Why Your 40s Is the Best Age to Finally Put Your Health First

Your 40s can feel like your body changes overnight: sleep gets weird, energy dips, mood swings show up uninvited, and the same routines stop working. I’m here to tell you the truth I wish more women heard sooner: midlife isn’t a deadline, it’s a powerful turning point, and your body is still incredibly responsive to the right support.

We walk through 10 grounded reasons this decade is the best time to prioritize women’s health, including heart health, bone density, muscle mass, brain health, and the real metabolism shifts that come with perimenopause. I also talk about why “knowledge is power” in midlife: when you understand what’s happening with hormones, strength, and recovery, you stop treating yourself like a problem to fix and start building a plan that fits your life now.

Then we keep it practical and fun with seven May glow-ups: easy, feel-good upgrades like romanticizing park walks, refreshing your morning walking habit, using seasonal produce for high-protein and high-fiber meals, and even tiny beauty resets that lift your mood. I share my new Woo-Woo and Not So Woo-Woo Glow Up Guide for Women Over 40, plus one free practice you can try right away: a simple saffron water face splash rooted in ancient skincare traditions with modern science behind it.

If you’re ready to feel stronger, calmer, and more like yourself, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more women over 40 can find us.

FOLLOW JAX ON SOCIALS!
IG: @JaxStys
TikTok: @JaxStys
Facebook: @JaxStys
Threads: @JaxStys
Pinterest: @JaxStys
Website: www.JaxStys.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey, hey, welcome back to the Midlife Glowgetter. I am so glad you are here right now. Like genuinely. Whether you're out on a walk, sitting in your car in a parking lot, just trying to get five minutes of quiet, girl, same. Or if you're folding a mountain of laundry that somehow never gets smaller, I see you. I'm with you. And I am so glad you pressed play today. Okay, so today's episode is going to be so good. I'm not just saying that. We have got a really full one for you. First, we're getting into the main segment. And it is one that is really, really close to my heart. We are talking about why your 40s, yes, your 40s are actually the best time in your whole life to finally start putting your health first. And I know, I know, you might be hearing that and thinking, Jax, I'm already tired just from that sentence. But stay with me, okay? Because by the time we get through this together, I think you are going to feel fired

Welcome And What’s Ahead

SPEAKER_00 1:10

up. Not guilty, not overwhelmed, but fired up. Then after that, I'm going to share seven May glow-ups. Simple, fun, feel-good things you can try this month that I am kind of obsessed with. Things that make you feel prettier and softer and more like yours again. And I'm going to tell you about my brand new guide that is linked in my stand store. It's called the Woo-Woo and Not So Woo-Woo Glow Up Guide for Women Over 40. And I'm going to share one of the practices from it with you today for free. So you can try it and see if you love it. And then at the end, I'm sharing a few little things that I've been doing in my own life lately that are honestly making me feel so much better. Little habits, little shifts, nothing crazy, just tiny things that add up. Okay, so let's go. Alright, before we get into our main segment, I want to say something really important. If you've spent your 30s or honestly your whole adult life putting yourself last on every single list, please do not spend one more second feeling bad about that. Women are taught to take care of everyone else first. That is not a flaw in you. That is just what we were shown, what we were told, what we learned. But here is the thing: at some point your body sends you the bill. And for a lot of women, that moment comes somewhere in their 40s. Your energy starts to change. Your sleep gets weird. Your mood does things you do not expect. And you realize, oh, oh, I actually need to pay attention to this. And that is what today is about. 10 reasons why your 40s are not a deadline, not a crisis. They are a gift, a real actual gift. Okay? Let's get into it. Reason number one. Your authorities are a golden window

Drop The Guilt And Begin

SPEAKER_00 3:20

for your heart. Okay, I want you to really hear this one because it comes straight from the American Heart Association. Midlife is a real actual window of opportunity for your heart health. The choices you make right now, how you move, how you eat, how you sleep, how you handle stress, those choices have a huge impact on your heart for the next few decades. Your heart is still so ready to still respond to good things you do for it. You do not need to run marathons. You do not need to go into some crazy diet. You just need to start moving in a better direction. And your heart will feel it, I promise. Reason number two, you can still protect your bones, but the window is open now. Okay, real talk. Most women have no idea about this, so I really want you to make sure you hear it. Our bones are actually at their strongest around age 30.

Heart Bones Muscle Brain Basics

SPEAKER_00 4:25

After that, we slowly start losing bone density. And when perimenopause starts, which can begin in your early 40s, that loss can speed up. But here is the part I want you to hold on to. Your 40s are still very much a window where your choices make a real difference. Strength training, getting enough calcium and vitamin D, staying active. These things actually protect your bones. The women who are walking around confident and strong in their 70s, a lot of them built this foundation in their 40s. That can be us. Let's be those women. Reason number three, muscle is your secret anti-aging weapon. This one is so, so important, and I feel like not enough people talk about it. After 40, women can start losing 1 to 2% of their muscle every single year. Every year. And muscle is not just about how your arms look in a tank top. Although, hello, that is a nice bonus. Muscle is a metabolic powerhouse. It helps keep your blood sugar steady, it keeps your energy up, it helps balance your hormones, it protects your joints. It is literally what keeps you strong and able to do things you love as you get older. The women who feel amazing and energetic in their 60s and 70s, they made muscle a priority in their 40s. You still have time. Let's use it. Okay, reason number four. Your brain needs you right now. So brain doctors, neurologists, actually say that your 40s are the best time to start taking your brain health seriously. And not in a scary way, in a real empowering way. As your hormones shift, you might notice some brain fog, a little more forgetfulness, feeling a little slower than you used to feel. This is so common, so normal. And the amazing thing is that moving your body, sleeping well, and even staying connected socially can actually slow those changes down. There is also research showing that women with more muscle mass have a lower risk of memory problems later in life. So every time you work out, you are protecting your brain too. Brain gains and body gains. Yes, please. I am here for it all. Reason number five, your metabolism is changing and understanding it is your power. Okay, raise your hand if you have felt like you are doing the exact same things you always did, eating the same way, moving the same way, but your body is just not cooperating like it used to. Yeah, me too. And honestly, almost every woman I talk to says the same thing. And here is what I know. This is not in your head. Your metabolism really does change in your 40s because your hormones are shifting, your muscle is slowly changing, your cells are doing different things than they did at 28. But here is the good part knowledge is power. When you understand what is actually happening inside your body, you stop feeling like something is broken and you start making choices that actually work for where you are right now. That is a total game changer. Like total. Reason number six, science is finally paying attention to women like us. Okay, this one honestly makes me feel two things at the same time: frustrated and hopeful.

Metabolism Shifts And New Research

SPEAKER_00 8:20

For most of medical history, almost all of the research was done on men, and then those results were just applied to women, like our bodies work the same the exact way. They do not, like we are small men. And finally, finally, that is starting to change. In 2025, the National Academy of Medicine put out a big report calling for way more research and funding focused specifically on women in midlife, more studies, more tools designed for what we actually go through. Your 40s are the perfect time to start asking better questions at your doctor's visits, to advocate for yourself like never before. You deserve real answers. Go get them. Okay, reason number seven: your body is sending you signals. This is your chance to listen. Perimenopause can actually start in your early 40s, and it does not come in screaming at first. It starts in whispers, trouble sleeping, mood swings that surprise you, low energy, cycles that feel different, brain fog that seems to show up out of nowhere. A lot of women just push through these things that act like they are fine. But what if instead of white knuckling through it, you got curious about it? Your body is not failing you, it is talking to you. And the women who listen early, who lean in and figure out what their body is asking for, those are the women who make real changes before small things become bigger problems. Listen to her, she is on your side. Reason number eight healthy habits still work beautifully in your forties. I want to say this clearly because I know some of you have a little voice in your head that whispers that it is too late, that the ship has sailed, that you missed your window. It has not sailed. You have not missed it. Your body in your 40s is still completely capable of responding to good habits. Exercise still builds muscle. Good food still fuels you. Quality sleep still restores your whole system. Stress management still helps your hormones. All of it still works. You are not starting over. You are starting smarter with more self-knowledge, more wisdom, and more clarity than you ever had in your 20s. That is actually a huge advantage. Use it. Reason number nine, you give to everyone. It is time to give to yourself too. I know your life right now. You are managing a lot. Maybe it is kids, aging parents,

Habits Still Work In Midlife

SPEAKER_00 11:32

your career, your relationship, your house, your friendships. You are holding so many things at once and somehow calling it fine. But here is what I really, really want you to hear today. You cannot pour from an empty cup. When you are healthy, when you are actually have energy and mental clarity and strength, every single person in your life gets more of you. Your kids get a more present mom. Your partner gets a more engaged partner. Your friends get the real version of you. Taking care of yourself is not selfish. It is one of the most loving things you can do for people you love the most. You deserve to be on your own list, near the top of the list. Okay, finally, reason number 10. Your 40s are a turning point, and you choose the direction. Okay, so there is this word that health experts use to describe midlife. They call it an inflection point, not a decline, not a crisis, an inflection point, which means a moment where the direction of things can genuinely change. And I think that is so true. Something happens in your 40s where things get clearer. You get clearer, clearer about who you are, about what you actually want, and what you are absolutely done putting up with. And that clarity is powerful. When you pair it with a real decision to take care of your health, something clicks. You stop making choices out of guilt or fear. You start making them out of love and respect for yourself. You stop just surviving and start actually thriving. And that shift, it can start right now, right here in your 40s. This is your decade. Please own it. Okay, so that was our main segment, and I hope you are feeling fired up right now because I am. Let's keep this energy going. May is such a beautiful month, and I feel like it is such a good reminder that growth does not have to be dramatic to be powerful. Nature is literally blooming right now. The days are longer, the energy is shifting, and I think this is a perfect month for women over 40 to bloom too. So I want to share seven simple make glow ups you can try this month. Nothing extreme, nothing overwhelming, just small things that can make you feel more alive, more energized, more like yourself again. So let's go. Glow up number one, local park walks and picnics. There is something genuinely healing about being outside in May. The greed trees, the flowers, the sunlight on your skin, the fresh air. Your nervous system literally loves it all. And here is the glow up part. I want you to romanticize it a little. Bring your cute water bottle, put on a matching outfit, pack some fruit and cheese and sparkling

Seven May Glow-Ups To Try

SPEAKER_00 14:57

water, listen to a podcast or some music that makes you feel good. And then after your walk, sit on a blanket for 20 minutes instead of rushing home. Women over 40 need more softness, more joy, more moments that make life feel beautiful again. A park walk and picnic can be one of those moments. Glow up number two, monthly budget check-in. Okay, listen, financial glow ups are glow-ups too. Do not skip this one. A budget review does not mean punishment. It means awareness. It means being in charge of your money instead of wondering where it went. May is a great month to sit down with your coffee and look at your subscriptions, your spending habits, your savings goals, your summer plans. And here is my tip: do not come at it with shame. Come at it like a CEO. Calm, clear, empowered. Women in midlife deserve peace with money. We deserve stability and options. Even one small improvement, this month matters. Glow up number three. Use summer produce in your meals. This is such an easy and honestly really fun wellness glow up. May is when produce seems to get much brighter and fresher. Strawberries, blueberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh herbs, watermelon, peaches are coming soon. Instead of thinking about healthy eating as something you have to do, think about it as something beautiful you are doing for your body. Build colorful meals, add berries to yogurt, make protein snack boxes, roast vegetables with olive oil, and fresh herbs. Put cucumber and lemon in your water. Women over 40 need protein, fiber, hydration, and good nutrients more than ever. For energy, hormones, skin digestion, and just feeling good in your body. And fresh seasonal food just makes everything feel happier. Glow up number four. Refresh your morning walk habit. If you already walk amazing, maybe this month is the time to refresh it a little. Try a new playlist, add hand weights, walk outside instead of on a treadmill. Listen to an audiobook. Pick a new route. If you are not walking yet, May is the most beautiful month to start. Walking is honestly one of the most underrated wellness habits for women over 40. It supports your mood, your hormones, your heart, your stress, your energy, your confidence. It is approachable. It is free. It is powerful. You do not have to have a fitness influence overnight. Just become a woman who moves her body consistently. That one identity shift changes so much. Glow up number five. Refresh a small outdoor space. This one is so underrated and I love it so much. Your environment affects your energy way more than you probably realize. So this month, refresh one small outdoor space, a patio, a balcony, a porch, a corner of your backyard. Add flowers, string lights, a pretty candle, an outdoor pillow, a little table, a small herb garden. Create a space where you actually want to sit in the evenings. A space that feels like a retreat instead of just something to look at outside the window. Midlife is about creating a life that actually feels good to live inside of. Your home environment matters so much. Okay, glow up number six, a summer hair refresh. You do not need a dramatic makeover to feel refreshed. Sometimes it is just a trip. Face framing layers, a gloss treatment, embracing your natural texture, trying heatless curls, switching to lighter products for the warmer months. And honestly, healthy hair energy is powerful. It just is. Women over 40 sometimes stop updating themselves because somewhere along the way, they got the message that they were too old to care. Absolutely not. You are allowed to evolve, you are allowed to refresh your look. You are allowed to enjoy beauty and self-care at every single age. A glow up is not about becoming someone different. It is about reconnecting with yourself. Okay, glow up number seven. A new nail color palette for the summer. Okay, I know this sounds tiny, but tiny things add up. And a fun summer nail color genuinely shifts your mood in the best way. Try soft peach, creamy pink, milky white, coral, bright red, glossy dude, lavender, something tropical. Sometimes women think glow-ups have to cost a lot of money or involve big dramatic changes. But honestly, fresh nails, a glossy lip, better posture, drinking your water, walking daily, feeling a little more organized, lighting a candle at night, wearing your earrings again, cooking colorful meals, sitting outside in the evenings. That is how a woman slowly starts feeling alive again. That is how confidence quietly comes back. So this may bloom, refresh, experiment, play, upgrade your routines, upgrade your energy. You do not need permission to glow up in midlife. You are not behind. You are blooming in your own season. Okay, so I want to tell you about something I've been working on that I'm genuinely so excited about. I just released my brand new guide, and it is called the Woo-woo and Not So Woo-Woo Glow Up Guide for Women Over 40. It is 150 ancient rituals and science backed practices to help you reclaim your body, your energy, and your radiance. And it is only $17. $17, you guys. And here is what's inside. There is a section called the Glow that is all about skin, hair, and face. Secrets that cultures who had it all figured out for centuries before us, then the flow, which is metabolism and digestive wisdom, the strength, joint, muscle, and bone practices rooted in healing traditions, the eternal, oral health, breath work, and organ support from ancient apothecaries, the spirit, stress, sleep, and nervous system rituals from the world's oldest traditions, and hormonal harmony, which is a whole section

New Guide And Free Practice

SPEAKER_00 22:33

designed specifically for the transition your body is going through right now. And the bonuses are so good. You get a 30-day glow-up starter plan, one practice per day, four themed weeks, zero overwhelm. A quick reference symptom index so you can start dealing with hot flashes or hair thinning or 3M wakeups and can find the symptom and go straight to the practice that helps. A woo-woo to science cross-reference with 30 ancient practices that are now clinically backed, a seasonal ritual calendar for what to practice for each season because you are not the same woman in January as you are in July. And the glow up pantry, which is your complete shopping list for every herb, supplement, and tool in the guide. It is all linked to my stand store in the show notes. And I also have a free 10 practice preview guide in the show notes so you can try it before you buy. Go grab this free guide and see if you love it. Okay, as I promised, one free practice from the guide. So here it is. And this one is so fun and kind of luxurious, and I love it. It is called saffron water face splashing. And yes, it sounds fancy, but it is so simple. And here is how you do it. The night before, take three to five strands of Persian saffron, yes, actual saffron, and steep them in a cup of mineral water overnight. Just let it sit. In the morning, after you wash your face, you splash that saffron water on your skin. That is it. The practice comes from Persian royalty and from the Ayurvedic Kumkumadi tradition, which is one of the oldest skincare traditions in the world. And there is actually science behind this. Saffron contains something called crocine, which is a powerful compound that blocks the enzyme responsible for dark spots. So this helps with hyperpigmentation and dullness. Persian queens were doing this, and now you can too, for basically the cost of a few saffron strands. If you love that one, the full guide has 149 more where that came from. Grab it in the show notes or on my social media. Okay, last segment I promised. Before we wrap up, this is one of my favorite parts of the show. I want to share a few things I've been doing in my own life lately that are honestly make me feel so much better, healthier, calmer, more organized, more glowy, just more like me. Because I really do believe that glow-ups is built through tiny daily habits, tiny shifts, tiny rituals that slowly change how you feel. Okay, here is thing number one: my 10-minute morning stretch ritual. Nothing extreme, nothing complicated. I just spend about 10 minutes stretching in the morning before I do anything else. And it has helped so much with the morning stiffness, with my energy, with my posture, and honestly, even with my mood. Women over 40 really need mobility work. Our bodies want movement and circulation and care, especially first thing in the morning. I use the Bend app sometimes, and other days I just pull up a quick routine on YouTube. The biggest thing I have learned is that it does

Tiny Habits That Add Up

SPEAKER_00 26:25

not have to be perfect to count. Ten minutes matter, a few stretches matter, and done consistently. It adds so much. Okay, thing number two, a capsule pantry system. Okay, this one sounds more boring than it is, but it has honestly changed the way I eat and the way I feel during the week. Basically, I keep a set of healthy staple foods stocked at all times: brown rice, quinoa, whole grain or protein pasta, beans, sugar-free marinara sauce, tuna packets, canned salmon, oatmeal, Greek yogurt, frozen vegetables, berries, nuts, sparkling water. And when I notice something getting low, I immediately add it to my restocking list on my phone. It sounds simple, and it is, but it creates so much peace. When your environment is set up well, healthy choices just become easier. And I have realized something in midlife. It really does. Okay, my thing number three: organizing my fridge by zones. Okay, I sound this sounds really random, but hear me out because this has helped me so much. I set up little sections in my fridge. One area for proteins, one for fruit and vegetables, one for grab and go snacks, one for drinks, one for meal prep containers. Now I actually see the healthy food I bought instead of forgetting about it in the back until it expires. Cooking during the week feels calmer. Meal prep is easier. Tiny systems really do support a healthier lifestyle, I promise. Okay, thing four. A cuticle oil habit. Okay, last one. And it is the smallest one, but I love it so much. I keep cuticle oil and hand lotion sitting right at my desk at work. And during the day, during a little break, I apply both. That is it. That is the whole habit. It makes me feel polished and cared for throughout the day. It is a tiny little signal I send to myself that says, you matter. You deserve to feel nice today. And I think that is something women over 40 sometimes tend to forget. Glow-ups are not only giant transformations, sometimes it is hydrated hands, healthy nails, stretching in the morning, an organized fridge, a peaceful pantry, walking more, drinking water, little rituals that make life feel softer and calmer and more intentional. Those tiny habits slowly become your lifestyle, and your lifestyle eventually becomes your identity. So maybe this month, pick one small thing to try, not to become perfect, just to become a little more connected to yourself again. Okay, let's wrap this up, my loves. I want you to walk away from today's episode with just one thought. You are not too late. You are right on time. Your 40s are not the beginning of the end. They are the beginning of something better, something stronger, wiser, more intentional, and more than anything that came before. You do not need to overhaul your entire life this week. Just pick one thing. Drink more water today, take a 20-minute walk, book that appointment you've been putting off, add more protein to your next meal, go to bed a little earlier tonight. Small steps done over and over again are what actually change lives. And you are completely capable of this. I know you are. I am so proud for you showing up for yourself today by pressing play. I am cheering for you every single step of the way. Thank you so much for spending the time with me today. If this episode spoke to you, please share it with a woman in her 40s who needs to hear it. And if

Final Pep Talk And Requests

SPEAKER_00 30:48

the show has helped you, leave a review. It means the world to me and it helps more women find us. You can find me on the web at www.jasst.com and on my social media at jacksties. I will see you next time. Take care of yourself. You are worth it. Love Jax.