Longevity To-Do List for Your 30s

Maintain a Proper Weight

It will be easier to work on weight loss in your 30s than it will be in your 40s and beyond. This is primarily because, with increasing age, your metabolism and lean muscle mass will decrease, leading to easier weight gain and harder weight loss.

Make a pledge to yourself to get to your 40th birthday at a healthy weight. Start by developing healthy eating habits. Focus on eating fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, and whole grains. If you eat meat, choose lean cuts and don't make meat the centerpiece of the meal.

It's easier to keep off the weight you've lost if you focus on making small, sustainable changes. Eating plenty of protein and fiber can help reduce cravings and improve your chances of success.

Prioritize Exercise

Sure, you're busy and may not think you have time to exercise. But, if you start exercising regularly, you'll be more efficient at your work, and you will feel better. You'll have more energy; you'll sleep better; you'll be more creative; and you'll get more done.

Try working exercise into your schedule for two weeks. There's a good chance you'll be able to fit exercise into your routine without giving up other important things. And you'll feel better, too.

Learn to Sleep

Sleep is a healthy habit. Spend time in your 30s building strong sleep skills. Learn how to fall asleep within 30 minutes of hitting the pillow. Take action to make sure you get enough sleep every night and be sure to see a healthcare provider if you think you might have a sleep problem or disorder.

Not getting enough sleep not only affects your body—for example, by increasing stress which can lead to compulsive eating and weight gain—but it affects how well you work and how much you enjoy life.

Find a Relaxation Practice

When was the last time you truly, deeply relaxed? Relaxation should be a part of your daily life. If you can find a way to turn off your stress for a while, you may prevent many of the stress-related illnesses.

If you can establish a strong relaxation habit, you will improve how you feel in the present and reduce your risk for many illnesses in the future. Try yoga and meditation, which can both be used to induce relaxation.

Take Care of Your Skin

You can keep your skin youthful at 30 and healthy beyond by adopting a regular skincare routine, including daily application of sunscreen. Research shows that sunscreen can help prevent melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer.

The sun can also prematurely age your skin. Experts recommend applying a daily moisturizer or sunscreen containing at least 15 SPF to protect your skin from harmful UV rays.

In addition to wearing sunscreen and staying out of the sun during peak times, adopt a daily skincare routine that includes a gentle cleanser and moisturizer. Taking good care of your skin can help maintain elasticity and smoothness and improve its ability to regenerate.

Eat Vegetables

Here's a simple rule for healthy eating: Eat plants. Vegetables and fruits are the best things for your body. Nutrition advice now seems to focus on protein and carbs, fats and vitamins, but the best things you can eat are fruits and vegetables.

Vegetarians have the healthiest arteries and a low risk for heart disease (the number one killer in the U.S.). Get started eating your vegetables for healthy aging and a strong heart.

Drink Lots of Water

Staying well-hydrated is an important way to prevent age-related conditions like kidney and heart disease. There is also a relationship between underhydration and obesity.

The amount of water you need to drink varies from person to person. Most people should drink between 4 and 6 cups of water a day, but keep in mind that the amount of water you need also depends on how much water you get from food and the other things you drink. Exercise, heat, and the medications you're taking can also affect how much you need to drink.

A good way to tell if you're well-hydrated is by the color of your urine. If your urine is a dark color, you're not drinking enough. Pale yellow or clear urine is a sign that you're well-hydrated. 

Start Screening and Testing

Don't think that just because you are "only" 30 you are not at risk for illnesses. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and other lifestyle illnesses may be already starting in your body. You need to catch them fast and take action now.

You also need to get a few screenings, especially if you have a family history of cancer or heart disease. Time to talk to your healthcare provider about prevention, and make (and keep) those appointments.

Master Time

The United States is an overweight, stressed-out nation. The reason? Time. We are terrible with time. We try to do too much and when we feel pressured, we don't eat right and we skip exercise.

Do a time assessment in your 30s. Do you feel relaxed, like there is plenty of time for everything? If your answer is no, then you need to eliminate some things to be more efficient.

Television, cell phones, the Internet, and social media are usually big time sucks. Make an effort now to master time and your stress level will drop—leaving you to age healthfully and reduce your risk for chronic illnesses.

Quit Smoking and Reduce Alcohol Intake

People who smoke have a greater risk of premature mortality than people who don't smoke. But smoking can also cause premature aging; people who smoke are more likely to experience heart problems at an earlier age than people who don't smoke. Some studies have even found that cigarette smoking can cause wrinkles and premature aging of the skin. The best way to prevent the long-term effects of smoking is to quit now.

Alcohol use can also affect the way you age. Although there is some evidence that moderate consumption of alcohol, especially wine, may improve longevity, binge drinking can have the opposite effect. If you regularly drink in excess, reducing or abstaining from alcohol can add years to your life.

Take Care of Your Teeth

As you get older, your teeth start to wear down, the enamel gets weaker, and your gum tissue recedes. This can make you more prone to dental problems.

Studies have found that people who have all or most of their natural teeth into old age may live longer than those who don't. Keeping your teeth healthy when you're younger and sticking to a good oral routine as you age is an important way to prevent tooth decay and tooth loss.

Brushing and flossing every day are necessary, but it's also important to see your dentist regularly for cleaning and oral healthcare advice.

Maintain Friendships

Feeling connected and needed can boost your health. Your immune system works better; you have more social resources available if you need help; and you even develop fewer chronic illnesses when you are older.

Having friends and good relationships can do this for you. Your 30s can be hard on friendships given time devoted to a career, kids, and marriage. Maintain those friendships and make time to talk on the phone, get together, or go on that trip.

Know Your Health History

No one is going to take care of your health for you. You need to know your medical history, your risk factors, and your medications. Set up a system to track your information now.

This system will help you (and your healthcare provider) quickly understand any problems that come up in the future, prevent errors in treatment and diagnosis, and help decide what preventative tests you may need. Start with getting a family medical history and recording your own history, too.

Balance Home and Work

Your 30s are when your career might really take off. It is also when you might be in a serious relationship, marriage, or having kids. Striking a balance between your home life and your work life is critical. Take some time to sit back and reflect. Are things in balance? Do changes need to be made? Doing so can reduce significant stress in your life.