Once age 50 life rolls around, many people find themselves with a distinct awareness of their own mortality. The joints are creaking, the hair is graying, and aches that once went ignored now keep you in bed for the afternoon.
Keep an Eye Out for the Big C
By 50, almost everybody has had a friend or family member who has had a brush with cancer. Preventative care will help you know how to ward off cancer and identify the disease early if it strikes. Everybody should cultivate a regular relationship with a dermatologist. Everyone should keep up to date with regular colonoscopies. For women, preventing cancer could mean mammograms. As the Regional Cancer Care Associates site on facts about breast cancer reminds us, treating breast cancer early has a much higher likelihood of success. This is true with many types of cancer, so you want to be extra sure that you keep up to date with your checks.
Whip Your Brain Into Shape
Just because it has been a while since you set foot in a classroom doesn’t mean that you need to stop learning. In fact, according to the Harvard Business Review, learning our entire lives has myriad benefits. Finishing that bachelor’s, or getting that master’s, can give you a big salary boost, but lifelong learning also helps with your mental health. Learning a difficult skill late in life, such as an instrument or a new language, is associated with improved memory. It can also help offset the effects of diseases such as Alzheimer’s. With massive open online courses and how-to websites more prevalent than ever, your next hobby is just a click away.
Stay Social
In your 20s and 30s, staying in touch with friends and family is easy, but children, aging parents, and busy work schedules can make staying in touch tougher during the middle years of life. Harvard Health notes that one study “found that lack of strong relationships increased the risk of premature death from all causes by 50 percent — an effect on mortality risk roughly comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.” The quality of your relationships also has an impact on your health. The same article recounts a study that found that the patients with the lowest dementia risk in old age were those with strong and satisfying relationships. Take time to get together with old friends and close family members — it could be the difference between life and death.
Push Those Pounds Away
Fifty tends to be the age when people discover that the pesky spare tire around the midsection seems to be stuck. However, even though it is easy to write it off as the natural progression of a body growing older, health problems associated with being overweight or obese are exacerbated as we age. According to WebMd, being obese after age 50 carries a risk of diabetes, as well as high blood pressure and heart disease. If you are having trouble losing weight, consider a personal trainer, or even supplementation. Check the internet for lipodrene reviews to see which supplement options are right for you.
Cancel Out Cholesterol
Cholesterol was, at one time, universally bad. Then it was good. Now it’s… bad and good? Your body needs cholesterol to function, but have too much and you’ll find yourself with a heart condition. According to Medical News Today, high cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and heart attacks. Red meat, dairy, and hydrogenated oils all contribute to high cholesterol, while oats, whole grains, fruits, and beans all lower your body’s cholesterol levels. You can lower your risk of heart disease with a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
Taking up a hobby like gardening or vegetarian cooking can help you live a long and happy life — and what is a long life for if not learning, and enjoying, new things?
