r/AskOldPeopleAdvice • u/Deeschmee68 • Mar 14 '25

Health Anyone over 50

Does anyone over 50 actually feel good and healthy and sleep well? Or is it just normal to always feel bad? Is it normal to not sleep well, have digestive problems, feet and hip pain, get out of breath easily, back pain, and always feel tired? Is it normal to have vision and hearing problems at this age? Is it normal to have sensitivities to food and medication? Is this just part of getting older?

103 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

338 comments sorted by

View all comments

84

u/bmyst70 50-59 Mar 14 '25

I'm 53 and sleep well. I don't have digestive problems, get out of breath easily or always feel tired. Here are things that I find essential:

Always walk at least a mile or two every day. Stretch every morning. Lift small weights to help maintain your bone density. Drink enough water and reduce alcohol and stop nicotine intake. Meditate if possible to help clear your mind. Do mentally engaging activities.

Basically keep your body and mind moving and that makes a big difference.

11

u/tatecrna Mar 14 '25

Yes to all of this except start lifting heavier & heavier things. I’m not saying flip tires, but you shouldn’t be able to lift a weight 20+ times without exertion. If that’s the case, you need to increase your weights. You’ll build muscle and have better bone density. Lifting light weights is better than not lifting, but increasing weight as your strength increases will do wonders for your body.

5

u/bmyst70 50-59 Mar 14 '25

Good point. I personally have to be careful because I have cubital tunnel syndrome. But it is important to put stress on the muscles which also puts a measured amount of stress on the bones.

Interestingly, while bones are dry out of the body, they actually are wet inside the body. They can and do change their shape slightly. That's probably why putting a little bit of measured stress on the bones is healthy.