Turning 50 is a huge milestone. If you’re in your 50s, you are probably enjoying best years of your life.....
health
Turning 50 is a huge milestone. If you’re in your 50s, you are probably enjoying best years of your life. All the work you’ve done in your 20s, 30s, and 40s to live your fullest life is really starting to pay off - and you may have more free time and money than you’ve ever had before. You know what you like and what you don’t like.
However, as we age, most of us begin to take it a little easier. A regular fitness regime tends to get thrown out with the old ‘70s compilation CDs. As the years pass by, many women find that the lifestyle that worked in their 20s and 30s fails to achieve the same results in their 50s. This is due to the fact that as women reach their 50s, they’ll have to compensate for hormonal, cardiovascular and muscle changes. But there is nothing to worry about, use your wisdom to help you become even more amazing and fit when you’re 50 and older. You might be able to feel as good as you used to or even better by picking up healthy habits. Even small changes can improve your health. Use the following tips to live your 50s and above in fabulous shape...
Change in diet: Weight gain in aging women is common because of decreases in muscle mass, the accumulation of excess fat and a lower resting metabolic rate. Clearly, your diet at 50 should look a bit different from your earlier diet. However, you don’t have to change your diet all at once. Try making one small change at a time. For example, if you eat 2 slices of white toast for breakfast, replace one of them with a slice of whole grain bread. If you drink orange juice every day, eat an orange instead for 3 days a week. Eat whole fruit rather than fruit juices as much as possible. If you prefer salty snacks, try low-fat popcorn instead of potato chips. And cut back on salt and increase your fibre consumption.
Focus on fruits, vegetables, fibre & calcium: Choose a wide variety of colourful fruits and vegetables. They’re rich in fiber and supply vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals your body uses to stay strong. Dairy products provide the calcium that helps keep your bones strong. Fabulously delicious sources of calcium include sardines, spinach, broccoli, kale, and low-fat or fat-free milk and yogurt. Eat 3 cups of dairy foods each day, but choose reduced-fat or fat-free options. Also, pay more attention to supplements and vitamin D. B-12 is one of the most important vitamins as you get older. It supports healthy blood cells, and also affects your energy levels.
Sleep well: Sleep may be the most important thing we can do for our bodies, particularly as we age. People who get adequate sleep live longer. Athletes perform better when they’ve slept 8 hours or more, so it’s likely you’ll find your workouts easier, as well. Sleep also improves your memory.
Exercise: Staying fit after 50 doesn’t have to be time consuming. You can get fit by walking a minimum of 30 minutes most days coupled with three to four shorter, intense workouts during the week. YouTube is full of great workouts that are 10 to 20 minutes long and the great thing about these workouts is that they burn a lot of calories in a very short period of time.
Exercise for older individuals can have just as many mental rewards as physical, such as reducing stress, anxiety and depression - especially the kind that often accompanies post-retirement boredom.
Self care: In combination with a regular yoga practice, seated meditation is super effective for those in their 50s. Start by focusing on a pleasing object like a candle flame, flower, or peaceful image with your eyes open. Then, eventually close your eyes and keep focusing your mind on that object. Open your eyes to refocus when your mind begins to wander...and don’t forget your deep breathing!
Do puzzles: The older you get, the more important it is to actively work your mind. Doing puzzles is a great way to exercise your brain. Brain teasers and word games are also excellent ways to train your brain. Try doing crossword puzzles or Sudoku. Download games onto your smart phone or tablet. Play chess, bridge, or other challenging board or card games.
Read more: As you age, your cognitive speed slows down. Research shows that reading more can actually slow the mental aging process. Reading enhances your memory and increases your attention span. So grab a book, newspaper, or magazine and start reading.
Learn something new: The act of learning is a great way to keep your mind sharp as you age. Continuing your education, learning new skills or pursuing a new hobby may help maintain individual brain cells and fortify your memory. You can also try learning a new skill. For example, maybe you’ve always wanted to learn how to knit. Teaching yourself a new hobby is a great way to keep your mind young.
Staying healthy through humour, laughter and play: Laughter is strong medicine for both the body and the mind. It helps you stay balanced, energetic, joyful, and healthy at any age. A sense of humor helps you get through tough times, look outside yourself, laugh at the absurdities of life, and transcend difficulties.
Stay connected: Connect regularly with friends and family. Spend time with people you enjoy and who make you feel upbeat. It may be a neighbour who you like to exercise with, a lunch date with an old friend, shopping with your children, or playing with your grandkids. Even if you are not close by, call or email frequently to keep relationships fresh.
Make an effort to make new friends. As you lose people in your circle, it is vital to make new connections so your social life doesn’t decline. Make it a point to befriend people who are younger than you. Younger friends can reenergize you and help you see life from a fresh perspective.
Find meaning & joy: A key ingredient in the recipe for healthy aging is the continuing ability to find meaning and joy in life. As you age, your life will change and you will gradually lose things that previously occupied your time and gave your life purpose. For example, your job may change, you may eventually retire from your career, your children may leave home, or other friends and family may move far away. But this is not a time to stop moving forward. Later life can be a time of exciting new adventures if you let it!
