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!

This is true for me.

I think it is a combination of luck, personal circumstances and active input in terms of diet and exercise.

In my case: a long and happy marriage, DD born when I was 41, a part time job where my work life balance is perfect for me and the family, an easy menopause, non smoker, a good diet, plenty of exercise, several different friendship groups, hobbies, charity volunteering.

However, at 65 some of the age related issues are beginning to surface - thinning hair and osteo arthritis.

I have passed through my 50s and now early 60s.
No HRT but plenty of exercise especially resistance stuff. Have no health issues.
I haven't the greatest diet but l don't drink. My dh has a long term illness so not sailing through life. . My biggest thing is mindset. Not seeing yourself as old. Meeting up with friends, volunteering, having good support from my own family, enjoying my job, taking an interest in people, enjoying my holidays...generally being positive and active.
Looking back now from my 60s l would say don't overthink 50s just keep your own life active and expect to do well.
My dd says l am her role model and she tells all her friends about me and my active life so that's great encouragement for me!!

I'm interested in this too, although I'm late fifties already. I divorced mid forties and have been much happier as a result, however I also worked much harder due to being sole earner and having majority time with our DS. As a result I'm now knackered and hoping to 'retire' by 60 - although I will still do some pt work.

I agree with keeping active and new hobbies. Keep up the yoga as that's excellent too, you just need to build in some weight lifting exercises too. But also expect some age related issues as you move into your fifties anyway.

A great relationship with husband, son and wider family.

Very supportive friends.

A job I love (apart from the general shite all jobs have).
Eat well, find some sort of exercise you enjoy. Get a health check (BP, thyroid, cholesterol, Vit D and B12) take HRT Iif you need it.
Sort your finances if you can. My pension is my focus now.

HRT, much more exercise (weights and yoga especially), accept that you might not be able to eat as much as you did when younger, cut out/down alcohol.

Next bit is going to be a bit hazy on the science but as you age your brain tends to maximise efficiency by dropping unused neural pathways and maintaining those you use. Result is that you become more set in your ways and closed to new ideas. So you need to tell your brain that you are still in “learning new things” mode rather than “preserving what you have” mode. Take up a new hobby, learn a new skill, consider viewpoints you suspect you’ll disagree with and try to see their strengths as well as their weaknesses.

There is an element of luck - around having financial security and no major stress with elderly parents which makes it harder or easier

But I am loving the fifties - kids left home so more time to do me stuff - really taken up my hobbies

I also do yoga , weights and running, as well as hill walking at the weekends

Diet could be better but could be a lot worse and basically a good weight

Go and volunteer at a local stables. Best way to build strength and fitness and you get to hug a horse on a regular basis. Win-win for physical and mental health 😁

Another one saying weight training! Find a local PT who can teach you form, so you can lift reasonably heavy, it’s so good for you, physically and mentally.

This is a bit of a curve ball and location dependent, but one thing I think helps is using public transport a lot rather than relying on the ease of a car. It increases your physical activity and I think there is research it helps with your brain function, problem solving skills and confidence.

We use it every day (Londoners) but also a lot on holiday and there is definitely a triumph in working it out successfully. I definitely felt like I had passed an exam when I worked out how to use the Manhattan Crosstown buses on a trip to New York last month!

We use it every day (Londoners) but also a lot on holiday and there is definitely a triumph in working it out successfully. I definitely felt like I had passed an exam when I worked out how to use the Manhattan Crosstown buses on a trip to New York last month!

Yes! Whenever I’m going on holiday, I always download the local public transport app or if there isn’t one, research how it works & what I need.

I had my ds at 45. I had no choice but to stay fit and active. 😀

And becoming single when he was 2 made me focus on maintaining my income, so here I am at 60, with my career intact, a ds doing GCSEs, and looking forward to retirement in 2 years, when he heads off to university.

All the above, plus financial security if you can manage that. Understand your financial situation and stay in control of it. Get the balance right between saving/financial planning and enjoying the here and now so you feel comfortable in your financial skin.

Despite the state pension not kicking in until late 60s look around your work environment and see what working life is like over 60. In some environments the work starts disappearing at that age - because it’s too physically demanding, because the skills and experience you offered at 40 aren’t that special any more, or because you really are totally out of fucks. Your 50s is a good time to start planning for that.

I kept fit and healthy until my early 60’s, I was rarely ill and always on the go, when I contracted viral myocarditis that left me with severe cardiac problems and my life imploded.
Now I have a very limited lifestyle but aim to be as healthy as I can be and to be content with what I can do!

I’m early 50s and have been doing strength based PT for around 10 years. I have a problem because my PT is moving so I need to find a new one! But that and keeping physically active have definitely been important. Those things, and a decent decent diet, including making time to prepare my own food have been the key things around physical fitness.

Mental fitness took a huge hit when my husband died, but has benefited immensely from semi retiring, spending more time with friends and family (generally over lunch or dinner, at the cost of physical health 😂), going on more holidays and getting more fresh air and sunshine. I also find it a cathartic being by the sea. Hence being in Greece for a few weeks at the moment!

I’m feeling a bit like that @CommeIlFaut, but I’m on the verge of my 60s!

My early fifties were probably the most stressful time in my life as my DC were teens and had serious stuff going on health-wise which obviously impacted my MH. Plus the menopause!

I agree with all the HRT comments - what you need may change as you age, so keep reviewing how it’s working for you.

Also agree with
exercise (including weight which I have only recently started doing more regularly)
eating well/healthy
not drinking too much/every day
having a strong, happy, well-balanced marriage/partnership
financial security
a job you enjoy with supportive colleagues and boss, and good work/life balance
good friends who you you have fun with and support you in times of need
interests/hobbies/travel/learning new things, etc

And I agree with walking/cycling/public transport to keep you more active!

No HRT, plenty of veg and very little sugar all my life as do not have a sweet tooth, my Easter eggs went off when I was a child. I have quite a few allergies like my Dad so have never ever used much stuff on my face except fragrance free moisturiser.

Lots of walking in nature and a long relationship of close to 30 years where we still have a laugh. Also indoor hobbies, board and video games and a love of falling down rabbit holes researching, keeps the mind ticking over.

Having some sense of achievement, I had three distinct careers where I retrained at 23, 32 and 40. In all of them my employers paid for me to take qualifications. I spent about 12 years working FT and studying at the same time.

I am lucky and have a lot of friends of all ages. I have lunch every week with a mate who is in his seventies and also team up with youngsters in my gaming clan as young as 20. I have relocated twice my life. I feel I have a very low boredom threshold and have tried tons of hobbies.

Also no money worries.

Absolutely, I was going to suggest a PT and you absolutely do not need to spend a fortune on it, just a few sessions to work on strength training and to basically learn enough to do your own thing. My PT taught me so much, I can now do it alone. He told me that there's no reason why I can't do strength training well into my eighties (if I get there!) if I keep at it. Cardio, running for example, wears out your joints - so many runners end up with bad knees later in life - but strength training just makes your joints stronger and stronger. And it's great for weight loss, which most people don't realise xxx

www.healthline.com/health/fitness/benefits-of-strength-training#what-it-is

-Healthy diet (vegetarian)

-keeping active. I do weekly Pilates classes and that has done wonder for my balance, muscles and mental health. I also walk as much as I can, swim, garden and take riding lessons when I can afford it.

-HRT

-Listen to daily 10 minute guided meditation videos on YouTube.

I also have stopped caring about what people think of me and I am building a less stressful lifestyle for myself.

In fact, one review of 16 studies including adults ages 50 years and older showed a significant correlation between resistance training and better mental health, physical functioning, pain management, general health, and vitality

Surprised only one pp has mentioned alcohol - I quit at the end of January, having been a very heavy drinker, & the difference to both my mental & physical health is huge! I have lost nearly 2 stone, sleep way better, my skin has improved & I have so much more patience with DD15. I find I am calmer ( used alcohol to help with stress & anxiety but it was actually making things much worse). I can focus better & get a lot of joy out of the smallest things. It feels like I’ve been given a 2nd chance, as there’s little doubt that I would have died young if I’d continued as I was.

Agree with @RabbitsRock no alcohol or very little. Sleep and more sleep. Zumba for the love of dance. HRT definitely. A good mind engaging hobby. Learning to say No! ☺️

I'm 60 this year and feel better than I have ever felt. I garden, swim in the sea, have quit alcohol, walk or cycle everywhere I can, I have weights at home and do a routine of lifting and stretching every day. I get plenty of rest and have lots of quiet/wet weather hobbies like cooking, sewing, crochet, reading, drawing and painting etc.

I grow and eat a lot of my own veg, keep busy by renovating my house and take a different course every year - art, language, hobby related.

My husband and friends are a source of joy for me. I think as you age you become less tolerant of other people who drain your energy. Perhaps your friends have always been like that and now you find it more noticeable.

Thank you. This is all so helpful.

I can definitely get behind building a less stressful lifestyle. In my thirties and early forties I took on lots of professional challenges. While I’m not quite ready to go to seed, I am appreciating now being able to do well paid freelance work that isn’t too stressful. I am looking at professional challenges elsewhere, such as further study, writing and taking a more active role in my professional body.

I’m trying to spend the extra time eating well, exercising (I’m now swimming a mile 4x a week and doing yoga and/or Pilates each week) and trying new things, as well as endless running about of teens etc. I’m so glad a couple of people have mentioned riding. I love riding, and while I no longer want to do XC etc., I’ve booked a few hacks this summer. I think becoming a happy hacker will do me the world of good and DS13 and I are also thinking about a weekend riding break together.

@Finallyiamleaving hit the nail on the head - exercise to be strong, not slim.

I'm 51 this year and began training with a local PT in February doing a mix of strength, cardio and mobility/range of motion training. The benefits are wide-ranging for me: better overall fitness (obviously), I'm more aware of the food I eat (which has led to weight loss but it's not the main focus for me), improved cognitive function, better quality sleep, less anxiety & depression, better personal relationships and just all-round a happier life.

I agree with many other previous posters on this thread saying hooking up with a PT who really understands this time of a woman's life is of paramount importance.

I actually now ENJOY working out and being accountable to my PT definitely helps me. If I'd just joined a gym under my own steam, I'd have flunked out within a few weeks!

Never having to work, not having children, happily married.