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Listen to your body

Listening to your body means paying attention to signals—even subtle ones—that your system may send and that can alert you to illnesses best detected early so they can be treated or managed.

These signals can also motivate change and guide you toward better habits. When your body responds positively to your efforts, be proud and pleased, and use that boost to keep going.

Monitor your energy level

Unusual, persistent fatigue may point to a thyroid issue, anemia, diabetes, or a heart condition. Shortness of breath during exertion may be related to the heart, the lungs, or excess weight.

Pay attention to pain

Pain often indicates a problem that needs to be addressed; otherwise, it may worsen without action. See a doctor to explore the causes rather than keeping quiet about it.

Track your measurements and how they change over time

Your weight: If you gain or lose a few kilograms in two weeks, monitor it; this may signal a hormonal, cardiac, digestive, or metabolic problem.

Your Body Mass Index (BMI): BMI = weight in kg ÷ (height in meters)². Example: 90 kg and 1.8 m → 90/(1.8)² = 28 → overweight. A BMI between 19 and 25 is recommended. Above 25 you are overweight. Above 30 you are obese, with increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

Your waist circumference: This reflects abdominal fat and is a marker of cardiovascular risk. Measure with a flexible tape at navel level after a normal exhalation. Thresholds to watch:

Men: ideal waist circumference < 94 cm; high 94–102 cm; very high > 102 cm.

Women: ideal waist circumference < 80 cm; high 80–88 cm; very high > 88 cm.

Your waist-to-hip ratio (WHR): Calculate by dividing waist circumference by hip circumference. Cardiovascular risk increases if the ration is above 1 for men and 0.85 for  women.

Your neck circumference: Also useful, as it indicates sleep-apnea risk if neck size is > 43 cm in men or > 38 cm in women.

Observe your natural functions

Monitor your bowel movements

See a clinician if:

* You have blood in your stool.

* Constipation lasts several days.

* Diarrhea lasts several days.

Monitor your urine

Seek medical advice if:

* You need to urinate very frequently (e.g., hourly).

* You feel burning when urinating.

* There is blood in your urine.

* As a man, your urinary stream is weakened.

Be attentive to your senses, memory, and cognition

* Vision: See an ophthalmologist if your sight suddenly worsens or spots appear.

* Hearing: If conversations are difficult to follow, get screened for age-related hearing loss (presbycusis).

* Memory: If you notice new issues concentrating or remembering, consult a doctor.

Watch for changes in your body and how it functions

Unusual symptoms that appear and persist for several days warrant attention:

* Loss of appetite

* Prolonged fever

* Persistent cough

* Ongoing headache

* Dizziness

* Skin wounds or spots that don’t heal

* A mole that grows irregularly or shows multiple colors, etc.

For women:

* Hot flashes, unusual dryness, or joint pain can be signs of menopause.

* Regular breast self-exams help ensure there’s no lump or discharge that should be checked.

Take heart from the benefits of your changes

If you’ve chosen to read this book, you want to adopt new behaviors that do you good. When you adopt beneficial habits and practice them long enough with discipline, you should notice positive effects on your body and how it functions.

For example, if you’ve tuned your sleep so you wake naturally, or you’ve started exercising regularly, after a few weeks you should have more energy upon waking. Likewise, after a few weeks of eating less sugar and smoothing your blood-glucose curve, you shouldn’t feel post-meal fatigue or between-meal cravings. Another example: if you’ve adjusted your diet, reduced alcohol intake, and begun regular exercise, you should notice your liver decreasing in size and a modest weight loss each month.

It’s important for morale to notice your body’s improvements. Listening to your body—and feeling it get better—also helps validate your choices and shows where to focus and step up your efforts.

Time to rebound

Midlife signals reset: fatigue, weight, aches. Skip miracle fixes instead build sustainable habits: move daily, eat sanely, rely on willpower. Persist because consistency over months restores energy, mobility, joy, health.

It’s common to reach a moment—man or woman—when you feel the need to reset. You realize you’ve let things slide: too much work, too little sleep, too much food and drink, not enough exercise.

In our twenties and early thirties, the body forgives a lot: late nights, impulsive workouts, extra drinks, work stress, haphazard eating. The belly stays mostly flat, the heart keeps up, and you feel you can do it all.

After thirty-five—or forty if you’re lucky—that margin shrinks. A big night out means a hard next day. A soccer match without a proper warm-up invites cramps or a sprain. Weight creeps on. Mornings feel stiff; energy dips; a nagging backache may appear.

You see it in the mirror, on the scale, and when you’re winded after playing ball with your child. You sense the slope: keep going and you risk a sluggish life—or worse, a heart attack or stroke.

Now is the moment to act: use that wake-up call ! do what restores you ! move forward.

Feel good in your body—for yourself, your partner, your family and friends. Walk, play sports, garden, tinker, work, play. Don’t endure your body; make it a tool that lets you enjoy your life.

At fifty, you know there’s no miracle fix. An all-avocado–and–chicken-breast plan or a three-week water fast might budge the scale, but then what? Medications and aids can help with weight loss, quitting smoking, or stopping alcohol, but lasting change requires building new habits. A psychologist, psychotherapist, nutritionist, or acupuncturist can support you; in the end, you must be self-reliant. Whatever the method, you need willpower and steady effort.

This isn’t about asceticism, punishment, or pain. It’s about accepting that without new habits, you’ll keep sliding the wrong way.

Age doesn’t make change impossible. At any age, it starts with desire and becomes discipline. Whether thirty-five or past fifty, bad habits can root; doubt follows. Persist anyway. After three weeks, body and mind signal the benefits. After three months, the shift feels deep. From there, progress gets easier to feel and measure.

The main risk is letting up: in bleak, cold, rainy seasons; during holidays that invite excess; after illness and bed rest that sap muscle; during long family stretches that crowd out “me time”; or while traveling, when routines vanish. These are classic moments to lose the thread.

Don’t give in. Re-engage. Remember: consistency makes effort easier and keeps the gains. Continuous, moderate, sustainable practice—not heroics—delivers the energy, mobility, and joy you’re after.