Have you stayed physically and mentally healthy into your fifties? How?

[CommeIlFaut]

I’m late forties now so am starting to think about the next few years. I’ve seen friends, cousins and neighbours age into their fifties and the outcome in terms of their physical and mental health seems huge.

Two big worries for me are becoming an empty nester and keeping my confidence at work and to try new things. As well as staying slim and fit(ish). While I understand we can’t always control what goes on with our physical and mental health, I’d love to give myself the best possible chance of coming out the other side of my fifties (and into retirement) like the slim, sociable, active ladies I see at the gym.

If you have experienced a happy, healthy sixth decade what has helped? Diet? Exercise? HRT? Relationships? Hobbies? Career? Anything really!

I eat healthily, I walk in mountains, I have a horse, I work out with weights. I also work full time and have a lovely husband, fabulous adult children and friends. This has kept me slim, happy and busy into my late 50s.

I should add - I am on HRT with no intention of coming off - at least until I retire.

A happy marriage, balanced diet, plenty of sleep and lots of exercise.

Strength training/weight lifting - read up on it! It's finally getting the recognition it deserves x

Being active seems to be the biggest factor. So many women have kids around 40 and are still active well into their fifties with teenagers.

Thanks for reminding me about this. I had a few weights in my (lame) gym programme but had a back injury out of nowhere last year. While it’s better now it has made me nervous of lifting weight even though I know that will more likely reduce more injuries. I’m doing yoga/ Pilates once or twice a week but I know it’s not the same.
Any tips for getting restarted with gentle weights?

@CommeIlFaut - if you have had an injury it would be worth having at least a couple of sessions with a reputable PT - they can help develop a programme and work you through your form. Or find a weights class locally - I attend one that's for women over 30 and there are women of all abilities who attend and can have exercises adapted as needed to suit injuries.

Not fifties yet - late forties. Started strength training 3-4 a week last year. Initially with home weights following a programme, then via a PT who coached me through form initially and then gave me a gym programme to follow - I thb check in with him 4 times a year for a coaching session and new programme to build my goals.

It's a massive game changer.

I lost weight last year too ( although have regained some) by understanding calories and macros and building consistency.

HRT... keeps me sane
A dog ..keeps me active
An allotment... is a good work out and amazing for mental health
Work part time and look after grandchild the other days.. perfect balance.
A new hobby ..learning piano . keeps the brain going

And finally... I've learned it's ok to set boundaries ..with family members and to stop trying ot please everyone all the time to my own detriment.

I don't go to the gym as I find that beyond boring, but boy have I carried a lot of bags of compost this spring

This. When I turned 50 I signed up with a PT at a local gym for weightlifting and cardio. I follow the plan she set me 3 days a week, & we have check-in sessions around once a fortnight. It’s made a huge difference, and a PT would be able to factor in your injury.

On the rest, I’m both single & childfree by choice so can’t comment on the empty nesting, but find some new mental challenges too - learn a language? Take up a craft? Start volunteering? I do all three & they’re all good for my social life as well as for my brain.

Hi, sorry @Herwellnessmove I have to ask - are you using AI? There’s a certain flavour to a lot of posts on MN nowadays that feels like it!

I don't think there's much you can do. I went to the gym 5 times a week until.I was 53. I did a mixture of Cardio, weights, Pilatrs and Zumba. I ate healthily, no processed food, watched my weight. I put on 3 stone doing all this. I've had a hideous menopause, every symptom under the sun apart from hot flushes.

HRT has saved me, it's like a miracle.

I thought herwellnessmove was advertising her own website?

Anyway to actually answer the OP.

For me it's exercise, dog and a fulfilling career. I take HRT and can't see myself coming off it soon.

Have to be outside each day even if my DH walks the dog.

Boundaries and not trying to be a people pleaser helps in life too.

Forgot to add - yes to HRT too - I have oestrogen gel, progesterone and testosterone.

Will be prised from my cold dead hands

🙌🏻 😁

But yes - weight training.

A lot of people are put off by thinking you have to spend loads on a PT. You spend some up front for coaching and then periodically afterwards for orogramme reviews. If you are injury prone and new to weights it's a must. But very quickly the initial investment is a life long learning asset.

Building muscle is fabulous and will help your functional fitness well into old age.

It also doesn't create bulk. It creates that lean and toned look if your body fat isn't too high.

Walk, walk, and walk some more! And Zumba classes.

I went through depression over the years (and it still creeps back occasionally) and I read all the advice about walking/exercise/fresh air being good for you.

DH already walks a lot but I have roped various friends in, all of whom walk at different paces/do different distances, and I walk as often as I can throughout the week. Sometimes I end up walking alone if nobody's free, but most of the time one of them is!

My usual walking pattern is a couple of miles first thing with DH, then in the afternoon or evening I've got a couple of friends to choose from and we do 3-4 miles a few times a week, and one who likes to do a ten miler on our day off. 7-8 miles on weekend days. I prefer walking with friends because of the variety of chat!

I appreciate this is doable for me because I wfh/self employed but if you can find people to get out walking with it helps a lot (there are walking groups on meet up and Facebook)

Oh, and diet wise I vaguely follow the "at least 30 different plant foods a week and as little processed food as possible" guidelines. Lots of seeds/fruit/veg.

I'm mid forties but It is a good time to build good habits ahead of your fifties..

Eat well, take on new challenges in work and life (I took a beginners sewing class earlier this year and found it really interesting and absorbing), exercise regularly not just classes but build it in to every day life - we don't own a car so walk a lot and carry heavy shopping home (good free weight training!), get regular health checks to sort any issues early (I am lucky to be eligible for an annual health MOT through work).

I am no using HRT yet, but I am on degesterol and my doctor says the Progesterone can help with peri menopause.

If you can't start weights yet up the yoga as that is also strength training - things like planks use your own body weight.

Yes, but I bet she’s got some kind of AI set up to spot threads like this & answer automatically.

Thanks to everyone. There are so many helpful ideas on here and it’s really good to know that it’s not a one size fits all thing.

I think one of the takeaway messages is to find a good personal trainer. Unfortunately, I had a PT session last year and he had very little idea about my needs, and I was rented unable to walk down the stairs for several days afterwards! I will try to find someone that’s right for me.

I have been on HRT since I was 45. The emotional symptoms I was experiencing were completely out of character for me and extreme. I can honestly say it saved my marriage and possibly my life. I have absolutely no intention of stopping it, although do make sure I have a yearly mammogram and consultation with a breast specialist because my mum and aunt had breast cancer at 70.

I completely agree about taking up a new hobby. I joined a choir last year and absolutely love it. I’m also going to get back to learning French and playing the piano when I have time. Funnily enough, the things that really give me joy are the same hobbies I enjoyed when I was 17, music, languages, travel, cooking.

One issue I do have (and I don’t know if I’m being unsympathetic, or if I’m just a bit unlucky in this) I have found it that several of my friends and colleagues who I have previously found good company, supportive and give positive energy in my life have become very negative and anxious at this stage of life. I find it hard not to be influenced by that negativity. I do not want to give them up as friends, as they are important people in my life, and want to support them but also do not want to absorb their struggles. Any thoughts about this? Has anyone else had this experience?

I'm slightly overweight but very fit and healthy at 60. Obviously genetics or luck plays a part but otherwise I think it's keeping up exercise. I do weights 3 times a week, walk and swim. Also eat healthily, I'm a life long vegetarian.

I think one of the takeaway messages is to find a good personal trainer. Unfortunately, I had a PT session last year and he had very little idea about my needs, and I was rented unable to walk down the stairs for several days afterwards! I will try to find someone that’s right for me.

Most gyms will have several PTs working out of them who would be likely to offer taster sessions to see how you get on. I was lucky enough to find a female PT my age who completely gets being perimenopausal.

Exercise to be strong not slim.

I am mid 50's.

• HRT....start it early....oestrogen impacts everything in our bodies including collagen production
• Exercise - walking, badminton etc
• Weights - In an ideal world I would do weights 3 x a week plus yoga 2x and pilates 2x. But I also have other interests/activities and a social life, and I'd need to retire to fit everything in so it's a balance.
  *Eat healthily. Cut the carbs and lots of fruit, veg, legumes and protein. *Collagen supplements - I don't know how strong the evidence is but I feel better on them. *Brain /learning ability can start to slow down so keep it challenged, take B vitamins if need be.

It seems to me that your friends are maybe having the same emotional struggles you did before you went on HRT. Maybe their GP won't prescribe HRT or they can't take it. I lost a few friends due to my high anxiety, I felt it was a shame they weren't more empathetic.