turning_50
Health

What to Expect When You’re Turning 50

Turning 50 is a huge milestone birthday. These days it seems like a lot of my friends are turning 50, or getting close. I’m not far off from 50 myself, and this year I have started recognizing this means physical changes.

Nothing surprised me so much as when my metabolism changed dramatically at 40. So, since I’m interested in what’s going to start happening to me and what I should do, I figure a lot of other soon-to-be-50 ladies will be interested, as well.

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What to Expect When You’re Expecting the Big 5-Oh

As women age, we experience changes in our bodies. These changes can lead to everything from a more difficult time staying in shape to an increased risk of heart disease. It’s important to know what we’re in for, so we can address the new challenges we’ll face in this chapter of our lives and keep ourselves as healthy as possible.

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Women in our age range have either gone through menopause or are in the process of menopause. In either case, our bodies will continue to change over time to due to different hormone levels in our bodies that age brings. That’s because menopause, and the hormone changes that come with it affect almost every aspect of our bodies. Let’s take a look at some of the changes that come with turning 50.

Heart Disease

Women over 50 are more prone to heart disease. In fact, our average lifetime risk goes up to right around 40%. In addition, if we have two or more risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or smoking, that risk rises to 50%.

Declining Estrogen Levels

In addition to the hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and other fun stuff that menopause brings due to declining estrogen levels, we also become more susceptible to osteoporosis as well as the heart disease I just mentioned. We are also at a great risk of cancers.

Colorectal Cancer

When we think of age-related cancers, we often think of breast cancer. However, colorectal cancer is the one that sees the biggest jump in risk after age 50. In fact, over 90% of colorectal cancer cases occur after age 50.

Immune Function Decline

As we age, our thymus gland shrinks. This gland is responsible for our immune function because it regulates T-cells, our bodies’ immune system warriors. So the older we get, the more susceptible we are to colds, flu, and the like.

Memory Issues

As we age, we see a decline in our episodic memory. This memory is the recall of events, times, and places. Basically, we have more episodes of brain dump. But there are ways to protect your memory, so read on.

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What to Expect When You’re Expecting to be Your Best Self

Now that you know you’re staring down the barrel of some unpleasant things, let’s look at how we can help ensure that we are our best, healthiest selves at any age.

Plenty of Sleep

In age-related sleep studies, people who get 7 to 9 hours of sleep have been shown to live the longest. In addition, adequate, restful sleep can boost your memory, mode, and human growth hormone levels. HGH plays a key role in bone and muscle mass, so get those ZZZs.

A Healthy Diet

A health diet that includes dark leafy greens, veggies, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins can drastically improve your health, mood, and well-being. When you eat well, you feel well. Your body functions better, and that leads to being better across the board.

Don’t Neglect Sexual Health

While menopause and changing hormones can lead to a decreased libido and vaginal dryness, it doesn’t have to mean the end of your sex life. You can restore your sex life without the risks of hormone therapy by using topical estrogen preparations to help keep sex doable and enjoyable. Don’t give up! As the old saying goes: use it or lose it.

Exercise

Regular exercise can keep you energized, healthy, and keep your immune system humming. And don’t neglect weight training. Resistance training drastically improves bone density.

Brain Exercise

Speaking of exercise, don’t forget to work out your mind. As we age, our brains lose some of their ability to function. It’s a natural part of aging, but it can be slowed. Don’t freak out. You won’t suddenly become incapable of regular activities. Rather, you’ll find that you search for names a bit more often or you forget that your glasses are on your head from time to time. Brain exercises can help keep your mind sharper for longer.

Mammogram and Colonoscopy

As we age, breast cancer and colorectal cancer become things we have to seriously consider. It’s important that we don’t forget to get regular preventative checkups, mammograms, and colonoscopies to ensure that we detect any issues as soon as possible.

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Turning 50? Time to Celebrate

Although this post has been full of health issues and concerns for women who are approaching or have hit 50, it’s not all doom and gloom. So when you think of what to expect when you’re expecting to turn 50, expect to have an amazing life. All you need to do is know what to look for, take care of yourself, and embrace the next chapter of your life.

Mom of two beautiful active girls, traveller, fitness junkie, social media consultant, and keeper of the sanity.

15 Comments

  • Colleen

    If only there were a way to bottle up all the energy and firm EVERYTHING we had when we were young! LOL Thanks for sharing this. At least I know how to keep myself looking and feeling good for longer. That’s important!

  • Melissa Ann

    Wow! Look at all the “wonderful door prizes” one gets for turning fifty! Kidding aside, everyone of these are extremely necessary to maintain health and well-being.

    • Paula

      I can always feel when my metabolism changes. It’s not my favourite thing. When you have to work harder to maintain bone density and keep weight in check that’s a total PITA but I do feel like it’s good to know what to expect. Thanks for your comment.

  • Lisa Bristol

    I have really noticed a lot of changes in my body as I approach 50. Thanks for the great post. Now I know what to expect.

  • Jennifer

    This is very informative – I’d never really considered all of the changes that can happen as you approach 50. It’s a huge milestone. I’m not there yet, but I know I’ll need to deal with these issues soon enough.

  • Allison Cooper

    I love that you not only outlined what to expect, but what to change in your daily life, too! This is such an informative topic!

  • Sarah

    Great info! I’m still a ways away from 50 but it’s nice to know what to look forward to and tips to keep my health in tip top shape.