Reaching your 50s is quite an accomplishment and no easy task! You may think that your best years are behind you. Yet this is the beginning of a new phase in your life, and with a healthy body and mind there is still plenty of life left in your years.

This decade does present some new challenges. Health is no longer a nice to have, but a real priority. If you have been looking after yourself, you may need to make a few minor tweaks in your lifestyle. However, even if you have not given your health much thought in the past, it is still never too late. With menopause out of the way, or soon to be, the choices you make now will affect your life in the postmenopausal years. Or decades.

In her book Your Best Body Now, 50-something Tosca Reno is proof that with some care and effort, you can achieve optimum health. Her story is no different from yours; she took a long look at a lifetime of habits and saw areas for improvement.

After all these years, I do not know where to begin!
Starting with the basics, your 50s is a good time to assess your lifestyle habits. This may be a more urgent matter if you are dealing with a medical condition.

You may be dealing with one or more of the following:
*Increased risk for osteoporosis
*Greater chances of developing or coping with high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cancer
*Adjusting to postmenopause
*Greater decline in muscle mass, bone density, and metabolism
*Decreased flexibility
*Dehydration is more common in later years
*Thinning facial skin, thinning hair/hair loss
*Impending retirement or not being able to retire
*Increased weight gain
*Coping with loss of aging family members; empty-nest syndrome
*Feeling of being stuck or that life has no purpose
*Signs of memory loss

More than ever, you need to focus on making your mental and physical health top priorities. Working with your doctor, your family, and your friends, you can create a strong support network to help you through this next phase of your life. It will take come work but the effort will be worth it with a healthier you.

*Keep getting regular physical exams and regular health screenings
*Talk to your doctor about solutions to cope with postmenopause and life after hormones
*Continue or begin a fitness routine by choosing activities you enjoy and making them a part of your daily and weekly routines
*Use light resistance training to help keep muscles strong
*Weight bearing exercise such as walking helps promote bone density
*Engage in social activities to avoid isolation
*Learn about ways to deal with memory loss; understand what Alzheimer’s disease is and is not
*Follow a balanced diet and adjust caloric intake to match your activity levels; a decreasing metabolism means burning fewer calories
*Keep hydrated with adequate water consumption
*Discover new hobbies and set new goals to stay interesting, and interested

Age is just a number
Think beyond the numbers; do not let age and the social perceptions of aging tell set limitations. Your 50s will include some difficult times but there are still plenty of reasons to keep healthy and active. Now is the time to make the most of what you have. If not now, when?

For more tips on being fabulous at 50 and beyond, please visit www.ToscaReno.com!