All our lives we’re told that “living is for the young” and that if you’re over 45, you’re over the hill. Popular culture deems “over 50’s” as obsolete as a discman or a dial-up internet connection. We’d like to let you know why turning 50 is not something you should be afraid of - it’s actually the start of an exciting new phase of your life.
You’ve probably heard the saying ‘age is just a number’ thousands of times. If age is just a number, then why does society deem anyone over 45 as obsolete? We’ve all rolled our eyes when the silver fox in the Hollywood blockbuster hits 50 and suddenly buys a small sporty car, gets an earring and runs off with a 22 year-old bombshell. Could you get any more stereotypical, midlife crisis?
We are here to tell you that turning 50 shouldn’t be something to dread. In fact, 50 is the new 30. With advances in science, technology and medicine, your 50s are not something to fear - it’s the start of an exciting new journey.
Why we think 50 is the new 30
All things considered, life at 50 is pretty sweet. Not only are you more financially secure, you’re finally in control of things, you don’t suffer from acne and you’ve developed the confidence to say no when you feel like it.
You’ve outgrown the ‘fear of missing out’ and self-esteem issues experienced in your 20’s, and by now you have a close group of friends that have become family. Your children are old enough to be able to look after themselves. You are entering a golden period (and we promise you, those youngsters in their 30’s and 40’s are jealous!).
Now is the time to focus on you and your happiness - whether it is emotional, physical or mental.
New decade, new you - fitness over 50
Think about it, at 50 you finally have the time to focus on your goals. You’re able to do the things that make you happy - if you have decided you want to get fit and healthy, you can! Now is the time for you to begin ticking things off of your bucket list. You're not “over the hill” there is no reason why you can’t live a healthy life after 50.
After all being 50, doesn’t mean the same thing it did when our parents were 50, we are sure it won’t mean the same thing when our children are 50. We’re not simply talking about the extreme lifestyle changes the different generations have experienced, we’re talking attitudes and overall experiences. In the past we generally only lived to 70, 80 at most and the really lucky few held on to their 90’s but with medical advancements and lifestyle choices ad products such as ours available to us all the majority of the world’s population will be living well into their 90’s.
Don’t be concerned if you have the big 5-0 looming over your head, it’s not the sword of Damocles, your life is not nearly over, you still have time to get healthy and to make the lifestyle switch, with each new stage in our lives comes new challenges, fortunately, by the time we hit 50 we are confident and happy enough in ourselves to not sweat the small stuff. Don’t give up before you begin, instead of asking yourself, “how can I live healthy at 50’ simply take the plunge.
Don’t put off tomorrow what you can do today! You don’t need to make a huge change immediately, in fact, experts advise making small changes over a period of time so that you and your body get used to the change. Take smoking for example , some experts believe that it is easy to ‘kick the habit’ slowly so your body adjusts naturally to the gradually decreasing nicotine levels, but each and everyone of us is unique and we must each make decisions which suit us best.
How to get fit in your 50’s
One of the benefits of entering your 50’s is that you can finally begin to focus on you, you no longer have to take care of anyone else, your children are grown and you no longer run your life according to ballet classes, school runs or football practice, you and your spouse can now focus on you.
Sign up for that beginners yoga class or join your local park run, there are so many options to choose from. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never practiced yoga before, or the closest thing you got to running was trying to catch your bus, it’s never too late to try something new. You needn’t be scared of choosing a new outlet - who knows, perhaps you may fall in love with fitness.
We’ve found some helpful hints that we think might help give you that little extra push:
1) Embrace the confidence you have in yourself:
As mentioned earlier, with your 50’s comes a new level of confidence, don’t be put off, you can do anything - after all you have survived this long.
However, if you are a little unsure of where to begin and if you question your ability to commit to a gym membership get a group of friends together and meet at a local park or field and simply walk around for half an hour. Remember it will be half an hour more exercise that you are currently doing. Don’t let yourself stumble at the first hurdle.
2) Find an activity that you really enjoy:
Make sure your new activity is something that you enjoy, don’t choose something that you think you might like to do. Try new things, and see what you connect with most, lots of places offer a free trial session. Even though you have time to think of yourself living a healthy life over 50 will require a level of commitment. Which leads us to tip number 3.
3) Create an accountability system:
We’re not saying you need to sign up for a four year membership at your local leisure centre, or sign up with a personal trainer - especially not if your situation doesn’t allow it. Try and find a way to make it a part of your day, so that there are ‘consequences to missing your session. It might be as easy as finding a workout buddy taking your dog for a walk - after all, who can ignore puppy eyes when it’s time for their walk?
4) Start today:
Don’t promise yourself that you will start working out or eating right after you’ve lost some weight or on Monday (we are all guilty of making those promises to ourselves), start today. Taking that first step may be as easy as walking up a flight of stairs and taking your dog for a walk.
How to live a healthy lifestyle in your 50’s
Living a healthy lifestyle after 50 also includes eating properly and getting enough sleep. Often the phrase, 'eat healthily' sends some people into a dizzy spiral of kale and coconut oil (not as healthy as we've been led to believe) and asking the internet about the benefits of a full vegan diet. Don’t worry, we’re not saying you need to completely overhaul your eating plan, and we’re certainly not telling you to cut out your favourite Jamie Oliver recipe.
There are many small changes you can make to your diet that will have a large impact on your overall health and wellness. While we’re not saying you can’t enjoy a chocolate after dinner, we’re simply suggesting you only have two blocks of top deck instead of the whole bar.
You can also increase your daily intake of green leafy vegetables and switch to lean steak instead of rib-eye. Eat healthy fats: foods like fatty fish, avocado and nuts instead of red meat and butter for example.
Feeling Fabulous at 50
Age might only be a number and while we weren’t all blessed with the genetics of Michelle Pfeiffer or Josh Brolin, we can work with the cards we’ve been dealt. By changing our lifestyle even a little bit in the right direction we are tipping the balance in our favour. Remember each time we park at the other end of the parking garage, take the stairs instead of the lift or enjoy an evening walk on a summer’s evening we are making ourselves a priority. Making ourselves a priority is one of the many reasons we should be celebrating turning 50 instead of celebrating our 29th anniversary of turning 21. We firmly believe that it is very easy to look good over 50!
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