Age is but a number. But how to keep young and beautiful – that’s the challenge! I’m a single independent woman, physically, mentally and sexually active and love the challenge modern life now offers mature women. Many people do age well and still have strong bodies because they’ve looked after their health. Health is like an insurance policy, the earlier you invest the more you’ll have to support you later on. Every day whether or not we like it or not we get that little bit older, ageing is inevitable. We can’t control quantity – but can improve quality!
Thanks to medical advances and improved living standards we are all living longer. There are now more 60 year olds than 16 year olds in the UK. A woman’s life expectancy is now predicted to be 79 years, so she can expect to enjoy some 30 years of postmenopausal life. That represents another third of her life so to benefit from this increase it’s essential to maintain good health.
We mustn’t disguise physical and mental problems as “just old age”. Ageing and inactivity is not the same thing. We increasingly use our brain instead of brawn to the detriment of our health but we are creating some serious medical problems at the same time. Cars, computers and labour saving devices free us from physical stress, but sitting around causes health problems such as heart disease, stiff joints, osteoporosis and obesity.
We all need to keep more active. Take the opportunity anytime, anywhere to walk the dog, use the stairs instead of lifts, and do activities you personally like such as gardening, dancing or cycling. Being active actually boosts energy levels and during exertion the body releases chemicals called endorphins giving us the “feel good” factor. Exercise improves circulation and heart and lung efficiency, makes complexions glow and keeps minds alert. Being inactive is a major risk factor as we age.
Most of us know that looking good makes we feel better. Those who lead busy, interesting lives and take a pride in their appearance seem to have a zest for life and positively glow with good health. It’s not trivial to care about looks.
Any doctor knows that when some patients are poorly they stop bothering about how they look. Conversely it’s a sure sign of recovery when the patient takes a renewed interest in their appearance.
A well cared for skin can make a woman look 10 years younger, with moisturising being an essential as the years go by! What we eat makes a big difference too. Youthful skin depends more on how well it’s been looked after and on what skin type you are, than actual chronological age. The most damaging factor is over exposure to the sun, which makes skin leathery in appearance and texture, and causes age spots, coarse wrinkles and small, broken blood vessels. Sun seriously affects the skin cells causing cell damage which poses health threats including skin cancers. This type of skin ageing can be prevented.
Women who are in their “fabulous forty’s, feisty fifty’s or super sixty’s” are fortunate to be growing older at this stimulating, although uncertain time in history. Thanks to medical advances there is less threat of death or serious disability from insidious diseases such as smallpox, polio and some cancers. Gone too are the social and economic restrictions of past generations. Education, careers, opportunities and travel are available to all women, irrespective of gender, colour, class or creed. Being in good health enables people to pursue ambitions, hopes and dreams and adds a quality and buzz to everyday life. Anatomical and physical changes are a natural part of the ageing process but simple adaptations to existing lifestyles, particularly diet and exercise can help maintain wellbeing. Health is far too important to be left to chance and enables life to be lived to the full. Small changes really do make a big difference!