The 10-Year Health Window You Really Shouldn’t Ignore

Turns out your body keeps receipts — and it starts cashing them in around age 36.

A new long-term study out of Finland has officially confirmed what your metabolism, your hangovers, and that weird back pain have been trying to tell you: your late 30s and 40s are the most important decade for your long-term health.

This Isn’t a Drill: 36 to 46 Is the Critical Zone

Researchers followed a group of people born in 1959 in the Finnish city of Jyväskylä (bless you) and tracked them from their 20s into their 60s. They checked in at ages 27, 36, 42, 50 and 61, collecting everything from blood pressure and cholesterol to how often they exercised — or didn’t.

And surprise: people who smoked, drank heavily, or skipped workouts saw signs of physical and mental decline as early as age 36. Yep, that’s the age when the Friday night tequila shots finally start clogging your arteries.

The Big Three Habits to Watch

To improve your odds of living long enough to see your great-niece become an influencer, researchers say to avoid:

• Smoking (obviously)
• Heavy drinking (sorry again)
• Skipping exercise (yes, walking counts — if you’re doing it)

They also flagged that establishing good habits around diet, sleep and movement before your mid-40s is key. After that? It’s not impossible, just harder. Like putting together IKEA furniture after 9 p.m.

RELATED: This is the Minimum Amount of Exercise You Need Per Day To Reduce Early Death Risk…

So What’s the Takeaway?

You don’t have to become a kale evangelist or quit your job to go live on a mountain (unless that’s your thing). But now’s a great time to check in on how you’re treating your body — and maybe leave the party by midnight instead of 2 a.m.

Because while 36 might be the new 26 in your group chat, your cardiovascular system knows the truth.