Carry healthy middle age into healthy retirement

Harper Mac — Everybody should pay special attention to his or her health when getting older. But men need to take more preventative measures to ensure a long, healthy life, especially once they hit 50. For example, studies show that men are more likely than women to succumb to the top 10 causes of death. Taking preventive measures as you are reaching middle age will significantly reduce your risk of becoming part of this statistic.

Fitness first

Resigning yourself to a sedentary lifestyle after retirement is one of the worst health choices you can make. Mid-life fitness has been shown to reduce disease later in life, which means the healthier you are at 50, the healthier you’ll be at 80.

If you haven’t gotten into a workout routine before you hit the half-century mark, you’ve still got plenty of time to get fit. Invest in a gym membership or home fitness equipment; by exercising at least three days a week, you’ll reduce your risk of chronic diseases by up to half.

Healthy lifestyle choices

Lifestyle changes like eating a healthier diet, quitting smoking and cutting back on alcohol consumption have almost instant effects on your health. For instance,  experts tells us there are many benefits of quitting smoking that include improved circulation and lung function, as well as reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Annual checkups

As men get older, annual checkups are crucial to finding potentially life-threatening conditions or diseases. Men should get yearly screenings for risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and testicular cancer starting in their 20s. These screenings become more important after age 50, and additional preventative measures—such as immunizations, eye exams, and hearing tests—will likely be recommended by your doctor.

Health screenings

After age 50, your doctor will likely suggest additional yearly tests, some based on your risk factors for certain diseases. A few typical screenings for men 50 and older include:

Heart disease: Getting tested for heart disease in your 50s is critical, since it’s the number one cause of death in both men and women. Some symptoms include chest pain, racing heartbeat and dizziness. Heart disease is diagnosed by undergoing numerous tests, such as blood tests, X-rays, and electrocardiograms. It’s treated through lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, taking medication, and, in extreme cases, undergoing heart surgery.

Prostate-specific antigen test: Your doctor will perform a PSA blood test to detect prostate cancer. This is arguably one of the most important tests for older men. Prostate cancer affects one in six men, and 70 percent of diagnoses are in men over 65. Fortunately, a variety of treatment options exist for prostate cancer, including hormone therapy, proton radiation therapy, and surgical removal.

Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis affects 16 percent of women over 50—compared to 4 percent of men over 50—but men should still take preventative measures. Lack of exercise, a diet low in vitamin D, smoking and, alcohol consumption increase the risk of developing osteoporosis. Treat osteoporosis by exercising, quitting smoking and drinking alcohol, and by taking vitamin D supplements.

Healthy aging is fulfilling aging, but being healthy later in life rarely happens by accident. Intentional good health and lifestyle choices made throughout middle age play a large part in determining how well you spend the rest of your life.

 

About the Author

Lindsey Harper Mac is a writer and editor living in Indianapolis. She specializes in writing about education, social media, and technology.