Girls, here's how your 20something body will start to fail you in just 10 years

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Girls, here's how your 20something body will start to fail you in just 10 years

Girls, here's how your 20something body will start to fail you in just 10 years

How To Afford The Life You Want

Girls, here's how your 20something body will start to fail you in just 10 years

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Illustration: Joseph Tey Sure, you’ll still be gorgeous on the outside, but here’s what it’ll cost to get your insides looking as good By Mark Tay You’re probably aware of how a woman’s body will age over time, though at this point in your mid-20s, it’s not something you’re too concerned about. Which is totally fair, seeing as your body has easily recovered from pretty much anything you’ve thrown at it. Late nights and overtime at the office? No problem. Sprains, strains and minor injuries. No sweat. However, it’s important to know there are a finite number of years that you’re going to have the physiology of a semi-wonder woman. At some point down the road, it’s going to hit you like a ton of bricks and most probably cost you a pretty penny. 1. The metabolic plunge

Women have a higher percentage of body fat than men (says science, not us!), and any change to a metabolic rate will have a greater effect on the fairer sex. You’re going to have to be a lot more conscious about what you put in your system and spend a lot more time at the gym if you’re looking to stay the same dress size. Cellulite is touchy topic, so we’ll leave you to Google more about that on your own. You could consider non-evasive procedures to tighten things up, which will cost you from S$100 a session and upward, but why not just step up your workout regime at an earlier age and aim towards building up your muscle groups so they burn more calories even at rest? Start now, pay less later. 2. Mother’s wrist

You’re probably already familiar with the stress having a baby puts on the female body, so we’re going to focus on what happens after you welcome the little munchkin into the world. Watch out for De Quervain Tenosynovitis, sometimes referred to as “mother’s wrist”, which is a condition where patients experience chronic pains, spasms or tenderness in the hand as well as swelling over the thumb-side of the wrist from overuse of the wrist and thumb from taking care of baby as well as hormonal changes. According to the National University Hospital, doctors will first try non-surgical methods of treatment, like wearing a splint for six weeks, taking anti-inflammatory medication, or a steroid jab. If there isn’t any improvement, however, surgery may be needed. If that’s the case, it will cost you anywhere from S$1,000 in Ward C to S$17,000 in a private hospital. 3. Hormonal changes

A stressful lifestyle, certain medication, pregnancy or a combination of the three can lead to hormonal imbalances in your body even in your 30s. Such imbalances can result in side effects like weight gain, hair loss, adult acne and mood swings. We’re sorry to say there’s not much can do to prevent this from happening altogether, but making lifestyle changes like regular exercise, a healthier daily diet, and better sleep cycles will help balance you out. 4. Old injuries

Sprains and strains that you encountered in your younger days playing netball back in school may have simply required you to walk off the pain. But if you didn’t seek proper medical attention for more serious injuries, they may come back to haunt you in your 30s. Maybe you used to run competitively, or channeled your aggression through hockey. Experts say the usual list of ankle, knee, back, shoulder and neck injuries sustained in your youth that are just shrugged off and gone untreated become ticking time-bombs when your youth runs out. You’re looking at possible physiotherapy sessions that cost about S$100 an hour. That’s being optimistic. A pessimistic outlook involves these old injuries leading to chronic arthritis, which may require regular medication or joint replacement surgery. Knee replacement surgeries take between S$7,000 (that’s for Ward C) to S$34,000 (a single

As you can imagine, sitting in an office in front of your computer all day is not going to keep your muscles limber. In fact, sitting at a desk for years is sometimes enough to trigger an old lower-back injury if you don’t pay attention to your seating posture at work. (This is on top of the strain you’re putting on your back with those gorgeous heels.) In fact, holding the same position for an extended period of time will slowly reduce elasticity in the soft tissues (muscles, ligaments and tendons in the back). So keep that body moving when you’re younger. If you still need more motivation, consider yoga or Pilates classes with friends (who will motivate you) to stretch your body out, build your flexibility and correct your form. Better posture will help alleviate pain in areas like your back and hips. Just make sure you can afford those S$120-a-session Pilates classes instead of charging them to your credit card. 6. Partied out

One of the best things about being a young woman who appreciates a good night out in Singapore is Ladies Night at the clubs. The free-flowing drinks through the mid-week evening definitely makes for a great time with the girls. But a word of caution: Frequent binge drinking (just so you know, consuming more than four drinks in one session is considered binge drinking for women by the Health Promotion Board in Singapore) can lead to some serious issues with the body. Besides turning you into a hot mess, binge drinking can lead to peptic ulcers and gastritis, as well as acid reflux. Endoscopy (that’s the super fun process of sticking a tube with a camera at the end of it down your throat and into your gut) may be required to diagnose the problem. That internal selfie will cost you about S$1,500 at a private facility. Come on, girls. The drinks might be free, but they still come at a cost. 7. Smoking

If “Oh, I only smoke when I have a drink!” is your usual defence, well guess what? All that drinking that causes gastritis and peptic ulcers is also brought on by smoking. While all smokers face the same health risks like heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis, women smokers are also subject to female-specific ailments: Compared to non-smokers, they are twice as likely to develop cervical cancer, 30 per cent more likely to develop breast cancer, and likely to experience reduced fertility and irregular, painful periods. But if you can’t think that far ahead into the future, just consider the math of smoking today: If you smoke a pack a day and decide to stop, you’ll be saving about a whopping S$11,000 a year. Worth considering, no? 8. Losing your smile

A bright smile is perhaps the best (and most cost-effective) way to keep up appearances, and a regular oral care regime definitely helps to keep your teeth and gums in good order. But regular checkups at the dentist are also essential to eradicate bacteria buildup in those hard-to-reach crevices. Crowns, implants and root canal procedures are not just painful for your mouth, they also drill a serious hole in your designer purse at about S$500 to $2,000 a tooth, depending on expertise and materials used. (In case you needed a refresher, there are 32 teeth in full adult set. You do the math.) Having someone look into your mouth may not be something we like to do, but think about how far your ravishing smile gets you at work and at play. If you’re a little concerned at this point, that’s a good thing. The earlier you’re aware of these inevitable occurrences with your body, the

afford the life you want.

Source: TODAY

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