5 Habits to Stay Healthy & Fabulous in your 50's

Lets face it... we all kinda dread getting older! Aches and pains, increased risk of illness and declining health are all of increasing concern.

But despite this, with proper preparation, your 50s can be the start of a very enjoyable stage of life.

Often when we enter our fifth decade, we start to enjoy more financial freedom with mortgages getting closer to being paid off. The combination of this with less career pressure and adult kids moving out and away, creates the opportunity for more getaways and social outings.

But you can’t avoid the physical effects of aging and your 50s can bring with them an increased risk of developing lifestyle and age-related illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, and various cancers.

With all this in mind, there are some regular habits that you can follow to keep your body and mind as healthy and happy as it can be throughout this decade.

5 Habits to Stay Healthy & Fabulous in your 50's

GET WALKING

Guidelines suggest getting 10,000 steps in each day and this becomes even more essential as you enter your 50s. Why? Walking is one of the best low impact ways to keep your joints healthy and maintain muscle mass.

As we age the stress on our joints becomes greater as ‘wear and tear’ starts to catch up with us. Also, the change in hormones for women as we enter menopause can make us more susceptible to weight gain and weaker bones.

A bonus – regular walking is said to have a positive impact on heart health and with cardiovascular disease being the biggest health risk over 50 it has never been a better time to get those steps in.

EAT MORE PROTEIN

Protein is essential at all stages of life but increasingly so as we age. In fact, after the age of 35 we start to lose an average of 5% muscle mass for every decade. So, by the time we roll on into 50, most people are well on their way to a 10% muscle mass reduction.

By consuming an adequate amount of protein, not only can you positively influence your muscle mass, but it helps maintain the integrity of your bones as well. Try squeezing extra protein into each of your meals, and snack on nuts, chicken, fish and high protein dairy in between.

KEEP YOUR MIND ACTIVE

Often, we focus all our energy on keeping our bodies fit and healthy that we neglect one of our most important organs in later life – our brain! The reality is, as most of us head towards our 50s we start to take a bit of a backseat in our learning.

But now is the time to really ramp up the brain training to starve off the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. Some great ways to do this: try a daily crossword or sudoku, pick up a new hobby, or take a local community class.

GET FLEXIBLE

We’ve all heard the older generations complain of ‘stiff’ joints, right? Well one way to deter this is by incorporating a daily stretch routine. Not only does regular stretching help improve your range of motion and lubricate your joints but it is also great for encouraging mindfulness and relieving stress.

Looking for inspiration? Why not try these 8 daily stretches?

STAY SOCIAL

One of the things that absolutely shouldn’t change regardless of your age is maintaining an active social life. Not only does social interaction improve mood and offer vital companionship and connection but it helps keep that aforementioned brain engaged and active.

Why not combine two healthy habits in one and meet up with friends for a weekly walk or get the brain thinking with trivia at the local?

Are you not yet 50 but looking for more age-related advice? Why not read this article on 5 Tips to Stay Healthy and Thriving in your 40’s.

I hope you found these 5 tips helpful in staying healthy and fabulous in your 50's.

And if you'd like some help with improving your eating habits, losing extra kilos, increasing energy levels or managing a disease or conditions why not book in for a nutrition consultation?

During the appointment we'll do an analysis of your diet and lifestyle habits and tailor make an easy to follow plan plus you'll receive recipes and handouts to get you started.

Appointments are available via Video or In-Person.To find out more click here.