Turning 50 might be the time of your life – nevertheless it additionally means adapting to new challenges. monkeybusinessimages/iStock through Getty Images Plus
When the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve to mark the start of 2023, I got here to grips with the truth that I’d flip 50 years previous this 12 months.
Entering a brand new decade is usually a time to pause and mirror on our lives, notably when reaching center age. For 50-year-old American males, the common remaining life expectancy is 28 extra years; for girls, it’s 32.
As a public well being professor who’s an knowledgeable in well being promotion, I began to consider issues one might do round this milestone birthday to enhance the possibilities of dwelling a wholesome life for many years to come back.
After reviewing the literature on wholesome growing older, I recognized 4 issues particularly that tackle better significance once you flip 50 – and that transcend normal well being recommendation that’s helpful at any age, like staying energetic, consuming properly and getting sufficient sleep.
A TV reporter will get a colonoscopy.
Get a colonoscopy
Urging everybody to get a colonoscopy is definitely not essentially the most enjoyable piece of recommendation, nevertheless it’s some of the necessary. The American Cancer Society estimates that there can be greater than 105,000 new circumstances of colon most cancers, greater than 45,000 new circumstances of rectal most cancers and over 50,000 deaths from colorectal most cancers in 2023 alone.
This makes colorectal most cancers the second main explanation for cancer-related deaths for women and men.
The excellent news is that the survival price is excessive if the most cancers is detected early, earlier than it spreads to different components of the physique. The survival price drops precipitously if most cancers is discovered within the later levels.
A colonoscopy is a routine inpatient process that makes use of a scope to look at the rectum and colon and that requires sedation or anesthesia.
In addition to detecting cancerous or probably malignant polyps, your physician may detect swollen tissue and ulcers. These might point out potential issues and enhance the necessity for extra frequent monitoring.
For individuals at low danger of colorectal most cancers, there are much less invasive assessments that may be performed at house, equivalent to Cologuard. This entails amassing and mailing a pattern of poop to a lab. These choices ought to be mentioned along with your physician to determine which screening is finest for you.
In 2021 the federal government’s Preventive Services Task Force modified its advice for starting colorectal most cancers screening from age 50 to 45 for individuals at low danger. As a outcome, insurance coverage corporations are required to cowl the price of screening for anybody age 45 or older.
People at excessive danger ought to get screened even earlier. High danger is outlined as a household historical past of colorectal most cancers or a prognosis of inflammatory bowel illness. Colorectal most cancers can happen in youthful individuals too; for instance, the “Black Panther” star, actor Chadwick Boseman, died of colon most cancers on the age of 43 in 2020.
Actor Chadwick Boseman on the 2016 NAACP Image Awards in Pasadena, Calif. Boseman died of colon most cancers in 2020 at age 43.
Jason LaVeris/Film Magic through Getty Images
Get the shingles vaccine
For many individuals who grew up within the Nineteen Seventies and Nineteen Eighties, getting chickenpox was a ceremony of passage. I had a very extreme case round my tenth birthday.
Once you might have chickenpox, the virus lies dormant in your physique for the remainder of your life. And it may possibly reemerge as shingles.
While shingles are usually not often life-threatening, they trigger a rash and might be extraordinarily painful. Getting shingles additionally vastly will increase one’s danger of getting a stroke over the next 12 months.
The excellent news is that the shingles vaccine is extremely efficient. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults 50 and older get the two-shot routine, two to 6 months aside, which is 97% efficient at stopping shingles.
Bump up retirement financial savings, search for reductions
Retirement would possibly appear to be a good distance off, however the common retirement age within the United States in 2022 was 61. The identical research discovered that on common individuals thought they have been going to retire at age 66.
For anybody born after 1960, full retirement advantages don’t kick in till age 67, leaving a six-year hole between that and the common retirement age.
Retiring sooner than you had deliberate can happen for a lot of causes, however involuntary ones, like job loss, damage or sickness, generally is a monetary pressure. The normal rule is that you simply want about 80% of your pre-retirement earnings to be financially comfy in retirement. This consists of all sources of earnings, together with Social Security advantages, pensions and investments.
If you might be behind the place you ought to be in financial savings, the Internal Revenue Service means that you can make catch-up contributions beginning the 12 months you flip 50. Employees who’re 50 or older with a 401(okay), 403(b) or 457(b) can contribute an additional US$7,500 a 12 months. This cash grows tax-free and helps present an additional cushion once you retire. At age 50, an additional $1,000 per 12 months will also be contributed for particular person retirement accounts and Roth IRA accounts.
Another approach to save: Many inns, eating places and shops provide senior reductions beginning at age 50.
You can discover dependable and up-to-date reductions by becoming a member of the AARP. This nonprofit group advocates for individuals ages 50 and older. Membership is underneath $20 per 12 months and supplies lots of of reductions.
The challenges of turning 50.
Get your paperwork so as
While individuals of their 50s and past usually nonetheless have their finest a long time forward of them, it’s vital to arrange for the surprising – at any age. The mortality price for individuals ages 55 to 64 is double that of these age 45 to 54.
This is a superb time to determine the way you need your affairs to be dealt with. According to the National Institute on Aging, this consists of your will, dwelling will and a sturdy energy of lawyer.
A will describes how you desire to your monetary property distributed after your loss of life. However, most Americans don’t have a will. There are a number of on-line instruments for wills and bequests that may make this course of simpler.
Living wills point out the kind of care you need or don’t need if you’re unable to speak your preferences. The sturdy energy of lawyer is a doc that enables somebody you appoint to make well being care selections for you in the event you can’t. This is completely different from a normal energy of lawyer, which ends in the event you can now not make selections by yourself.
These might appear to be a time-consuming checklist of issues to do, however breaking them down into separate duties makes it extra manageable. So far, I’ve bumped up my retirement financial savings and scheduled my colonoscopy – although I’m 5 years late on that one, based mostly on the brand new suggestions.
I’ll get the remaining performed by the tip of the 12 months – and in the event you’re turning 50 or simply planning forward, I hope you do too. Admittedly, not all of it’s enjoyable, however all the things on this guidelines will add safety to your years, and maybe years to your life.
Jay Maddock doesn’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or group that will profit from this text, and has disclosed no related affiliations past their educational appointment.
