When you turn 50, you start blaming any wellness problem to turning “the big 5-0”. Sexual health and vigour not what it once was? It’s because you’re 50. Can’t run around after the kids anymore? Must be your 50s. While it’s true that each decade you age requires a greater need for health prevention strategies, those who have already taken steps to take care of their wellbeing will feel perfectly nifty at fifty, and so can you if you start taking certain steps. If you don’t look after yourself, you may put yourself at risk to age-related issues such as arthritis, diabetes and heart disease. Though it can take longer to see results the longer you wait, it is never too late to make positive changes.
1. Do your Diet Right: As developed nations rely more on food of convenience, and the quality of ingredients goes further down, it becomes more obvious than ever that you are the only one watching out for the state of your body. In terms of your diet, this means eating plenty of fruits and vegetables – at least five-a-day – and healthy proteins. If you focus on these food groups, you can reduce your risks of cancer and heart disease. Try to plan your grocery shopping in advance so you won’t be tempted by junk on shop shelves. The key to healthy eating is to have good options on hand at work and at home.
2. Edit your Exercise Programme: With each decade, the phrase “use it or lose it” becomes more and more applicable. In your 50s, many of your hormones – including progesterone, testosterone and growth hormone – really start to decline. This ageing process can really do a number on your wellness and, if you don’t exercise, you’ll only hurry that decline along. Exercise stimulates growth hormone, helping you to maintain a lean body mass. However, without enough physical activity, your metabolism will slow down, your bone density will decline, and you’ll be more stressed and depressed than you should be. If you find it hard to motivate yourself, why not go to a class or work with a personal trainer? If you’ve got it written on your calendar and all paid for, you’ll have the incentive to workout until the health benefits become their own motivation.
3. Find out Your Family History: If someone in your family has suffered from a certain illness or condition, it’s not a sure thing that you will likewise be affected, but history certainly has a way of predicting the future. Look into your family’s history of health problems, paying close attention to your parents, siblings and grandparents. While having a grandparent who had a heart attack at 75 is something to take note of, being related to someone who suffered at age 45 holds is even more significant to your prevention strategy. Take inventory so you can tailor your wellness programme to your needs, and consider talking to your GP if a particular health concern does arise when you’re digging.
4. Sign up for screenings: As well as looking into your family’s health conditions, you also need to check for your own. Men of your age have long undergone cholesterol panels to identify potential risk factors for heart disease, but your prevention laboratory information shouldn’t end there. Other labs are now available to help determine a treatment plan and, trust me, you should use them! By getting checked out now – rather than waiting for symptoms to occur – you can prevent serious health concerns more easily, and catch any problems early for treatment. As a man in his 50s, it’s recommended that you have 25-OH vitamin D (25-hydroxy) testing, C-reactive protein (CRP) testing, homocysteine testing, total and free testosterone testing, fasting insulin levels testing, thyroid testing, DHEA-sulftate testing, prostate cancer screening and a colonoscopy for colon cancer screening.
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