As you hit a certain age, it’s best not to think too far ahead. The calendar passes with dizzying speed, to begin with, and in terms of considering a protracted, long-term obligation or project, well, it can all seem a bit much.

In that spirit, you’d suspect members of British stadium band Def Leppard probably try to avoid looking at October 10 on their calendar. After all, that’s the final date on their 2016 tour, one that kicked off two weeks ago and still has 50 (count ’em, 50!) shows to run — including tonight’s headlining date in the Mohegan Sun Arena.

On the other hand, though the Lepps — who broke through as post-glam teenagers way back in 1980 — now range in age from 52 to 58, you’d be hard pressed to detect any apprehension or weariness from lead guitarist Phil Collen.

In fact, during a recent phone conversation, Collen, who joined Leppard just in time for their groundbreaking third album, “Pyromania,” sounds positively jubilant when he considered his band’s legacy, their thoroughly strong and competitive new album, and the prospect of roaring across the country playing rock show well into the autumn.

“Frankly, doing this stuff keeps me young,” Collen says. “We don’t think of ourselves as a band relying on the past. We’re very much a work in progress. I look back when we released ‘Pyromania,’ and it’s fun to remember how naïve you can be when you’re young. You don’t really think much about longevity or the future. But the reality of all it all — if you’re lucky enough to still be doing it all these years later — is that today’s experiences are just part of the whole arsenal.”

Much of the aggregate pride and wonder probably comes from the fact that DL has had such a consistent lineup. The group formed in 1977 with vocalist Joe Elliot, drummer Rick Allen, bassist Rick Savage and guitarists Pete Willis and Steve Clark. Collen replaced Willis in 1982 and, after Clark died in 1991, Vivian Campbell came onboard. The lineup’s been the same since — and their collective history is something Collen thinks about a lot.

For example, he laughs when he thinks about the differences in priorities from the early days until now.

“Back then, we had, you know, a lot of fun. Rock star stuff,” he says. “Now, it never ceases to fascinate and amaze me what each day brings — particularly on tour. I might meet a political dissident in Moscow or a spiritual guy in India, and just to see and experience all these places and have intellectual conversations with the people you meet ... It’s just amazing.”

For the two hours they’re onstage each night, though, Collen says the band is all about rocking. And why not? They’re still justifiably proud of a rich catalog — “Rock of Ages,” “Photograph,” “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” and “Pour Some Sugar On Me” are just hit-single highlights from several albums that resonate in start-to-finish fashion. But their newest album, “Def Leppard,” which came out last year, is a remarkably strong work in which the band continues to mine their post-glam/metal sound.

There’s nothing particularly forward-thinking about the sound of the CD — their first work of new material in seven years — that’s also the point. Def Leppard always has written glossy hard rock music that would never be mistaken for any other band, and this recording is a celebration of five musicians who are completely confident in their abilities and the joy it brings them. It also stands in firm defiance to many of the strategies at play in the way today’s music industry works.

Whereas the Billboard and various music industry pop charts are stuffed with single-track downloads, “Def Leppard” is a 14-tune work whose songs work individually, but the entire record is mean to be enjoyed in toto.

“We absolutely approached it that way,” Collen said. “We didn’t have to make an ‘album.’ That’s not the way people get music, anymore ...” He trails off and one can imagine Collen shaking his head, perplexed. Then he continues. “Well, I understand the change in technology and how we deliver music. Things evolve. But I do think it all shortchanges the way you can express music as art. That was the main thing for us. We had all these great songs. Why wouldn’t we release them together?”

IF YOU GO

Who: Def Leppard with REO Speedwagon and Tesla

What: Multi-platinum post-glam stadium rockers hit the road behind self-titled 2015 album

When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday

Where: Mohegan Sun Arena

How much: $59 and $79

For more information: 1-888-664-3426