Now That You're in Your 30s:

Your 30s is a time to really get to know yourself, where you're headed and what you want from life. You may be raising kids and wearing many hats, but don't forget to take care of yourself. Get started with these five tips.

1. Maintain a health weight

Not as easy to keep off the extra pounds these days? An exercise routine can help boost your metabolism, which slows as you get older. Jump-start your exercise routine by mixing it up. Summer is a great time to add new physical activities, outdoors or inside, to boost the number of calories you're burning. For instance, by playing tennis for 30 minutes you can burn 225 calories; or take your bike out for the same amount of time and shed 258 calories.

» Get other ideas for switching up your fitness routine.

2. Embrace a healthier diet

If you spent your 20s partying it up, you might be starting to notice the effects. The good news is that it's not too late to start incorporating age-defying foods that can help you look and feel better. Vegetables and fruits that are high in vitamin C help prevent aging-related skin changes. Nuts and oils with high amounts of linoleic acid provide similar defense. In other words, regardless of age, sun exposure or other factors, women who eat more foods that are rich in vitamin C and linoleic acid have fewer wrinkles and less skin dryness.

» Learn more about age-defying foods.

Your healthier diet should also include heart-healthy food choices that may lower your cholesterol. For instance, boost your intake of foods that are high in soluble fiber. This type of fiber binds to cholesterol in the digestive tract and helps remove it from your body. Good sources include oatmeal, oatmeal bread, oat bran cereal, dried beans and peas, apples, bananas and citrus fruits.

» Learn more about heart-healthy choices.

3. Be kind to your bones

Bone loss begins at 30, so it's important to maintain strong bones by exercising regularly and maintaining a diet high in calcium. Calcium can be found in dairy products including milk, yogurt and cheese, and also in other foods, such as broccoli, tofu and leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale.

» Learn more about what you can do to protect your bones.

4. Find balance in your life

You know the feeling: the more you do, the more it seems you have to do. As challenges mount in your work, relationships, finances and health—sometimes in several areas of your life at once—they can easily turn from trying to overwhelming. Managing stress is important for both your physical and emotional health. Start by recognizing what you can and cannot control. Stress often comes from trying to control situations or people's actions that are beyond our control.

» Get six more tips for sidelining stress.

5. Over 35 and thinking of having a baby?

Take steps to control and manage the stress in your life before you try to get pregnant. There is convincing evidence that both acute stress (such as losing your job) and chronic stress (such as hating your job) can negatively affect your pregnancy and baby.

» Get more tips for having a healthy pregnancy after 35.

Questions to Ask Your Health Care Professional When You're in Your 30s

As an educated health care consumer, you should feel like a partner in your medical care. Learn all you can. Ask questions. Speak up. Build a health partnership with your health care team.

Get in the habit of writing down your health questions when you think of them. Keep them in a notebook or with your family medical history, and take it with you to every visit. Never leave a medical appointment confused about a health issue.

Be sure to ask these 10 questions, and add your own personal ones, as necessary:

1. How can I improve my diet and/or exercise program to have a healthier lifestyle in my 30s? Ask for examples of activities that are best for you at this age. (To help your health care professional give you the best guidance, keep a diary listing what you eat daily and your regular exercise routine for a week. Then, bring it with you to your appointment.)
2. When should I have regular checkups, and which screening tests should I have and when?
3. Should I do a monthly breast self-exam? If so, how should I do it?
4. How can I prevent osteoporosis? How much calcium and vitamin D should I get each day?
5. How should I care for my skin to help reduce signs of aging? How do I perform a monthly mole check?
6. (If smoking is a health issue): Can you recommend a program to help me and/or my partner quit smoking?
7. Should my contraceptive method change in my 30s? If I plan to get pregnant, are there special considerations at this age?
8. How can I reduce stress?
9. Will insurance pay for the screening test you're recommending? If I don't have insurance, what are my options?
10. Whom should I call to find out test results (such as a Pap test) and when? (Remember: Always ask for and get a complete report on any medical tests you have. Don't fall into the "No news is good news" trap. Medical reports can be misplaced or not reported. Be sure to follow up.)

For more health information, visit HealthyWomen.org

Preventive Health Screenings You Need in
Your 30s

Here are guidelines for preventive health screenings and immunizations generally recommended for women in their 30s. Many will be familiar to you, but there are some additional screenings women in their 30s should consider. Guidelines vary by medical specialty. Talk to your primary health care professional if you are at high risk for, or have, diabetes, heart disease or other health issues. You may need specialized care or more frequent screenings not listed here.

Pap test for cervical cancer: In your 30s, have a Pap test every year with the regular Pap test or every two years using the newer liquid-based Pap test. Beginning at age 30, if you've had three Pap tests in a row with normal results, you can opt to get screened every two to three years using either the regular Pap test or the liquid-based Pap test. Exception: If you have risk factors such as multiple sex partners, HIV infection, a weakened immune system or a history of DES exposure in utero, you should continue to be screened annually. Testing for the human papillomavirus, which is associated with cervical cancer, is an option for women age 30 and older. Ask your health care professional for more information.

Another option for women over 30 is to get screened every three years with the Pap test (either the conventional or the liquid-based test) plus the HPV DNA test. (Health care professionals can now test for the types of HPV that are most likely to cause cervical cancer by looking of pieces of DNA in cervical cells.)

Remember: Don't confuse your annual or semiannual Pap test with a gynecologic examination. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that all women age 18 or older and sexually active teens younger than age 18 have a gynecologic examination, including a pelvic exam, annually.

Clinical breast exam: Have this exam every one to three years. Your doctor or other health care professional will examine your breasts for any abnormalities. This exam often is part of the annual gynecologic examination. Breast self-exam (BSE) is an option to consider in addition to these clinical exams; however, research has shown that BSE plays a small role in finding breast cancer compared with finding a breast lump by chance or simply knowing what is normal. If you choose to perform a monthly BSE, ask your health care professional to show you how.

Sexually transmitted diseases: If you have a history of chlamydia or other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), or you or your partner have had multiple sex partners, ask your health care professional about whether you need to be screened for STDs, including gonorrhea and HIV.

Blood pressure test for hypertension: Have your blood pressure taken at least every two years, and more often if it is at or above 120/80 mm Hg.

Cholesterol: Have your blood cholesterol tested every five years or more frequently if you have risk factors for heart disease.

Thyroid test: Recommendations vary. The American Thyroid Association recommends having the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) screening test at age 35 and then once every five years. The American Academy of Family Physicians does not recommend screening patients before age 60. And the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force states that there's not enough evidence that TSH tests are beneficial for prevention of thyroid disease to recommend for or against thyroid screening in adults. Ask your health care professional for guidance.

Dental exam: Visit the dentist regularly. Checkups can detect early signs of oral health problems and bone loss. Professional tooth cleaning is also important for preventing oral problems and should be done at least every six months.

Weight: "Obesity screening" is now considered a preventive checkup. Ask your health care professional for more information on healthy weight guidelines or weight-management strategies.

Complete eye exam: Get your eyes checked twice between ages 30 and 39. Exception: If you have vision problems, family history of eye problems, history of an eye injury or diabetes, you should be seen more frequently by an eye care specialist.

Skin exam for skin cancer: The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that you have your skin examined annually by a dermatologist. Other recommendations include doing a monthly mole self-exam and practicing sun safety to reduce your risk of damaging your skin and developing skin cancer. If you have had skin cancer or have a relative with a history of melanoma, ask your health care professional for guidance.

Immunizations

Tetanus: You should have tetanus-diphtheria booster shots every 10 years.

Hepatitis A: This vaccine is recommended for adults who live, work or travel in areas where hepatitis A is endemic and periodic outbreaks occur, or users of injection or street drugs, military personnel, institutionalized persons and those working in those institutions.

Hepatitis B: All pregnant women should be screened for hepatitis B at their first prenatal visit. The hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for all children and adolescents not previously immunized and for all adults at high risk for infection; high-risk individuals include persons who inject drugs and their sexual partners; anyone with a history of multiple sexual partners in the previous six months or who has recently acquired a sexually transmitted disease; recipients of certain drug products; individuals with a health-related job with frequent exposure to blood or blood products; and travelers to countries where hepatitis B virus (HBV) is of high concern.

For more women's health information, visit HealthyWomen.org.