Feel fab in your 50s

Think turning 50 means a cardie and cup of tea? Where have you been!

Turning 50 is nothing like it used to be – instead of ‘growing old gracefully’, today’s women are fit, fabulous and fulfilling their dreams like no other generation. You only have to look at the headlines to see a host of ‘golden girls’ living life to the full – Madonna, Michelle Pfeiffer and Sian Lloyd all recently turned 50 and age is the last thing on their minds. Even for us ‘normal’ women, turning half a century is not half as terrifying as we once thought.
Modern 50-year-olds can enjoy a new lease of life as they throw off the responsibilities of their 40s. The kids have gone, the mortgage is largely paid and they shouldn’t have to worry about getting pregnant! Many take early retirement to set up their dream business, or take ‘golden gap years’ to go travelling. Of course, there are some things about turning 50 we can’t change, such as going through the menopause. But you can learn to handle common health problems and stop them ageing you prematurely.
Getting older is a state of mind as well as a physical change, and today’s 50-somethings are refusing to age like their mothers. ‘My readers say they don’t feel 50,’ says Emma Soames, editor-at-large for Saga magazine, aimed at those aged 50 and over. ‘They say they feel more like their children than their parents. In terms of fashion, there is much more choice now. Decades ago, ageing gracefully meant looking like an “old lady” and that’s definitely not the case today.’

Anti-age your mind
One of the biggest changes is that women still have their own careers in their 50s. Soames says, ‘We are feeling younger and working longer. And “older” people are less ghettoised – our idea of elderly people used to be those who lived through the war. But today’s older generation includes the baby boomers who think very differently. They actively think about how they want to get older, plan to live longer, and increase their quality of life. That’s a big change from previous generations.’
This means women today are much better informed about their health. ‘With the internet women can do their own research and don’t just have to accept what their GP tells them. They want to make an informed decision,’ says women’s health expert Dr Marilyn Glenville. This desire for knowledge also extends to our looks. ‘My readers are much more focused on anti-ageing. It’s a huge area,’ says Soames. ‘They look after themselves better and want to know how to do that in a non-invasive way, without surgery.’

Fit at 50
Planning to look after your face means investing in your fitness levels too. A study by Stanford University Medical Center last year found running on a regular basis could ‘slow the ageing process’, while Canadian researchers say regular weight training could give you the same muscle strength you had in your 20s. ‘You can’t use your age as an excuse not to exercise. That’s all it is – an excuse,’ says Dax Moy, personal fitness trainer (www.daxmoy-pts.co.uk). ‘There is no physical reason why you can’t enjoy the benefits of exercise well into your 80s.’ Moy suggests adding resistance work as you age: ‘Older women should reduce their aerobic-based cardio training,’ warns Moy. ‘This is because training aerobically, such as a steady 15 minutes on a cross-trainer, can cause you to lose muscle. Women lose muscle naturally as they age, so you don’t want to do something that scavenges even more muscle from your body.
‘Regular resistance training – using weights or your own body weight during exercise, is good for building new muscle and maintaining the muscle you have,’ adds Moy. ‘And extra muscle also boosts your metabolism – vital for fighting that extra weight gain as you age.’ Moy suggests doing as many resistance training sessions as you can manage during the week and if you do some cardio, make sure you are training harder and faster; so make it five intense minutes on a treadmill rather than 15 lazy ones. Speak to a trainer at your gym who can help you design a workout.
‘If you can’t afford a gym, 10–15 minutes of exercise a day, such as squats in your bedroom and using some dumbbells, is far more effective than two or three hours a week at the gym,’ says Moy. If you are starting a new exercise programme, see your GP for a check-up first. To help keep your joints in working order, try taking a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement. Both nutrients are found in connective tissues and several studies discovered they can help relieve the pain of osteoarthritis.

Managing menopause
‘The menopause is inevitable as we get older, but our attitude towards it has changed,’ says Dr Glenville, author of New Natural Alternatives to HRT (Kyle Cathie, £10.99). ‘We used to see post-menopausal women as “old” women but now the 50s are the new 40s!’ She says today’s older women look after their health much better, and this is especially true when it comes to the menopause.
Dr Glenville also believes that today’s 50-somethings are more likely to say, ‘How can I support my body through this transition?’ rather than simply suffering with symptoms like their mothers. She recommends preparing your body for menopause during the peri-menopause; the years before your periods stop, to make ‘the change’ as smooth as possible. ‘Think about clearing up your diet, so that means no fizzy drinks, cutting back on caffeine and eating fewer processed foods. Add more phytoestrogens such as soya, chick peas and lentils to your diet as these mimic the action of oestrogen in your body. Try eating more tofu or sprinkling some linseeds on your breakfast cereal,’ she suggests.
When your body starts going through the menopause, remember you are not powerless. ‘Take a good vitamin and mineral supplement that has plenty of antioxidants, and calcium and magnesium to maintain bone health,’ says Dr Glenville. ‘It’s important to increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, such as oily fish, too, as these keep your skin and hair supple, plus they have an anti-inflammatory effect on your joints. To fight memory loss – a common symptom of menopause – take ginkgo biloba, while black cohosh can tackle hot flashes and night sweats.’
Finally, remember that just because the menopause is called ‘the change’, it certainly doesn’t mean a change for the worse. Anthropologist Margaret Mead coined the expression ‘post-menopausal zest’ as you are finally free from worries about contraception, pregnancy and periods. It’s a great time of life to enjoy yourself to the full. And if the original Material Girl can do it, well then age is immaterial to us too!

Celebs with no fear of their 50s
‘I have never had a fear of middle age. I didn’t have it at 40 and I certainly don’t at 50. I want to look good at my age, not for my age.’
Sian Lloyd, weather presenter

‘Turning 50 is a landmark for everybody, but I just see it as another excuse to have a birthday party! I feel stronger now than, maybe, 20 years ago, but I think your physicality is connected to your consciousness so if your mind is strong, your body will be strong.’
Madonna, singer

‘There’s a hump you get over once you accept that your face will show signs of ageing, and will continue to show signs of ageing. Those first initial signs are the most upsetting, but yes, I’m over the hump and I move further away from it every year.’
Michelle Pfeiffer, actres
Words: Rosalind Ryan