regular nature walks essential self-care tools. Gut health also deserves special attention, as it affects so many aspects of health, including mood and inflammation levels," she adds.
Another thing even younger people often overlook is prioritizing sleep. "Sleep plays a really important role in maintaining brain health and cognitive function," Angevin-Castro says. "But it is also closely intertwined with physical and psychological health more broadly."
"Poor sleep not only makes life a lot harder than it needs to be, but it's also associated with negative health outcomes, such as increased risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease and poor mental health," the health and wellness coach explains.
What should midlifers do? Angevin-Castro recommends maintaining regular routines. Start with getting up and going to bed roughly at the same time every day. Also, make sure you're getting a decent amount of sleep – 7-9 hours, ideally. "Unfortunately, stress and worry can negatively impact our sleep, so finding ways to manage negative thoughts, such as mindfulness practices or journalling, may help," the expert adds.
