The 7 Biggest Health Mistakes People Over 40 Keep Making: And what to do instead

After 40, your biology rewrites the rules — and most people are still playing the old game. In this episode, Dr. Josh Axe breaks down the 7 mistakes that accelerate aging, why the scale is an outdated marker, and what a study of 140,000 people across 17 countries says actually predicts how long you'll live. In this episode: - Why muscle loss after 40 is silent, slow, and almost always preventable — and the two-day-a-week fix that reverses it - The grip strength finding from 140,000 adults that predicts mortality better than blood pressure or cholesterol - Why GLP-1s and aggressive dieting without strength training leave you metabolically weaker, not stronger - The blood markers most doctors skip — fasting insulin, ApoB, and high-sensitivity CRP — and why "normal" isn't the same as optimal - How poor sleep and social isolation are quietly compounding every other health mistake you're making - Josh's personal protocol after recovering from a spinal infection at 41 — and what his 76-year-old water-skiing father proves is possible Grab our free guide for the Bloodwork Markers that Matter Most: https://bit.ly/draxe25bloodworkmarkers Uncover what’s really going on in your body with advanced biomarker testing for hormones, thyroid, and metabolism— plus a 1-hour consultation with a Senior Health Advisor! → http://mybloodwork.com *Disclaimer: The bloodwork our team runs at mybloodwork.com covers a handful of the biomarkers listed in the guide above — including critical thyroid and metabolic markers — plus a 1-hour consultation with a Senior Health Advisor, but does NOT cover all 25. You will want to consult your primary or functional doctor for the entire list. Thank you to our sponsors! Sunlighten Sauna: https://get.sunlighten.com/axepodcast Manukora Manuka Honey: https://manukora.com/axe Watch The Dr. Josh Axe Show every Monday & Thursday on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjoshaxe?sub_confirmation=1 🎧 Early Access! Our listeners enjoy every episode before anyone else! Tune in below and join our exclusive group of listeners → Spotify: https://bit.ly/DrJoshAxeSpotify Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3JDvWcS Pre-order my NEW BOOK, Heal Your Cells → healyourcellsbook.com Watch my free training on how to naturally balance your blood sugar and reverse your symptoms → http://DrAxeDiabetesClass.com Discover practical steps you can take today to start healing your thyroid naturally → http://DrAxeThyroidClass.com If you’re ready to start feeling like yourself again and balance your hormones, take my free class → http://DrAxeHormoneClass.com CONNECT WITH DR. JOSH AXE Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/drjoshaxe/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/DrJoshAxe/ TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@thedrjoshaxeshow/ X → https://x.com/drjoshaxe/ LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshaxe Website → http://thehealthinstitute.com Sign up for my newsletter → https://bit.ly/4oE9Jf3 Ask Dr. Axe → http://speakpipe.com/drjoshaxe 0:00 Introduction 1:28 What changes in your body after 40 5:35 Josh's recovery story and what it taught him 5:41 The grip strength study (140,000 people, 17 countries) 12:43 Mistake #1 — All cardio, no strength training 17:13 Mistake #3 — Poor sleep and light exposure 21:23 Mistake #4 — Not measuring real fitness 23:53 Mistake #5 — Chasing the scale instead of muscle 25:59 Mistake #6 — Flying blind on your blood work 25:59 Mistake #7 — Missing community and social connection 37:22 The fixes: compound lifts, protein anchoring, and sleep 41:11 Home tests to check your fitness this week DISCLAIMER This content is strictly the opinion of Dr. Josh Axe and is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician. All viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Axe nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program. MB01GKPRPTQL1WL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices