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The secret to staying healthy in your 60s

Tags: Health Lifestage guide to Health

“It’s about starting to branch out a bit with your care team and see what other expertise people have to offer.”—Alexandra Warhurst, Health Coach, Remedy Healthcare

Key points

  • The basic formula for good health remains the same in your 40s, 50s and 60s. Make sure you keep screening and getting regular check-ups, even if you feel well.

  • Your muscles change as you get older, so strength training should be a priority. Aim for at least two sessions a week to keep your bones and muscles strong, maintain your balance and prevent falls.
  • Allied health professionals—such as physiotherapists, nutritionists and podiatrists—can play an important role in helping to prevent or manage conditions and injuries in your 60s.

A lifetime of healthy habits can really pay off in your 60s as work and parenting responsibilities scale back, leaving you with more “you” time. In fact, your 60s can be an incredibly liberating decade—a period of reconnection and reinvention.

And while your body will certainly be changing, you can still stay on top of your health and Real Wellbeing so you remain happy, healthy and strong. These are some simple, expert-backed tips to help you enjoy your swinging 60s to the fullest.

Stay the course and keep screening

According to Dr Fiona Jane, Specialist Women’s Health GP at Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, the basic recipe for better health stays the same throughout your 40s, 50s and 60s:

  • Find a GP you can trust, and allow them to really get to know you.
  • Always get information from reliable sources.
  • Eat a balanced diet, with lots of plants and good fats.
  • Aim for 30 minutes of moderate to high-intensity exercise a day, including two sessions of resistance training a week.
  • Try to get seven to eight hours of quality sleep every night.
  • Monitor your mental health.
  • Stay up to date with screening tests and get annual check-ups, even if you feel well.

If you’re at risk of chronic conditions like osteoporosis or diabetes, regular testing and check-ups can help to catch them early—which means you can take steps to minimise their impact over time.

“Sometimes you feel like you've done all of the right things and you still might have slightly high cholesterol or your blood pressure might be a little high,” says Alexandra Warhurst, an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Health Coach for HealthierMe™, a program run by Australian Unity partner Remedy Healthcare. “And that's okay—just do your best to manage them.

“The more you can stay on top of it—whether that’s by taking your medications, seeing your GP, exercising or eating well—the better managed that condition will be, and the more you can stop it from progressing.”

What to test, check and screen for

These are some of the specific tests and check-ups Alexandra recommends you should get in your 60s to stay on top of common conditions:

  • hearing tests
  • heart-disease risk assessment
  • blood pressure tests
  • mammograms
  • Prostate checks
  • bowel-cancer screening
  • eye tests
  • blood-glucose and cholesterol checks
  • cervical screening
  • skin-cancer checks

“The new one for anyone over the age of 65 is a falls risk assessment,” she adds, “and there are a few new vaccinations to be aware of—for example, the shingles vaccine.

“Also, although a bone density scan is not recommended until you're 70, if you've got other risk factors then your GP might suggest that you get it a little bit earlier.”

Balancing act

As we get older, sarcopenia—or the involuntary loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength—can start to affect our balance.

“You need to be doing some strength training through the week to keep your muscles very strong,” advises Fiona. “Otherwise, muscles change as they get older, and when this happens your balance is poorer and you’re more likely to have falls.”

You might also want to look out for “tripping hazards around the house,” says Alexandra, such as “the corners of mats or rugs.” Bathrooms can also be tricky. “If you've got a shower that's over the top of a bath and you have to step over the bath to get into it, that can sometimes be a bit difficult,” she adds.

Keep branching out

When it comes to managing—or even preventing—acute or chronic conditions and injuries, allied health professionals can be a real asset.

For example, “if you're really finding that you're not as steady on your feet, you might look to see a physio or an exercise physiologist for some guidance around specific exercises you can do to help your balance and prevent falls,” says Alexandra.

You could seek some expertise from a nutritionist to help manage high cholesterol or diabetes, or schedule an appointment with a podiatrist to get your feet checked.

“It’s about starting to branch out a bit with your care team and see what other expertise people have to offer,” says Alexandra.

Speaking of branching out, prioritising your social life can also have a major impact on your health and wellbeing during this decade.

“Being socially connected is an important part of our mental health,” says Alexandra. “When you retire, for example, you might not see people at work every day, which means you might have to make a bit more effort to catch up with people in your local community—that might mean going to a class or the gym, or something like that.”

With some small changes and a proactive approach to self-care, your 60s can be some of the best years of your life. Enjoy!


Disclaimer:

Information provided in this article is not medical advice and you should consult with your healthcare practitioner. Australian Unity accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any of the opinions, advice, representations or information contained in this publication. Readers should rely on their own advice and enquiries in making decisions affecting their own health, wellbeing or interest.