How Well Are You Looking After Yourself?
Most of us check the car’s oil and tyres more often than we check in on ourselves. After 50, a little regular attention to your body, mind, money and friendships pays off for decades.
This isn’t about perfection. It’s a friendly once-over to see what’s going well, what could do with a tune-up, and where to find free help. How well are you looking after yourself?
Are you moving enough?
Moving every day is the closest thing we have to a miracle pill. It helps your heart, mood, sleep, weight and balance.
Australia’s 24-hour movement guidelines for people 65 and over suggest:
- 30 minutes or more of moderate activity (brisk walking, swimming, gardening) on most days
- Strength work on 2 or more days a week (light weights, resistance bands, carrying shopping)
- Balance and mobility activities on 3 or more days a week (tai chi, dancing, standing on one leg while the kettle boils)
- Less sitting — get up and stretch every half hour or so.
If you are in your 50s and early 60s, the guidelines are similar: aim for 2½ to 5 hours of moderate activity a week, plus strength work twice a week.
Quick tip: Starting from scratch? Begin small and build up. Check with your GP first if you have a heart condition or other health concerns.
What’s on your plate (and in your glass)?
As we age, we need fewer kilojoules but just as many nutrients. So, every mouthful counts.
- Fill half your plate with veggies. Most of us fall well short of the recommended five serves a day.
- Keep up your protein — fish, eggs, lean meat, beans, dairy. It helps hold on to muscle as we get older.
- Choose wholegrains like oats, brown rice and wholemeal bread.
- Drink water through the day. Our sense of thirst fades with age, so don’t wait until you’re parched.
- Go easy on sugar and processed foods.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines have simple serve guides for every age.
What about a drink? The national guidelines say healthy adults should have no more than 10 standard drinks a week, and no more than 4 on any one day. Fewer is better. A generous glass of wine at home is often closer to two standard drinks than one.
Are you getting good sleep?
Sleep often gets lighter and more broken after 50. That’s common, but feeling tired every day isn’t something you just have to put up with.
- Keep the same bed and wake times, even on weekends.
- Get outside in morning daylight.
- Cut back on caffeine after lunch and alcohol before bed.
- Keep screens out of the bedroom.
Loud snoring, gasping at night or constant daytime sleepiness can be signs of sleep apnoea. Mention it to your GP. The Sleep Health Foundation has easy-to-read fact sheets.
Are your health checks up to date?
Many serious problems are easiest to treat when they’re caught early, and several key checks are free. Book a yearly chat with your GP to see where you stand.
| Check | Who and how often | Cost |
| Bowel cancer screening | Ages 45–74, every 2 years. A kit is posted to you from 50; ages 45–49 can ask for one (1800 627 701) | Free |
| Breast screen (Breast Screen Australia) | Women 50–74, every 2 years | Free |
| Cervical screening | Women and people with a cervix, up to 74, usually every 5 years | Usually free with Medicare |
| Heart Health Check | Ages 45 and over (30 and over for First Nations people), with your GP | Medicare rebate |
| Skin check | Check your own skin regularly; see your GP about any new or changing spot | Varies |
| Eyes | An eye test every 2 years, yearly after 65 | Medicare covers most optometrist visits |
| Hearing and teeth | Hearing test if TV volume or conversations are a struggle; dentist at least yearly | Varies |
| Prostate | Men 50 and over: talk to your GP about whether testing suits you | Medicare rebate |
Vaccines: A free shingles vaccine is available for everyone 65 and over, and First Nations people 50 and over. The flu shot is free from 65, and pneumococcal vaccine is free from 70. Ask your GP or pharmacist about COVID-19 boosters too.
Turning 75? You can have a free yearly health assessment with your GP.
How’s your mood?
Your mental health matters just as much as your blood pressure. Retirement, health changes, caring for others or losing loved ones can all weigh heavily.
Feeling flat, worried or not yourself for more than two weeks is worth a chat with your GP. They can set up a Mental Health Treatment Plan, which gives you Medicare-subsidised sessions with a psychologist.
Need someone to talk to now?
- Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 (beyondblue.org.au)
- Lifeline: 13 11 14, 24 hours a day
- Medicare Mental Health: 1800 595 212 for free advice on where to get help
Next month we will bring you part II of How Well Are You Looking After Yourself?
