If you’ve done these 8 simple things since your 40s, your body is aging better than most

If you’re in your 40s or beyond, you’ve probably noticed something interesting.

Aging stops being an abstract idea and starts becoming something you can feel in your knees, see in the mirror, or sense in the way you bounce back from a tough week.

But here’s the good news. Aging well isn’t mysterious. It’s not reserved for the genetically blessed.

It often comes down to a handful of simple habits repeated consistently.

If you’ve already been doing the eight things below since your 40s, there’s a good chance your body is aging better than most.

Let’s get into it.

1) You’ve stayed curious about movement

I’m not talking about becoming a marathon runner or signing up for boot camps that leave you gasping for air.

I mean something much simpler. You’ve kept your body in motion.

Some people hit 40 and stop experimenting. They stick to the same routine they had in their 30s, or they simply slow down.

But if you’re someone who keeps trying new forms of movement, even small ones, that’s huge.

Maybe you tested out yoga after a friend swore by it. Maybe you discovered hiking because you needed fresh air more than ever.

The key is you didn’t let your body slip into stillness. Curiosity pushes you to keep moving, stretching, exploring. Bodies that stay curious tend to stay capable.

2) You’ve eaten more plants than processed foods

I don’t have to evangelize veganism here, even though I absolutely could. What I’ve learned over the years is that people who eat mostly plants, vegan or not, age differently.

Your body knows the difference between whole foods and products pretending to be food.

If you’ve spent your 40s prioritizing plants, colors, fiber, and nutrients instead of convenience food, your future self is cashing in those points right now.

When I switched to a plant-based diet, I did it for ethical reasons. The aging benefits were an unexpected bonus. My skin improved, my energy stabilized, and my recovery time dropped.

It’s like the body whispers, thanks, finally.

3) You’ve protected your sleep like it matters

I used to treat sleep as optional, especially when I was juggling late-night writing deadlines and early flights for photo gigs. But in my 40s, sleep became a non-negotiable.

If you figured this out too, if you started going to bed earlier, reducing screen time, or paying attention to how rested you felt, your body noticed.

Sleep is repair. Sleep is a hormone. Sleep is emotional resilience.

I’ve mentioned this before, but sleep is the closest thing we have to a biological reset button.

If you’ve been hitting that button consistently through your 40s, your aging curve shifted in your favor.

4) You’ve managed your stress instead of letting it manage you

Stress can age you faster than sugar, sun, or even prolonged sitting. I wish that were an exaggeration, but the research is pretty clear.

I once read a study during a flight delay that compared long-term stress to biological wear and tear. The takeaway was brutal.

Constant stress speeds aging like pressing fast forward on your body.

But if you’ve spent your 40s building stress outlets, you’ve slowed that tape down.

Meditation, journaling, therapy, long conversations, or simple rituals like nighttime tea all count.

People who age well aren’t stress-free. They’re stress aware. And that awareness changes everything.

5) You’ve kept good company

This might surprise you, but the older I get, the more I realize emotional health is physical health in disguise. Your relationships matter.

If you spent your 40s surrounding yourself with people who energize you rather than drain you, that affects your aging at a cellular level.

Supportive friendships lower inflammation and improve immunity.

I’m thinking of a friend I traveled through Japan with in my early 40s.

We spent days wandering through quiet neighborhoods, talking about music, psychology, and whatever caught our curiosity.

Those conversations felt healing in a way I didn’t expect.

Connections like that add life to your years. Maybe even years to your life.

6) You’ve kept learning new things

When people stop learning, something inside them stiffens. And not just mentally. There’s a physical ripple effect.

Neuroscientists talk about use it or lose it when it comes to brain plasticity. But I’ve noticed something similar in daily life. Curiosity keeps you flexible.

If you continued to learn new skills, explore ideas, or dive into new perspectives through your 40s, you kept your mind young.

And when your mind stays young, your body tends to follow.

Maybe you picked up photography. Maybe you learned a new language. Maybe you simply started reading more nonfiction.

A learning mind is an aging-resistant mind.

7) You’ve kept an eye on your numbers

No one enjoys medical appointments, but people who age well don’t avoid reality. They look at what’s actually happening in their bodies instead of guessing.

If you monitored things like blood pressure, cholesterol, vitamin levels, sleep data, or even stress metrics, you gave yourself a major advantage.

Aging poorly often comes from problems that were preventable but ignored. I’ve had routine tests reveal small issues that could have grown into bigger ones.

One time it was a massive Vitamin D drop after a long winter indoors. Another time it was a nutrition gap I needed to address.

Little course corrections matter. If you were willing to look under the hood, even when it was inconvenient, you set yourself up for long-term strength.

8) You’ve stayed connected to purpose

This one sounds philosophical, but it is surprisingly physical. People who have a sense of purpose age differently.

Research links purpose to slower cognitive decline, lower mortality rates, and better mobility. Purpose doesn’t have to be dramatic or flashy.

It can be caring for your family. It can be contributing to your community. It can be a creative project that lights you up or a mission that shapes your choices.

For me, purpose evolved as I moved through my 40s. My work shifted. My creativity deepened. I started allowing my life to feel like something I was shaping instead of enduring.

Purpose gives the body a reason to stay strong. It gives the mind a reason to stay focused. It gives aging a reason to slow down.

The bottom line

If you’ve been doing these simple things since your 40s, you’ve already shifted your aging curve in your favor. Not through extreme effort, but through consistency.

Bodies don’t need perfection to age well. They need support, attention, and intention. If you see yourself in this list, you’ve been giving your body exactly that.