These common health mistakes not only showcase behaviors to avoid, but they also demonstrate how healthy lifestyles impact quality of life as one grows older.
Aging brings a myriad of changes to the human body. To thrive, people must adapt and evaluate health and lifestyle choices. Seventy-five-year-old Nancy explains, “I used to stay up late to watch television and never lacked energy the following day. Now, I prefer to go to bed on the early side. I find I’m more productive the next day with a good night’s sleep.” Like Nancy, many individuals aged 50 plus must rethink and adjust lifestyle and health practices to positively impact health and wellness. Here are some common health mistakes folks over 50 must avoid:
- Poor dietary choices. For years, Henry ate sweets. Over the last two years, he has gained thirty pounds. At his last medical checkup, he discovered he is prediabetic. This means that his blood sugar levels are higher than normal. It’s serious as it is often a precursor for type 2 diabetes, a chronic medical condition in which levels of sugar, or glucose, build up in the bloodstream. Per Healthline, “As the disease progresses, the symptoms become more severe and can cause some potentially dangerous complications.” People over 50 are particularly vulnerable to health issues and cannot continue to eat the same way they did when they were young. People aged 50 and up are encouraged to assess their diets and avoid junk foods that lead to obesity. It is widely known that diets rich in fruit, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and other healthy foods can help mature adults maintain optimal weight.
- Insufficient physical activity. Paula was active in her younger years but gave up running due to bad knees. She began a sedentary lifestyle, ignoring doctor’s orders to seek physical therapy. Unfortunately, she began experiencing increased joint stiffness and decreased flexibility typically associated with declines in physical activity. This negative experience served as a wake-up call. She is currently initiating physical therapy to regain strength. Paula shares, “With assistance, I exercise in the pool. The exercises I do are low-impact and slow paced but help me keep moving.” Staying physically active is crucial for maintaining muscle mass, bone density, and overall mobility. Working with a skilled physical therapist can help people maintain physical strength. This is of particular importance for senior citizens who are at increased risk of falls and fractures associated with health declines.
- Ignoring regular health screenings. One of the most significant mistakes made by people over 50 is neglecting regular health checkups and screenings. With aging, risks of chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and cancer increase. Greg shares, “I have hypertension. I knew I had high blood pressure, but I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. I ended up having a stroke and it took me quite a while to get back to normal.” Per Mayo Clinic, high blood pressure can quietly damage the body years before symptoms occur. They expound, “Without treatment, high blood pressure can lead to disability, a poor quality of life, or even a deadly heart attack or stroke.” Thus, getting regular health checkups is essential to good health for all ages – and is essential for older people to reduce the risk of chronic or life-threatening diseases.
- Neglecting mental health. For full health benefits, it’s necessary to devote time to mental health and wellbeing. People over 50 experience significant life changes that can affect how one feels. Factors that impact mental health include the act of retirement, loss of a loved one, or decreased social interactions that may lead to isolation, depression, or loneliness. Alexis fully anticipated retirement, yet she failed to enjoy the transition from working full-time to complete work stoppage. Upon leaving the workforce, this former CEO felt restless. She explains, “I lacked a sense of purpose, and that feeling was unfamiliar and uncomfortable. I felt like I was no longer wanted or needed.” With the help of a therapist, Alexis found ways to channel this negative energy into doing good for others by volunteering. Seeking professional help and finding ways to stay engaged and socially active helped her through big life changes.
Adjusting one’s sails
Like sailboats, people must learn to adjust their sails to the changing tides and winds of life. Folks over 50, and particularly those entering the retirement phase, not only have a lot of life experiences under their belts, but they also face times of significant change. Mature adults can maintain or improve their health and well-being by avoiding common health mistakes. Eating a balanced diet, getting daily physical exercise, participating in regular health screenings, and paying attention to mental health can lead individuals to higher quality of living as they age – and a better experience through and through.
Disclosure: This article is purely informational and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice.
I have always eaten healthy and now at almost 70, I have a few concerns, but am generally healthy. I do gardening and housework to stay physically active and eat a very restrictive diet. And keep my eyes fixed on heaven, my eternal home… That keeps me on track…
Seems like when I turned 78 a switch was turned and things I normally did became very hard or not possible. Getting old is not for sissy’s.
People over 50 are vulnerable to health issues and can’t eat the way they did when young. People 50 and up are encouraged to assess their diets and avoid junk food …
We are the most unhealthy people in the world. Everyone should avoid junk food. And hopefully with RFK Jr. as head of the FDA we will get control over what they put in our food; artificial sweeteners, coloring, preservatives and who knows what else.
I’ve spent most of my life outside doing construction. Up until I turned 65, I was as strong and healthy as ever; healthier than most. Tides turn quickly.
(They need articles geared toward 65 and older, 80 and older, 90 and older.)
I was a janitor for 50 + years, which was a very physical occupation for a woman. Due to that activity, my friends are all amazed at my dexterity and energy. (I’ll turn 75 in a few months.) I do watch what I eat, staying away from processed foods, sweets and colas. (I drink dacaf green Ice tea.) I’m still working and enjoy the many blessing of a good healthy life.
When my husband and I were in our late 50’s, his work took us to San Diego, CA. We thought it might be fun to take up bicycle riding, and rented at first to see if we enjoyed it. We did! While in San Diego for 9 years, we rode up the coast and back (19 miles) every weekend, and I would often ride to work (25 miles). We now live in Texas, but at age 79, I am still riding 20-25 miles (in about 1 hr, 45 min) once a week, weather permitting. Find a sport you love – you can do it!
At 74 I walk 4 or more miles a day. I also cut a lot of grass. I have 14 stairs in my house that I go up and down about 15 times a day. I am gluten free, no soft drinks, healthy oils, and do my best to eat healthy. Think we have to stay active, eat right, good night’s sleep. A positive attitude and I thank God for giving me wisdom to do these daily things. Move it or lose it. Try to avoid doctors & Big pharmacy – that helps too!!!
Fruits, vegetables and grains may be able to help one maintain weight, but they are useless for losing weight. People forget that those three food categories are also actually Carbohydrates! To lose weight what is needed is Protein and the older you get the more you need it. The best sources for protein are Meat, Eggs and Cheese. Modern diets have pushed back against this once common wisdom for many years, not coincidentally as long as we’ve been having an Obesity crisis in our country!
Great advice. I’ve been living a couple of these scenarios, most notably working long hours and having to sacrifice sleep. I’m improving at better planning, though that’s not quite the silver bullet.
I turned 72 recently.
I am active,see my Doctor twice a year.
I am healthy and happy.
LIFE IS GOOD!
Because of bad advice and actions I NO LONGER TRUST DOCTORS and NOW YOU CAN ADD POLIICE OFFICERS to the list. Remember people, Obama promised to ‘FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE AMERICA”but wouldn’t explain how, well NOW WE KNOW WHY! How would it have looked if he would have said TO MARXISM?
I believe that all of us should read labels. We’re blessed that these labels are available to us. I just learned that a healthy product that I enjoy does have the yellow dye, confusing as it also has the spice, Tumeric, which is a yellow color. Just one example, and the other is to eat less, than we did when we had the forty hour work week. Keep moving and do keep your doc appointments.
Former practical nurse here. Remember, Doctors are people, and just as prone to mistakes as any other person.
Life is short. I eat what I like, exercise if I like, and stay away from Doctors as much as possible. I do my own medical research, and treat every illness as a vitamin, or nutrient, shortage or imbalance. Do I have time for their screenings? No! So far, at 72, I take no prescription medication regularly and am generally healthy. The vitamin/nutrient list changes with issues that may come up. Living in CNY does not make this easy as the medical establishment is strong, and tries to make me conform to regular visits and screenings. Yet, here I am hoping to avoid the toxic medications that get prescribed on flimsy evidence of harm to my own body,
This is not the only problem. I now have regular prescriptions and Walmart pharmacy is trying to fill them every two weeks. What’s with that? First, it was filling my prescriptions separately because “It’s just too much to keep up with three prescriptions coming out at the same time.” Now it’s, “Really? Can you show that you got these scripts so close together?” and when you do show them, “It must be a computer glitch.” So we go thirty days, then we start getting the next prescription every two weeks. Not only do we have to watch what we eat and keep up with our exercise, we also have to watch out for people who are profitting from those of us who are not doing well mentally. Took my prescriptions elsewhere. Used to be we just had to beware of telemarketers and junk mail scams. It was like I turned sixty eleven years ago and I became a target for that bunch and turned 71 and became a target for this bunch. Aren’t the people who handle my meds supposed to be on my side?