6 Health Tips For Men Over 50 (To Achieve Vitality)
Published by Theta Health in Lifestyle · Tuesday 23 Apr 2019
The golden years often prove to be the most challenging for a lot of men. When they hit the age of 50, they find themselves at much higher risk of developing health maladies. Some of the most common conditions that 50+ men are prone to developing are obesity, osteoarthritis, periodontal disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and prostate cancer.
Health experts believe that men lose vitality as they age because they tend not to take their health seriously. Most of their life, they’re mainly focused on their roles as a husband, a father or their family’s breadwinner. Their health is never a priority unless it starts compromising their ability to effectively play the roles they play.
If you’re a “golden boy” and you don’t want your health to go downhill as you’re nearing retirement age, managing your body’s natural decline should be a very deliberate effort.
Lifestyle changes and alternative health care solutions are necessary, and they must be paired with a renewal of the mind. And to help you with this, collected below are 6 top health tips for men over 50.
Health Tip #1. Start Working Out and Learn to Love It
No matter how busy you are, make time to get some exercise in by joining a gym, hiring a personal trainer or working out at home. Not only will this help you manage your weight better, but it can help reduce the pains you may be feeling due to overuse injuries and osteoarthritis.
Cycling, for one, is a good exercise to try for pain relief from osteoarthritis. Swimming is another because it can improve posture and balance to prevent falling injuries common among older men.
There are so many health benefits to be gained from becoming physically active, and at the same time, it’s an opportunity to meet other people that can reinvigorate your life.
Health Tip #2. Get “Kneaded”
Massage therapy offers numerous health benefits, especially to aging folks. It is a relaxing and completely non-invasive method of alleviating many age-related conditions. Countless studies have proven that regularly getting natural massages can boost overall health by stimulating the release of endorphins and increasing energy levels.
Health Tip #3. Go Out in The Sun – In The Morning
Depression is another condition that aging men are susceptible to, especially when they start seeing the drastic changes in their physical appearance and capabilities.
One recommended way to battle depression during men’s golden years is to get enough vitamin D. Its connection to depression was established by the InCHIANTI study, and morning sun is the best source of this vitamin.
Health Tip #4. Add Testosterone Boosters to Your Diet
When men’s testosterone levels take a dip at the onset of aging, they suffer from difficulty in concentrating, reduced strength and stamina, mood swings, trouble sleeping, and weight gain – all very frustrating changes.
A healthy diet that includes known testosterone boosters like almonds, Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, egg yolks, oysters, and green leafy vegetables will help restore vitality. Don’t be afraid to try a natural human growth hormone supplement as well, with your diet.
Health Tip #5. Get More Quality Sleep
At 50+, men are on their way to retirement, but the actual retirement is still a long way to go. And because of this, proper sleep is still often neglected. Not getting enough sleep can make you feel fatigued and concentrating on things will prove to be difficult. It can likewise make you look so much older than you actually are because it’s during sleep that skin cells regenerate.
Therefore, if you want to feel better so you can do a lot of things better, and also look younger, it’s imperative to get the recommended hours of sleep regularly.
If you have trouble sleeping, massage is one solution to try. Massage controls the body’s cortisol (stress hormone) levels; it also increases serotonin and melatonin (hormones that regulate sleep). Try herbal teas, too, such as chamomile and lavender.
Health Tip #6. Reduce Your Alcohol Intake
If you still like chugging down beers especially at social gatherings, you must understand that the impact (such as disrupted sleep, heart and liver damage) of about five bottles at age 40 will almost double at age 50+.
At 50+, your body will not be able to metabolize alcohol like it used to, so learn to limit your alcohol intake, or better yet, stop drinking – you’ll feel so much better.
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Achieving Health and Vitality for Men Over 50 Is Possible
Living a full life even in your golden years is possible. As you come closer to your retirement, your focus should be on how you can become stronger and healthier so you can finally do the things that you previously didn’t have spare money and time for as the main provider of your family for many years.
So, don’t think of your 50s as the time for slowing down - think of it as the preparation period for the adventures up ahead!