Staying Fit
Staying mentally and physically active can help keep you, well, younger — particularly in your 50s, when you may notice the first subtle changes in your metabolism or skin.
What can you expect this decade? Everyone ages differently, and lifestyle plays a major role, but you'll experience both hard-to-notice and impossible-to-miss changes in your physical and mental health.
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Read on for the good, the bad and the what's-up-with-that? transformations you'll soon encounter — plus the latest advice on feeling happy, sexy and pain-free.
See also: 10 great quirky places to retire.
Save Your Skin
The Good News: The likelihood of getting an outbreak of acne on the day of your son's wedding is greatly reduced. That's because your skin is getting drier, making blemishes less common.
The Not-So-Good News: The loss of muscle, bone and fat under the skin — along with changes in collagen and elastin — is making fine lines and wrinkles more dramatic, especially if you've smoked or sunned significantly. One remedy: prescription retinol products like Retin-A or Renova, says Helen M. Torok, M.D., medical director for the Dermatology & Surgery Center at Trillium Creek in Medina, Ohio. These creams repair damaged skin by speeding cell turnover. Pick skin products with antioxidants and glycolic acid, which promote skin thickening and increase collagen production.
What's Up With That? In your 50s you're likely to notice age spots and skin tags. For the former, consider trying a dermatologist-prescribed hydroquinone product — "the gold standard for reducing age spots," Torok says. Skin tags are usually benign, if unsightly. A dermatologist can remove them through freezing, snipping or cauterizing.
What's Ahead: In your 60s you may develop dilated superficial blood vessels (called telangiectasias) on the cheeks, nose, chin and legs, but don't worry: Doctors can zap them with a laser that destroys the blood vessels underneath the skin — with no scarring. Other options to help make skin look younger: radio-frequency-emitting devices that tighten the skin, and plasma skin resurfacing. Also, Botox and injectable fillers like Radiesse, Restylane and Juvéderm can reduce wrinkles.
Preserve Your Senses
The Good News: Your senses of taste, smell and touch remain mostly intact.
The Not-So-Good News: You'll probably need reading glasses. The cause? As you age, the lenses in your eyes stiffen, making it harder to focus up close. You may become sensitive to glare, and your night vision may decrease, as those same lenses begin to lose clarity. Plus, dry eye becomes more common, says William B. Trattler, M.D., an ophthalmologist at the Center for Excellence in Eye Care in Miami, Florida. Medications like Restasis can help, as can omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish like salmon.
What's Up With That? Floaters, tiny specks of debris in the eye that cast shadows on your retina, can appear in your line of vision. They are typically harmless unless you suddenly see dozens of them.
What's Ahead: Hearing loss becomes more common in your 60s, due to the effects of a noisy environment.
Motivate Your Metabolism
The Good News: While metabolism typically slows up to 5 percent per decade, that doesn't mean you have to gain weight. Just stay active and gradually decrease calories, eating more nutrient-dense foods, including whole grains, fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products and fish, says Alice Lichtenstein, D.Sc., director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging. "We have fewer 'free' calories for sweets and soda."
The Not-So-Good News: Your stomach empties more slowly, which can increase the risk of reflux. And the slowing of digested material through the large intestine can trigger constipation, says John I. Hughes, M.D., a gastroenterologist with the Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in Houston. The easy fix? Fiber and water. Adding fiber to your diet may also help protect against colon polyps. One in four people in their 50s has colon polyps that may develop into cancer, so you should get a colonoscopy.
What's Up With That? After years of guzzling milk shakes with no problem, you may find yourself suffering a dairy hangover — specifically, stomach bloating and discomfort. That's because many people in their 50s produce less lactase, an enzyme that helps digest milk. Even if you're lactose intolerant, you may be able to eat yogurt, which contains active bacterial cultures (known as probiotics) that can help digest lactose.
What's Ahead: In your 60s and 70s you may secrete less hydrochloric acid, which decreases availability of vitamin B12, says Lichtenstein. Ask your physician whether you should eat more vitamin B12-rich foods or need a supplement.
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