Statistics have shown that one-third of men would not go to the doctor despite having major health issues. Women are typically better at getting regular checkups.

However, studies have shown a rising number of women postponing their regular checkups due to their busy schedules.

Unfortunately, ignoring your regular health checks does not keep you healthy. Many times, you can be suffering from a serious condition and not show any symptoms.

Prostate and Breast cancer are both “silent killers” that can progress to a fatal stage before you even know they are there.

This is why early detection through regular testing is essential to save your life.

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the top 10 killers of women. In 2009, an estimated 191,000 women will be diagnosed. Of these, an estimated 41,000 will die from their cancer. On the other hand, experts say if breast cancer is caught in stage 1, 97% of all cases are curable.

Performing a monthly self check is one of the best ways to detect breast cancer early. You will be able to notice even small changes in your breast tissue. Next time you see your doctor, ask them to show you how to do a proper self-check.

During your annual women’s health checkup, your doctor should also perform a breast exam. He or she will palpate for any suspicious lumps or bumps. This is a good time to talk about concerns from your self checks.

After age 35, you should get a baseline mammogram from which all future mammograms will be compared to. After age 40, a mammogram should be performed annually. If you are over 50 and are not receiving an annual mammogram it is important that you immediately schedule one.

Prostate Cancer

About 1 in every 35 men will die from prostate cancer. In 2009, an estimated 193,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Of these, about 28,000 cases will be fatal.

Fortunately, more and more men have begun receiving prostate cancer screenings, which are the only form of early detection for this cancer. Because of the rise in early detection, about 90% of these men will survive.

This number has dramatically increased in proportion to the number of men being screened. Furthermore, it has substantially improved 5 and 10 year survival rates.

All men over 50 should have a prostate screening annually. Prostate cancer screening is done in two parts. A digital rectal exam, or DRE, is a physical exam. Your doctor will check your prostate for any hard or lumpy areas.

The second part of prostate cancer screening is a blood test. A prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test is performed. This screens your blood for the specific markers left by this cancer.

Man or woman, it does not matter. If you are over 50, you are at risk for cancer, especially breast or prostate cancer. If you want to stay ahead of these “silent killers”, it is important that you schedule a check up right away.

Related posts:

1. When To Seek A Second Opinion If You Are Over 50
2. Find Your Fountain of Youth by Achieving Fitness Over 50
3. The Best is Yet to Come: How to Live Stronger, Longer, and Happier with an Over 50 Exercise Program

If you take a look around at your peers, you will probably notice more people wearing glasses or contacts than wore glasses 10 years ago. Now that you are over 50, you may be needing glasses yourself.

However, do not think that just because you are getting older you cannot maintain your vision. There are plenty of things you can do to ensure your eyesight for years to come.

It is very natural for your eyesight to diminish as you get older. Many people who benefited from 20/20 vision or better in their youth find the need to pull on a pair of glasses to read the morning paper later in life.

Sometimes, this is a genetic decline that cannot be halted. In most cases, and even in many genetic cases, the way you care for your eyes can have the greatest impact on retaining good vision.

The first thing you should do is protect your eyes when you read. This means that you should read in a well lit room, with the light preferably overhead.

Remember well lit does not mean too bright, too bright a light will fatigue your eyes. Computer monitors are often too bright and should be dimmed slightly to protect your eyes.

You should also take an opportunity to relax your eyes throughout the day. Relaxing your eyes helps reduce tension in the optic muscles. This tension can disrupt blood flow and overtime will reduce your vision.

One popular relaxation technique is called palming. Palming is relatively easy to do. You start by rubbing your palms together until they are very warm.

Next, close your eyes and press your palms firmly against your eyelids. Leave your palms there until the cool or for at least one minute. The heat from your palms will relax the muscles and the pressure will gently massage the area to improve blood flow.

Closing your eyes for this length of time will also reduce strain. You can do this as many times as needed throughout the day.

You may have always heard eating carrots improves your eyesight. This is true, but there are other foods that can help you improve your eyesight even more.

In addition to carrots, vegetables that are rich in vitamins A, B, and C are antioxidant rich. This helps the cells in your eyes and surrounding tissue to regenerate more quickly and efficiently.

Foods like fish that are rich in vitamin E are known to help prevent the muscular degeneration that causes poor eyesight. Spinach is rich in iron, along with other vitamins and minerals, and will promote better blood flow.

You need your eyes to be healthy for the rest of your life. Do not assume that because you are now over 50 losing your sight is inevitable. If you take proactive steps now, you will be giving your vision the strength it needs to last.

Related posts:

1. Find Your Fountain of Youth by Achieving Fitness Over 50
2. The Best is Yet to Come: How to Live Stronger, Longer, and Happier with an Over 50 Exercise Program
3. Early Detection is the Key to Beating Breast and Prostate Cancer Over 50

Now that you are over 50, you are more prone to serious and life threatening health issues. Unfortunately, if those issues are not treated correctly the consequences can be dire. If you are questioning your medical care, it may be time for a second opinion.

You should not feel as if you cannot trust your doctor or railroaded into a decision. There is a statistic you should always remember. 50% of all doctors graduated in the lower 50% of their class.

Unfortunately, medicine is a broad subject and everyday we learn more. Hours of weekly research is needed to stay up on any one medical topic. Even a doctor that graduated in the upper 50% of his class cannot possibly know everything.

Several recent studies yielded very serious, shocking results. One proved that 30% of most cancer patients receive a completely different recommendation in their second opinion than the first, including in “life threatening or life altering” cases.

In 1999, it is estimated that almost 2% of all patients received the wrong diagnosis. One man was diagnosed with cancer, but really had a severe infection. Another study revealed that treatment differs substantially between geographic regions.

We are our own best patient advocates. This is why second opinions are often a medical necessity. However, you may still feel unsure about a second opinion. These tips will help you decide when to seek a second opinion, and when not to.

• The major medical institutions normally offer these four recommendations. Seek another opinion if surgery is recommended, if you have exhausted treatment options, or if treatment is not available.
• If something risky, costly, or experimental is recommended consult another doctor.
• If you are concerned with lasting side affects, check out other options.
• If your doctor dismisses a minor, but lingering, issue, a second opinion may put you at ease.
• If your doctor cannot sympathize about how seriously even a minor issue impacts your life, they are not treating your total health.
• Do not change doctors simply because of bedside manner. You may need a blunt, tough provider to “shock” you into making good health choices.
• If one treatment contradicts a treatment for another medical issue, make sure your doctors communicate. You need doctors who take a team approach to your care.
• Ask rational and researched questions. If you are not getting sound, logical answers in return, you should consider going somewhere else.
• Your questions should not irritate your doctor, even if you question their advice.
• Your doctor should use laymen’s terms without talking down to you.
• It is okay if your doctor cannot answer your question, but they should be willing to promptly research the answer.
• Do not seek a second opinion simply because you are not hearing the answer you want to hear.

Do not worry about offending your doctor. It is a business like any other and second opinions are very normal in medicine. It is so common that major institutes have departments dedicated to them.

If you discuss a second opinion with your doctor and they seem offended, that should send up a red flag.

When you seek a second opinion, it may be with a more qualified doctor or one with a different philosophy. Trust your gut feeling and you will not regret decisions later.

No matter your which opinion you choose, it is important that you know all the facts and all your options. Now that you are over 50, it is even more important that you get the best medical care. This is your body, if you will not stand up for it- who will?

Related posts:

1. Early Detection is the Key to Beating Breast and Prostate Cancer Over 50
2. Find Your Fountain of Youth by Achieving Fitness Over 50
3. Maintaining Your Vision Over 50

It is very normal to take your body for granted, most men and women do. In your youth, you probably neglected and mistreated your body and it never failed you.

A couple of decades ago, you could probably work for 12 hours straight, devour a pizza, and spend the evening in front of the TV and know that your body would be in great condition for a game of tennis that weekend. 

However, it was only a matter of time before the mistakes of your past began to take their toll.

You might have noticed a new crick in your back as you carry in the groceries, possibly your jeans seem to creep up a size each year, or perhaps you are concerned with the increasing number of prescriptions accumulating in your medicine cabinet.

If you suspect these are warning signs of more serious problems yet to come, you are right. However, today is a great day to reclaim your health and freedom by beginning an over 50 exercise program.

Exercise Can Save Your Life and Independence

As you age you are increasingly more at risk of losing your health, independence, and even life.

82% of people who die from coronary heart disease are over 50, the average age for men being 64 and for women 70.

Obesity rates are the highest they have ever been and 60% of all obese senior citizens will suffer a critical or fatal illness related to their weight, including uncontrolled diabetes.

Recently, studies have shown that the number of Alzheimer’s and other age related dementia cases have swelled to all time highs.

However, it is not only your body and mind that suffer from poor health. Right now you enjoy the ability to complete basic tasks like grocery shopping and laundry, but every year, you lose 2- 5% of your muscle strength and 2- 3% of your bone density.

After age 70, this decline accelerates. As this deterioration progresses, you will not be able to complete these fundamental tasks and you will lose your independence.

There is a much better health and happiness outlook for the men and women who exercise over 50. These people have a proven ability to actually increase bone density and muscle mass.

Exercise can help you raise your High-Density Lipoproteins, known as “good cholesterol”, and lower your Low-Density Lipoproteins, known as “bad cholesterol”, and your blood pressure.

In addition to improving your cholesterol, it strengthens your heart, lungs, and cardiovascular system. A 30 minute workout each day can cut the risk of heart disease by 40% in women and over 55% in men.

Also, it takes 40 more calories per pound each day to support muscle mass versus fat.

The natural muscle growth that occurs with a good exercise regiment greatly reduces your risks of obesity related problems. Additionally, this muscle growth will give you the strength to function independently well into your 70s or later.

Components of a Good Exercise Program 

Considering that 78%- 90% of retirees and senior citizens lead overly sedentary lifestyles, any exercise over 50 is a great achievement.

However, if you want to ensure your continued health and happiness, then you need to develop a well-rounded exercise program that includes some portion of cardio, strength training, and flexibility workouts.

Everyone has different exercise needs depending on their current health, body style, and fitness goals. Therefore, there is no one exercise plan that will work for you.

However, here are some examples of exercise components that have worked for others.

Cardio is a proven way to fight heart disease and obesity and is a vital exercise for women over 50 and men over 45.

It is also believed that the increased blood flow helps to improve cognitive abilities. The amount and intensity needed for your cardio workout is unique to your body, but most people have had greatest success when they maintain their target heart rate for 30 to 90 minutes.

Your target heart rate is calculated by subtracting your age from 220 and taking 50-70% of that number. If you are just beginning to exercise, your target heart rate will be on the lower end of that range than later when you are more fit.

In today’s tough economy, many people have left pricey gyms and are getting their cardio at home by jogging, swimming, and cycling. The more adventurous get their cardio through rock climbing, rowing, and kick boxing.

Many people who’ve had significant fitness success recommend finding a cardio workout that is fun and will motivate you to keep exercising.

Strength training builds muscle mass, reduces fat, and gives you strength to perform your everyday tasks longer.

Many people devote 90 minutes or more to their strength training routine.

Your body is broken into muscle groups, such as abs, biceps, and back.

The American Heart Association recommends that you perform a minimum of 8 to 10 exercises per muscle group.

Strength training experts typically focus on only one or two muscle groups each day and make sure their entire body has been exercised before beginning a new cycle. The more popular, but intense cycles are 3 and 4 day cycles.

However, 5 and 10 day cycles give you more time to focus on a single body part each day.

Strength training can be done at home or at the gym. At the gym, you will have access to a wide range of weights and press, curl, and rowing machines.

However, many fitness buffs argue that the good old fashioned dumbbells, barbells, and bench presses that you can do at home are just as effective. How you work out and your cycle times will depend on your fitness goals.

Flexibility exercises are often overlooked, but fitness enthusiasts know that they help prevent joint and muscle pain and increase agility to prevent injury from an accidental fall.

Pilates is growing in popularity as a flexibility exercise, but yoga and tai chi are also very effective workouts.

If you are looking for something more fun, you might be surprised to know that some of the world’s best over 50 body builders recommend dancing.

How to Build Your Exercise Program

As you read earlier in this article, every person’s fitness needs vary on their body, lifestyle, and goals.

This is why you will have less success if you follow only one cookie-cutter exercise plan, versus if you incorporate components of several plans to suit your unique needs.

The best way to do this is to study what worked for others. Learn about the methods they used and decide if those methods support your needs and objectives.

The more cases you study, the more you will be able to personally tailor your workout plan to you.

This is why the e-book Fit Over 40 is such a valuable guide. The book is a collection of stories from 52 men and women who have become excellent fitness role models.

In the book, you will read about each person’s unique exercise plan and nutrition. You will also get to learn a little bit about their backgrounds, their personal journey towards becoming healthy, and how they stay motivated.

You can use the unique experiences in these books to prepare for your own journey towards fitness. Within each story you will learn the different cardio, strength training, and flexibility techniques that helped each person succeed.

Study each method and use that information to create your personal exercise program. If you begin a well-researched exercise program tailored to your specific needs, you will be taking the most important steps to ensuring your health and happiness for years to come. Click here to learn more…

Related posts:

1. Find Your Fountain of Youth by Achieving Fitness Over 50
2. Get That Sculpted Body By Designing The Right Bodybuilding Over 50 Exercise Plan
3. When To Seek A Second Opinion If You Are Over 50

As you spend time with others your age, you may have noticed that you all have something very important in common. You are not as young as you used to be.

However, you may have noticed that some men and women over 50 are more youthful than others.

Perhaps some of your friends are suffering from high cholesterol, heart attacks, arthritis, obesity, neurological disorders, and a general lack of energy.

Meanwhile, a few of your peers may still seem full of vigor and as healthy as they were in their 30s. Chances are they have learned a valuable lesson that is your key to staying youthful.

Nothing can stop the natural progression of time, but you can control how your body ages by focusing on fitness over 50.

When a sedentary person ages, they put themselves at high risk for age-related illnesses, loss of independence, and early death.

Most people begin to lose muscle mass after their 30s and sedentary people lose about 2% of their muscle strength every year after age 50. This muscle loss has many dangerous affects such as weight gain, lethargy, and unusual strain on the heart.

In fact, men over the age of 45 and women over 55 who get little or no exercise have a 70% higher risk of death from heart attack than those who exercise at least 3 times a week.

The loss of muscle is compounded by the 3% bone loss that occurs annually after age 50, especially for women. Weak muscles, weak bones, and extra weight can be a lethal combination.

For example, a study of elderly people showed that 90% of all sedentary people will suffer an accidental fall. 42% of those falls will result in a hip fracture or other serious injury that requires full-time care and takes away the patient’s independence.

On the other hand, people who practice over 50 fitness are still capable of improving their muscle mass, bone density, mental processes, and overall health.

A study by the University of Wisconsin examined sedentary people, aged 56 to 87, who began a light aerobics routine and were observed over a 6 year period.

Their results were compared to a control group that remained sedentary. The newly active group had a bone density increase of over 2% and a 23% increase in muscle strength. The active group reduced their risk of heart attack by 46%.

The study on accidental falls, above, also followed an active group that performed light Tai Chi three times weekly. Of this group, only 30% suffered a fall of which only 2% resulted in an injury.

In yet another study, it was demonstrated that the increased flow of blood to the brain and natural nerve stimulation improved cognitive abilities. As a result, doctors theorized that exercise may reduce the chances of Alzheimer’s by 38%.

It’s Never Too Late for Fitness

These amazing statistics should not be ignored. If you want to increase your chances of living into your 80s, 90s, or later, then you need to focus on fitness.

If you want to spend your later years independent, free to live life to the fullest, then now is the time for prevention. It is never too late to start.

If you make fitness a priority in your life, you will regain the stamina, strength, agility, health, and overall happiness you had in your younger days.

While any increase in activity is an excellent step, total fitness over fifty requires a plan that includes different types of exercise, good nutrition, and positive lifestyle changes.

First, let’s discuss an exercise plan.

A good exercise plan includes cardio, weight training, and flexibility training. The proportions of each that you will need to become fit depends on your body and personal fitness goals.

Cardio workouts increase your blood flow, which strengthens your cardiovascular system and burns calories.

Many people have had great success doing cardio workouts such as jogging, spinning, aerobics, and rock climbing.

If you are new to cardio, you may want to begin with a brisk walk and work your way up to a jog. If you have joint issues, cycling, swimming, and canoeing are all lower-impact cardio workouts.

Your weight training program greatly depends on your fitness goals. In general, weight training greatly builds muscle and taxes your bones to make them denser.

If you want to get the sculpted physique of a bodybuilder, your program will have to be more intense than if simply want to improve muscle tone and strength.

Weight training is typically done by focusing on one muscle group at a time or no more than two muscle groups on any day. Each day you focus on a new body part or parts until you have completed a cycle that includes a day of rest.

The more successful body builders typically stick to basic movements such as curls, the benchpress, and barbells. However, there have been those who have had just as much success using weight machines like the leg press and rowing machine.

Finally, flexibility exercises put focus on stretching and balance. Some of the more classic flexibility exercises are yoga and tai chi.

However, belly and ballroom dancing are also excellent for flexibility. These movements keep your muscles prepared for more intense exercises and they help improve joint stiffness.

It is also believed that these exercises promote mental health because of their relaxing, centered nature.

Nutrition & Lifestyle

Exercise is a powerful way to make your body healthier. However, your total fitness plan should include good nutrition and positive lifestyle changes.

Just as everyone’s exercise needs vary, so do nutritional needs. Your recommended calorie intake, along with protein, fat, carbohydrate, and fiber needs, will vary according to your individual body, fitness goals, and level of activity.

Also, many people have had success by changing their eating habits from 3 large meals daily to 5 or 6 smaller meals throughout the day.

Lifestyle changes may seem an unusual component of a total fitness plan, but they are as essential as exercise and nutrition.

Your focus on fitness will be more successful if you eliminate, or at least reduce, your consumption of cigarettes, alcohol, or other substances that injure your body.

Also, many people recommend reducing areas of stress that cause a lack of motivation, poor nutrition, and generally promote poor health.

Many of the men and women over 50 who have won awards for their healthy bodies insist that a positive mental outlook is the most essential part of a winning fitness plan.

Building Your Fitness Plan

Every person is different, so there is no cookie-cutter fitness over 50 plan out there that will work for you.

Rather than beginning with trial and error, you should research what has worked for other men and women over 50. Study as many cases as possible.

Make sure you pay attention to methods that worked for them, as well as methods that did not. Use that knowledge to build a unique exercise plan that will help you achieve your goals.

Fit Over 40 is a fantastic e-book that will help you develop your personal fitness plan. This e-book is a compilation of 52 true and amazing fitness stories of men and women between the age groups of 40 and 80.

Each person in the book shares their personal exercise plan, nutritional habits, and the lifestyle changes they made on their journey towards health. These people come from many different backgrounds with different motivations but they all reached the same goal.

You can reach that goal too if you use their experiences to create your path to a healthier, more youthful you. Click here to learn more…

Related posts:

1. The Best is Yet to Come: How to Live Stronger, Longer, and Happier with an Over 50 Exercise Program
2. When To Seek A Second Opinion If You Are Over 50
3. Maintaining Your Vision Over 50