7 Things You Should Do Every Day Once You Hit 50

Boost retirement savings (check), schedule preventative health screenings (check), and review important estate planning docs (check). A lot of tasks wind up on your to-do list once you hit the big 5-0, and though most of them aren’t particularly fun, they are important. While entering your 50s may not feel that different from the previous decade, your brain and body are undergoing small, often imperceptible changes. Luckily, you can add a few daily habits to your checklist to help make your 50s — and beyond — the best years yet.

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Spend a Few Minutes Stretching

Starting each day with a full-body stretch doesn’t just feel good — it helps you remain active in the decades to come. We all lose muscle mass as we age. Sarcopenia, the medical term for this progressive loss of muscle mass, begins after age 30 and accounts for a loss of 3% to 5% of muscle mass each decade. By 50, that can increase to 1% per year, and though it’s gradual, all that lost muscle mass adds up. However, there are ways to combat sarcopenia, including stretching, which helps maintain flexibility in the ligaments and muscles that help you move and balance.

Use Daily Moisturizer

Fine lines and wrinkles are some of the most obvious signs that our skin is aging, but protecting your skin at this life stage isn’t just about looking good. With each passing year, our epidermis (the outermost layer of skin) thins and loses some of its elasticity. At the same time, the sebaceous glands that help lubricate and protect skin cut back how much oil they produce. These changes make skin feel more delicate, dry, and itchy, but you can combat (and protect) your skin by using a daily moisturizer.

Max Out Your Calcium Intake

In the first few decades of life, our bones can generally care for themselves without much help. That’s because our bodies are constantly breaking down old bone and replacing it with new material, a process that is so effective it actually adds more bone matter than it breaks down until age 25. However, all that bone building slows over time, and by age 50, our bodies break down bone (called resorption) faster than they can add to them. Resorption can put you at risk of developing osteoporosis, but getting enough calcium every day can help.

Learn Something New

Studies show that we generally hit a “learning plateau” between ages 30 and 40 — after which it takes slightly longer to mentally process tasks. However, learning new information and skills can actually improve memory and attention, even months later, according to researchers. But you don’t have to enroll in a college course or start a study group to get these benefits. Learning more about a topic that interests you, practicing a language or instrument, or picking up a new hobby or skill is just as valuable and, potentially, more entertaining.

Make Time for Movement

Age can take its toll on our cardiovascular system, so conditions such as high blood pressure are more commonly diagnosed among 50-year-olds. Our blood vessels and arteries stiffen as we age, forcing our hearts to work harder to pump blood. Fortunately, daily physical activity like swimming, dancing, or walking can support heart health and reduce the risks of heart disease.

Get Enough Sleep

Adults 50 and older need at least seven hours of sleep each night. That’s because sleep helps our bodies repair tissues and regulate the immune system, processes that become less efficient over time. Getting a full night’s rest allows your body to accomplish these tasks while reducing stress and boosting your mood and energy.

Do Something You Enjoy

You don’t have to stop loving your favorite activities just because you’re another year older than when you started doing them — in fact, regularly diving into a hobby can help you age better. Spending part of your day participating in a hobby, sport, or craft can boost your mood, stave off depression and anxiety, and reduce stress. After all, making time for the things that make us happy helps make life enjoyable at every age.

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