We Don’t Have to Climb Mountains, But We Do Need to Look After Ourselves

This week Í’ve been feeling under the weather with a head cold so spent some time scrolling through my Facebook feed. I came upon a post shared by a friend on her page and although it made me giggle, it also made me think.

I had to laugh! While some women our age are climbing mountains and zip-lining, this woman is feeling pretty pleased with herself because she can get her leg through her underwear without losing her balance!

And honestly, there’s something to be said for celebrating the little victories!

But beyond the humour, it got me thinking about how differently we all approach life as we get older, and what it really means to live well after 50, or in my case at 69.

We’re All Different

We’re constantly encouraged to stay active, travel, try new experiences and push ourselves out of our comfort zones.

And that’s wonderful if those things make you happy. But we don’t all have to climb mountains, run marathons or spend our retirement chasing adventure. Climbing mountains isn’t my thing, but I do enjoy travelling with my husband, running marathons and working out. Equally, I love relaxing with a good book for the afternoon – bliss!

Perhaps you love travelling and discovering new places. Maybe you’re learning a new skill, starting a business or taking up a hobby you’ve always wanted to try.

Or perhaps you’re happiest spending time with family and friends, enjoying your garden, catching up over coffee or simply having the freedom to do what you want.

There’s no right or wrong way to enjoy this stage of life.

We don’t have to live the same life to live well.

But Our Health Matters

While I believe we should all be free to enjoy life in our own way, there’s one thing I think deserves our attention as we get older: our health.

We don’t have to be fitness fanatics, but we should try to look after ourselves.

Keeping active, maintaining our strength and balance, eating well, getting enough sleep and staying connected with others can all contribute to our wellbeing as we age. We should be aware of our family medical history and what tests and screenings we should be having.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. A daily walk, some strength exercises, a healthy meal or making time for an activity we enjoy can be a good place to start.

Of course, we can’t control everything about our health, and our abilities and circumstances differ. The important thing is to do what we reasonably can with what we have.

We don’t need to do everything, but we shouldn’t give up on ourselves either.

Stop Comparing, Start Celebrating

Social media can inspire us, but it can also make us feel that everyone else is doing something more exciting with their lives.

We see women travelling the world, running marathons and embracing extraordinary adventures and I applaud those women for living life their way. However, it’s easy to look at their achievements and wonder whether we’re doing enough. It’s important to remember though that someone else’s idea of a fulfilling life doesn’t have to be ours.

If adventure makes you happy, embrace it. If you love the simple pleasures of everyday life, enjoy them without feeling you’re missing out.

And let’s celebrate those little victories, too. Staying active, feeling stronger, trying something new or simply having a good laugh at ourselves all have their place.

For me, at 69, living well isn’t about being the fittest, busiest or most adventurous person in the room. For me, it’s about enjoying life, accepting that we’re all different and making our health a priority wherever we can.

We don’t have to climb mountains to live a fulfilling life. But we do owe it to ourselves to look after our health and wellbeing.

Over to You

Are you the adventurous type, or do you find happiness in life’s everyday pleasures? And what’s one thing you do to make your health a priority?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Let’s celebrate all the different ways we can live well after 50 and beyond!

Until next time……

Women Living Well After 50

Living Life Your Way