What to Know About Aging Gracefully
You have reached the half-century mark. Congratulations! It can be a scary moment for a lot of women. You think, "Oh geez, I am officially old. I have sagging jowls, grey hair and gimpy knees." Take heart. We all get old, but there is a certain freedom, liberation and hippie joy in aging gracefully. Like fine wine, you may find your best years are still before you.
Take Inventory of Your Assets
Believe it or not, it can sometimes be easier to look and feel beautiful as a mature woman than it did in your teens, 20s and 30s. Why? There are a lot of reasons to be grateful that you are a mature woman aging gracefully. These reasons include:
- Your body produces new hair slowly. Fewer painful waxing sessions! Get an electric epilator and your legs will stay smooth for weeks.
- Your skin is smoother and more transparent. Take care of your skin and you may look more porcelain than you ever have in your life.
- You are more confident. By the time you have reached the half-century mark, there is little life can throw at you that you cannot handle. You are standing taller and you know how to kick a man to the curb if he does not treat you well. That gives you a certain allure that appeals to all men, even much younger ones.
- You are more relaxed. By the time we are 50 or 60, we have learned how to put everything in perspective. Incidents that would have twisted your tail when you were 20 now make you laugh. You probably find yourself being kinder to strangers and more willing to extend yourself to help those less fortunate. Let yourself relax into life, and those forehead wrinkles and lip puckers will start to melt away.
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Eat Appropriately for Your Age
We have all heard the phrase, dress appropriately for your age. God forbid, right? Are we condemned to wearing polyester pantsuits and pin curls? Hardly. Women of a certain age have earned the right to dress as they please, say as they please and do as they please.
But if you want to look beautiful after reaching menopause and beyond, you should be aware that your body reacts differently to food than it did when you were younger. Your metabolism has slowed considerably and your body may be more inclined to require certain nutrients and supplements.
You may need to reinvent your diet to exclude certain foods that you grew up with, like coffee, bread, pasta, fatty braised meats and pizza. Focus instead on healthy vegetables, fruits, nuts, teas and whole grains. You do not need to spend a ton of money on organic foods to make significant changes in how you eat. Move toward eating more soups and salads, less bread and mayo and you will be well on your way to a more appropriate diet for your age.
Exercise Should Be Fun
There is no need to sweat and strain for two hours a day to achieve a perfect body. Even if you were younger, you do not really need to do that. Just getting a good night’s sleep and eating healthy can have a huge impact on your weight and health, according to health guru Deepak Chopra.
Low impact exercises are easy on the joints and also easy to fit into a busy lifestyle. Exercise comes in many forms and you should give yourself credit for everything you do for yourself, your home, your spouse, your loved ones and your community. Stay active and you will retain your mental, physical and emotional health for a long time.
Pamper Yourself
Take time to care for yourself and you will have more energy to spend on others. Consider self-care an investment in your friends, family and community.
If you cannot afford massage sessions, pair up with friends to learn massage techniques and practice on each other. Create a meditation space in your home and garden. Splurge on a water fountain, tiny bell or even a bird feeder, and then enjoy that space every day. Meditation improves and relieves a lot of health issues and reduces those worry wrinkles and stress puckers.
Try New Things
Open up and explore new hobbies. Join new groups. Use your maturity to finally do the things you wish you had done in your youth.
Most importantly, smile and laugh. A smile makes you look confident, outgoing and beautiful. As Duke Ellington famously sings, “Smile, and the world smiles with you.”
Now You Are Ready for Aging Gracefully
We hope these tips have inspired to to look at aging with a different, more positive perspective. Just because you have wrinkles and maybe new spots, does not make you less beautiful. Now, go and age gracefully!