What to do, why and when
Being proactive means being healthier and happier. And it could even save your life.
1.1 Small adjustments. Big gains.
Even small changes can make a significant difference to your health, improve your quality-of-life – and how well you feel – and prevent problems. For those problems that can’t be prevented, being proactive will enable early detection and treatment, which usually means reduced severity and a quicker recovery from illness.
It may require some adjustments to what you eat (Diet and Nutrition); your physical activity (Exercise); and the way you manage a few other aspects of your life (Other priorities for good health).
The type, and extent, of these adjustments will depend upon your age and current health, so there are dedicated sections that deal with what you can expect, and what proactive steps need to be taken, for each age group: 20s; 30s; 40s; 50s; 60s; 70s; 80s and 90s.
1.2 You may feel healthy now but how long will it last?
Do you have a time bomb ticking away?
Some serious health problems can lie dormant without any early warning signs that ring alarm bells. Damage accumulates silently over decades without obvious symptoms before crossing a threshold when it takes hold, usually from middle-age onwards. For example, diabetes; heart disease and hypertension. These, and others, are explained in section 8.1 Silent but serious.
Less serious problems also accumulate
There are also many less serious health problems that affect people as they age that can be traced back to lifestyle choices made earlier in life. This is often because people feel healthy and ignore the fact that good current health does not mean good future health. As a result, a lot of people remain reactive and fail to take the steps that are needed to build resilience.
1.3 How to increase your chances of lasting good health
1. Even when health problems develop silently, there are often early warning signs that we need to recognise: Early warning signs.
2. You can predict what your future health has in store for you via some simple tests, most of which are free: Forewarned is forearmed.
3. You can take proactive steps today to future‑proof your health for tomorrow: Proactive steps for good health.
Early warning signs
Although some major health problems fall into the category of “Silent but serious”, many have early warning signs. There is a long list of these in section 7 Early warning signs.
Breathlessness is often dismissed as being “out of condition” or “unfit” but it can be a sign of more serious health problems, including heart disease, lung disease or anaemia.
Hearing loss is often excused as “just ageing” and often ignored. But even mild hearing loss doubles the risk of dementia over time.
Tiredness is also commonly ignored. People tell themselves that it is just a by-product of a busy life, but it can be caused by sleep apnoea – studies indicate that over 50% of people above the age of 50 have it. The danger of not getting tested is that it increases the risk of some serious health consequences such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.
Forewarned is forearmed
Certain aspects of your current health can tell you what your future health has in store for you. Knowing this will enable you to decide whether any adjustments need to be made and, if so, to what areas of your health.
Predictors of future health
Predicting future health, well-being and quality-of-life is not crystal ball gazing
There are some strong predictors of future health that can be tested at home, or nearby.
This is not crystal ball gazing. It involves some simple tests that will indicate what adjustments are likely to be the most benefit for you personally, depending on your particular results.
The tests, and what the results predict, can be found in the section for your age-group: 20s; 30s; 40s; 50s; 60s; 70s; 80s and 90s.
Other tests need to be done with your doctor. For example, cardiometabolic markers – blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and visceral fat – are also reliable predictors of future health.
But these are not the only check-ups that are essential to identify potential problems, some of which can be fatal: What you don’t know can kill you.
Check-ups – what you don’t know can kill you
Most people don’t know that it is possible for arteries to become blocked even when a normal blood test indicates that everything is within safe limits, including cholesterol. The first sign can be a heart attack, and it can sometimes be fatal.
A slow buildup of plaque in the arteries can be caused by lifestyle factors, such as lack of exercise, smoking, etc; or genetic factors, such as Lipoprotein(a) – not just cholesterol. Although the risk starts in the mid-30s, it becomes significant from the mid-40s and increases sharply from the mid-50s: Heart disease.
Proactive steps to future‑proof your health
The first step is to check what health issues affect your particular age-group and the tests that will tell you whether any area calls for some attention: 20s; 30s; 40s; 50s; 60s; 70s; 80s and 90s.
When you embark on your proactive health plan – which may simply be an extension of what you already do – remember the importance of not overdoing it: One step at a time.
Being proactive not only requires regular check-ups and ad hoc advice from doctors, but also knowing the right questions to ask to ensure all important information is given to you. It may surprise you how often this does not happen, and risks are not fully explained: What doctors don’t tell you.
1.4 The benefits of proactive health
The benefits of adopting the proactive health practices explained in this guide are formidable, and it’s not difficult to do, as discussed in Healthy people have better habits.
| What it benefits | How it benefits |
| Ageing and quality-of-life | A good quality of life can be sustained for longer |
| Brain health | Positivity, clarity of thought and memory improvement |
| Cost | Better health means lower medical expenses |
| Happiness | More enjoyment and life satisfaction |
| How you feel | More vitality, energy and “feeling good” |
| Mobility | Flexibility and ease of movement retained for longer |
| Immunity | Less likelihood of contracting a range of illnesses |
| Injury | Exercise and stretching reduces the likelihood of injury |
| Well-being | More balance, harmony and wellness; less anxiety |
1.5 Your brain, mindfulness and proactive health
Better physical health supports good brain health (Better brain health) and good brain health supports better physical health (The brain’s role in good health).
The brain’s influence is usually at a subconscious level, but you do have some conscious control. For example, you can teach yourself to become a Positive thinker. You can also use “mindfulness” to become more alert; to think more clearly; to focus better on the task at hand; and to improve your situational awareness – Mindfulness.
1.6 Health and happiness
Studies show a direct correlation between health and happiness (Reference: “Health is the Secret to Happiness” on Psychology Today’s website). This works two ways – being healthy contributes to being happy, and being happy contributes to good health [Harvard Health Publishing].
Of course, being happy means different things to different people. For some it means experiencing pleasure or enjoyment. For others it means contentment or emotional well-being. Others need purpose and meaning in their life, so they have a sense of fulfilment or satisfaction.
Proactive health is important for all these different ‘types of happiness’.
1.7 Ageing well
Some people maintain a very good quality-of-life well into their later years – they remain healthy, physically robust and mentally sharp; they retain their mobility, vitality and feel good, sometimes great.
Others are not so lucky. Some become frail and lose their independence, often far too young. But … is it “luck”?
Genetics plays a role, although the difference is more often the result of lifestyle choices made many years earlier. Knowing more about proactive health will help you make the right choices.
When researching the key to ageing well, it became clear that there was no need for a specific section on ageing in the Proactive Health Guide. This is because what is needed to age well is exactly what is needed for proactive health – adopting and sustaining the health practices suggested for each age group: 20s; 30s; 40s; 50s; 60s; 70s; 80s and 90s.