How to Keep Thriving in Your 50s and Beyond
When you hit the big five-oh, it can bring on a lot of emotions. After all, your body's changing, your life is changing, and your health is changing. What does this all mean? That it's more important than ever to maintain healthy routines to ensure your fifth decade—and beyond—continue to be your thriving years. From getting more sleep and exercise to prioritizing social connections and mental stimulation, here are 20 things you need more of after age 50.
1. More Moving Around
After 50, you don't want to be sitting around at home all day. Whenever you can, make sure to move around, whether that means gardening, taking the stairs, or going for a stroll around the neighborhood. The more you exercise, the more you maintain strong bones and muscles.
2. More Good Sleep
You'll also want to get enough restorative sleep each night, which means at least seven to nine hours of shut-eye. Getting good rest doesn't just give you the energy you need for the day ahead—it can also help prevent chronic disease, like depression, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
3. More Vitamin D & B12
Experts also recommend that those over 50 get more vitamin D and B12: D for bone health, and B12 for brain and blood health. Women often experience more vitamin D deficiency, but men need it just as much. Medications may also prevent proper absorption of B12, so it's important to ask your doctor about taking supplements.
4. More Protein
Vitamins aren't the only thing you'll need more of, though. It's just as essential to get enough protein—and fiber—in your diet, too. In fact, after 50, you'll need 70-100 g of protein a day, and more if you're fairly active. Aim to get at least 25-30 g in each meal, and try to eat more quality proteins, such as fish, nuts, eggs, legumes, soy, quinoa, and Greek yogurt.
5. More Days Without Nicotine
If you haven't already quit smoking, now is the time to do so. In fact, your doctor probably recommended that you stop years earlier. Even if you think your lungs are healthy, think again: smoking doesn't just affect your respiratory system—it also affects your body's filtration system, including your kidneys and bladder. This means that if you continue nicotine use, you're not only putting yourself at a higher risk of developing lung cancer, but various types of urological cancers, too.
6. More Days Without Alcohol
Smoking isn't the only thing you should quit, either. If you're not already cutting your alcohol intake, it's time to do so. Studies show that older men are more likely to binge drink, a habit that can put them at a higher risk of heart disease, liver problems, and cognitive decline. Plus, booze can interfere with medications and disrupt sleep—two things that become more important to manage as you age past 50.
7. More Intimacy
Since procreation isn't the primary focus anymore after 50, that gives you more time to enjoy intimacy for pleasure. It's important to keep the spark strong; after all, this can strengthen emotional connection with your partner, boost mood, and may even improve your overall health.
8. More Balanced Meals
Technically, you should be eating healthy already and prioritizing incorporating nutritious foods into each meal, but if you're used to snacking on junk food and sugary treats, it's time to quit. Plus, the way your body processes these unhealthy foods changes as you age, and highly fatty, salty, or sweet snacks can wreak more havoc than you expect.
9. More Cancer Screenings
As you get older, your risk for cancer increases, which is why it's essential to get screened regularly. Follow the advice of your doctor, but by 50, you should already be getting mammograms, colonoscopies, prostate exams, and other forms of cancer screening recommended for your age group.
10. More Check-Ins with Your Doctor
More than just regular screenings, you should be visiting your doctor more often. Sure, you might not need to get every odd symptom and sensation checked out, but at age 50, it's better to be safe than sorry. Don't put off booking an appointment if something feels off or you experience any lifestyle changes.
11. More Mentally Stimulating Activities
Whether it's Sudoku, crosswords, or a challenging 1000-piece puzzle, you'll want to do more mentally stimulating activities after age 50. After all, it's just as important to exercise your brain as it is to exercise your body, so don't forget to break a mental sweat, too.
12. More Love
You need love at any age, but it might be even more important to get enough of it after 50. Make sure to spend more time with friends, family, and other loved ones—research has shown that a happy, healthy social life may lower your risk of dementia and early death.
13. More Laughter
You're probably familiar with the saying "live, laugh, love." And it's true: just as you need more love after age 50, you'll also want more days filled with laughter. In fact, humor does more than just make us happier; studies have shown that laughing more increases oxygen levels in the blood and releases hormones, like dopamine, that naturally lower anxiety, stress, and depression. Plus, a good belly laugh can help exercise your diaphragm muscle.
14. More Days Spent with Family
Whether it's with older parents, adult children, grandchildren, or other relatives, it's important to spend more days with your family. But between it all, make sure to carve out time in the day for yourself, too, so you get to enjoy both familial warmth and quiet solitude.
15. More Strength & Balance Training
If you want to keep feeling young after 50, make sure to get more strength and balance training into your workouts. Whether it's doing yoga or going for bike rides, exercising your bones and muscles will help ensure they don't deteriorate as easily—or as quickly—as you get older.
16. More Information on Menopause & Andropause
Around age 50, men and women start to experience a drop in testosterone and estrogen—andropause and menopause. While your doctor will likely give you more information and advice on how to manage your symptoms, it's still crucial that you read up on it yourself so you can better understand how to smoothly handle the transition.
Kateryna Hliznitsova on Unsplash
17. More Days with Good Posture
After 50, posture matters more than ever. You might be used to slouching when you were younger, but constant poor posture can lead to back pain, reduced mobility, and even breathing issues. Make an effort to sit and stand tall, strengthen your core, and stretch regularly.
18. More Mindful Breathing
Deep, mindful breathing is another thing your doctor will want you to do more of after age 50, and well before that, too. After all, it’s a simple way to manage stress, reduce blood pressure, boost mood, and improve lung function. Practicing just a few minutes of conscious breathing each day can calm the nervous system and help you feel more grounded.
19. More Hydration
It's important to stay hydrated no matter what age you are, but as you get older, your sense of thirst can decrease and make it easier to become dehydrated. Make sure you drink at least eight cups of water every day. If it helps, try drinking a full glass before each meal—it may help with weight management and keep your fluid levels up.
20. More Focus on Your Life Mission
Menopause, andropause, and other transitions in life, such as your children moving out, can leave you feeling hollow, or as if your life lacks real purpose now that everything has changed. That's why it's more important than ever to revisit your goals, passion, and "life mission." Ask yourself: What keeps you going every day? What excites you? What is the most valuable thing in your life?
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