You’ve probably noticed that to make things like weekend getaways, home improvement projects, or even casual get-togethers with friends actually happen – rather than get put off again and again – you need a plan. When you draw up detailed to-do lists, enlist the help of others, and mark your calendar, you tend to get the results you want.
So to boost your mental and physical well-being, a thoughtful plan can make all the difference, too. It’s especially important to have a healthy living plan at age 50 and beyond because your health and medical needs will probably take more attention than they did when you were younger. “A plan enables people to take charge of their health and make wise choices that greatly influence their quality of life,” says Costa Mesa, CA, psychotherapist Gary Tucker. “Through the incorporation of various components like nutrition, physical activity, stress reduction, and collaboration with medical professionals, people can develop a holistic and all-encompassing healthy lifestyle strategy that fosters general well-being across their lifespan.”
When drafting your own healthy living plan, consider these important elements:
Create Your Health Care Team
If you’re in generally good health, it can be easy to go years without a primary care doctor. You might turn to a few specialists for screenings such as colonoscopies or comprehensive eye exams, but otherwise you may not see having a primary care doctor as a high priority.
But research suggests that having a primary care doctor to manage your health and coordinate with the other medical professionals you see can make a significant difference in your well-being. One 2022 study, for example, notes that establishing a relationship with such a doctor means you may be more willing to open up about your health concerns and that a doctor who sees you regularly may be more likely to notice subtle changes in your health that need attention. A primary care doctor can also make it easier to get a referral to a specialist or to get necessary testing.
Beyond having one you trust and can communicate easily with, it’s also helpful to develop relationships with other health professionals you need now or may need down the road.
Stay Current With Vaccines and Screenings
Your primary care doctor should keep you informed about your vaccine status and remind you which vaccines you need now and when boosters may be necessary. The CDC recommends that adults over the age of 50 get vaccines or boosters for the following conditions:
- COVID-19
- Shingles
- Flu
- Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough) or Td (tetanus and diphtheria)
- Hepatitis B (up through age 59)
- MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
- RSV (respiratory syncytial virus, starting at age 60)
- Pneumonia (starting at age 65)
You may or may not need those vaccines, or you may need other vaccines, depending on your age and other risk factors. Consult your doctor for your specific needs.
Your primary care doctor and/or other specialists you see should also help keep you on a schedule of important cancer screenings and regular checkups for blood pressure, eye health, hearing, and more. The American Cancer Society recommends the following cancer screenings, noting that your individual risk factors and health status may affect your schedule of screenings:
- Colon cancer (starting at age 45 and then as recommended by your doctor)
- Lung cancer (annually if you were a smoker; less often if you’ve never smoked)
- Breast cancer (annual mammograms from ages 50 to 54, and maybe every 2 years after that, depending on your doctor’s advice)
- Cervical cancer (every 5 years, unless your cervix was removed surgically for reasons other than cervical cancer or pre-cancer)
- Prostate cancer (starting at age 50, though it’s important to have a thorough conversation with your doctor about the risks and benefits of prostate cancer testing)
How often you have a complete physical exam and lab work (blood and urine tests) is a decision you should make with your doctor. To optimize your healthy living plan, consider making an annual physical (including lab work) a routine part of preventive care. The same is true for dilated eye exams, unless you have a condition such as glaucoma or cataracts that require more frequent monitoring.
Take Care of Your Bones and Joints
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says we reach peak bone mass in our late 20s. By the time we get to age 40, we start to lose bone mass a little each year. Menopause, in particular, drives significant bone density loss, dramatically raising the risk of falls and fractures.
But there are steps you can take to slow bone loss and maintain the health and function of your bones and joints. In particular, make sure your calcium and vitamin D levels are in a healthy range. (You may need to supplement one or both of those nutrients.) And regularly do weight-bearing activities, such as walking, stair climbing, and weightlifting or other resistance exercises.
Follow a Healthy Diet
The heart of a healthy eating plan is pretty simple: Eat more nutrient-rich foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins, and less processed, nutrient-poor foods, like cookies and chips. To make a balanced diet an ongoing part of your healthy living plan, focus on foods you enjoy and will want to eat on a regular basis. “Don't do fad diets,” says Ohio registered dietitian Lisa Andrews. “They may give you quick weight loss, but they can also lead to a poor relationship with food: Diet, cheat, repent, repeat. Eat smaller amounts of what you like and measure your health in other ways, like blood pressure and lipid (cholesterol) reduction.”
Andrews also suggests you add more vegetables to your diet, especially broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, and other leafy greens. They are linked to lower risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and memory loss. For variety’s sake, Andrews advises adding veggies to eggs, soups, and smoothies.
She also emphasizes whole grains over processed grains, such as enriched white flour. “Forget the low-carb craze,” she says. “People who live longer include grains in their diets such as oats, whole-grain breads and cereals, brown rice, and quinoa. Eat smaller portions if you're concerned about your blood sugar or weight.”
If your current diet leaves something to be desired, don’t feel you have to completely overhaul your eating style tomorrow. Making small changes over time won’t seem so overwhelming. For example, for dessert, swap that bowl of ice cream for some strawberries, but allow for a little ice cream once in a while. Moderation is key.
Keep Moving
When it comes to physical activity, the American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise every week. That time can be spent taking brisk walks, playing tennis, dancing, riding your bicycle, swimming laps, or any other aerobic activity that gives your heart, lungs, and muscles a workout.
Ernie Vesta, MD, a longtime doctor and founder of Curally, a health coaching company, suggests that the key is to pick an activity you’ll stick with and do more and more as time goes on. “It is not as important initially what you choose, but that you choose something you are capable of doing and that you can learn to enjoy,” he says. “First, move more today in a more purposeful way than you did during any day last week. Do this consistently for at least 4 days during this week, no matter which day you start. Next week, add 10% more activity than the current week. Build on your success by repeating this week after week. You will be surprised!”
Prioritize Your Mental Health
A national survey published in 2002 suggests that most adults ages 50 to 80 report their mental health is as good as or better than it was 20 years ago. The research also notes that most older adults feel comfortable discussing their mental health.
But that doesn’t mean that life after 50 guarantees a life free of stress, anxiety, and depression. The CDC says that as many as 5% of older adults have symptoms of depression. About 4% of older adults have an anxiety disorder, according to the National Council on Aging.
Paying close attention to your mental health – just as you would your physical health – is essential for your well-being. While getting older can mean you have more time for relationships, travel, new hobbies, and more, it can also bring on feelings of uncertainty and other troubling emotions. Grief, triggered by the loss of relatives and friends, can drastically affect your mood and outlook.
And even stressors, big and small, can wear you down. That’s why your healthy living plan should make room for stress management strategies every day. “Stress management and mental health play a vital role in overall well-being,” says Thanu Jey, DC, a Toronto chiropractor. “Engaging in activities like meditation, yoga, or hobbies that bring joy can help reduce stress levels. Getting support from a therapist or counselor can also be beneficial.”
If you’re unsure how to find professional mental health help, talk with your primary care doctor about resources in your community or people they would recommend.
Stay Socially Connected
You may already regularly connect with your friends and family, as well as other people you often see in your community. But if that doesn’t happen all that often or you don’t have many people around you in the first place, it’s time to make your existing relationships stronger and maybe get out and start new ones. Social interaction is helpful not just for boosting your mood, but to stimulate your thinking skills and protect your memory.
“COVID-19 really brought new attention to things like isolation and loneliness,” says University of California, San Francisco, geriatrician Matthew Growdon, MD. He says the negative health impacts related to isolation and loneliness can be intense. “There’s also a lot of transition at this time of your life. Retirement is a big change in people’s social circles, too.”
Having friends and family nearby is important, not just for the social benefits, but for other health reasons. To help maintain your independence, you may need rides to the doctor or the store, or to have people help out now and then with other tasks. “Maintaining a good social network is so important,” Growdon says. “Research shows that people who are socially active report greater well-being.”
Do Advanced Care Planning
“Most 50-year-olds aren’t necessarily thinking this way, but as you get later in life, you should start to ask yourself: What do you want out of the health care system? Who do you want making decisions for you?” Growdon says.
The process and paperwork for setting up advanced care directives and health care decision-makers can be different from state to state. You can start by talking with your primary care doctor, who should be able to point you to helpful resources. Lawyers involved with estate planning may also help handle any legal concerns you might have. Growdon says that as your health and other circumstances change over time, you may need to add or change people on your list of decision-makers or adjust your wishes on your advanced care orders and other plans. “Ideally, it’s not a one-and-done sort of thing,” he says. “It’s a process you engage with as the years go by.”
While having such plans in place won’t necessarily contribute to healthy living, it can provide some peace of mind now and allow you some control if your health drastically gets worse.
Don’t Forget to Enjoy Yourself
You may not think that your long-term to-do list should include a category for having fun. But it’s easy to let responsibilities and distractions crowd out time you might otherwise spend on a hobby or activity you enjoy. Make sure your plan includes time to catch up on the books or movies you’ve been meaning to get to. Start playing the piano again. Make plans to visit that destination at the top of your bucket list. Or find new activities that bring joy, new friendships, and discovery.
Charlie Basham, a 72-year-old retiree from Sparks, NV, and his wife, Edwena, discovered the Olympics-style Senior Games when they set out to get in shape and adopt a healthier lifestyle. They routinely compete in events in several states and cherish the new friends (and competitors) they’ve met along the way. “Our shared Senior Games experiences have brought us closer as a couple,” Basham says. “Every morning for several months, we train together. We strategize together on how to approach each meet and size up the competition. We encourage and motivate each other to improve and keep focused. I was even my wife’s coach. We’ve improved our diets and lost weight together. We celebrated our wins and nursed our injuries together. … The competition is always fun and friendly, and every athlete is extremely supportive of everyone else. There are no losers at any Senior Games.”
Make the Plan Your Own
The most detailed and ambitious healthy living plan is only as effective as you make it. That means you can’t expect great results if you skip doctor appointments, stray too often from a nutritious diet, and keep your walking shoes in the closet day after day. But you also have to accept the fact that there are no guarantees in life, even for the people who stick close to a healthy lifestyle, says Memphis, TN, food blogger and certified nutrition coach Vered DeLeeuw.
“As we age, our risk of developing chronic or malignant disease becomes significantly higher,” she says. “I'm acutely aware that sometimes, nothing you do protects you from bad outcomes. But the least I can do is control what I can. I can't control my genes or my environment, but I can control my actions and try to maximize my chances of staying as healthy as I can.”
It’s also important to remember that while there are certainly elements of a healthy living plan that apply to pretty much everyone, your plan should reflect you and your personal vision of the years ahead. “The elements of your healthy living plan should be tailored to your individual preferences, needs, and overall health condition,” says Ashley Murry, chief clinical officer for Sana Lake Recovery in St. Louis. “The best advice is to talk with your doctor to help you in creating a personalized plan.”
Show Sources
Photo Credit: DigitalVision/Getty Images
SOURCES:
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: “Healthy Bones at Every Age.”
American Cancer Society: “Cancer Screening Guidelines by Age.”
American Heart Association: “American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids.”
American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: “Perceptions of Overall Mental Health and Barriers to Mental Health Treatment Among U.S. Older Adults.”
CDC: “Depression Is Not a Normal Part of Growing Older,” “What Vaccines Are Recommended for You.”
Journal of General and Family Medicine: “Relationship between the presence of primary care physicians and health‐related quality of life.”
Mayo Clinic: “Bone Health: Tips to keep your bones healthy.”
National Council on Aging: “Anxiety and Older Adults: A Guide to Getting the Relief You Need.”
Gary Tucker, psychotherapist, Costa Mesa, CA.
Lisa Andrews, registered dietitian, Ohio.
Ernie Vesta, MD, founder, Curally.
Thanu Jey, DC, chiropractor, Toronto.
Matthew Growdon, MD, geriatrician, University of California, San Francisco.
Charlie Basham, 72, retiree, Sparks, NV.
Vered DeLeeuw, food blogger and certified nutrition coach, Memphis, TN.
Ashley Murry, chief clinical officer, Sana Lake Recovery, St. Louis.
