What Every Man Should Focus On After Age 50

Aging is inevitable, and turning 50 is a huge milestone in a man’s life, but you might wonder how your priorities will change after age 50.

Let’s face it, being a man comes with its perks. Optimum muscle growth, extra height, ability to grow magnificent beards and facial hair, and spending time with your guy friends. Just a few of the many things that make being a guy fun. These things can look different at progressive stages in your life. As you age, there are even more things you should focus on to put your health on the front lines. Curious about what that looks like for you? We are discussing all the details here.

Mental & Emotional Health

As young bucks, men aren’t super intuitive to taking care of their mental health. Schedules are usually packed with extracurricular activities, nights out with friends, and homework throughout adolescence. As college-age comes around, they tend to become busier with presentations, class assignments, more dating, and group projects. Not to mention test after test after test to study for. Slowly but surely, time for mental health is put on the back burner so that other important tasks can get finished. As college ends, maybe they land the dream job or get married and start a family. Maybe both happen. Life doesn’t slow down here, and then they keep getting older. After age 50, it does not slow down much either. So, no matter the stage of life – it’s going to take some sacrifice to prioritize your mental health. Taking time to let your mind rest and rejuvenate will only bring positive benefits to your life. Here are a five ways you can start now;

1. Find a Therapist.
2. Learn to meditate.
3. Get 8-9 hours of restful sleep each night.
4. Build solid friendships.
5. Set boundaries with work and other commitments to your time.

Physical Health

Physical Health is a broad topic that can cover a wide range of facets of your overall wellness. For starters, let’s dive into taking care of your physical health with wellness checks, screenings, and regularly scheduled visits. This includes yearly physicals, dental cleanings, and eye exams. Have you slowly let these slip off your calendar? By actively having these important things scheduled, you are taking your physical health into priority. 

Having yearly wellness exams gives you a great opportunity to take an overall look at your body and note any unusual symptoms you may be experiencing. This is a great time for men to also talk about sexual health and discuss any concerns related to relationships, Testosterone levels, or Erectile Dysfunction. Your doctor can help you understand what you may be experiencing and point you in the right direction no matter what that looks like for you.

Erectile Dysfunction

This is a disorder that affects the penis and testes of males. Not every male will develop this in their lifetime, although it is more common as age progresses. Nearly 30 million men in the United States suffer from this condition. ED is characterized by the inability to form or keep an erection, low sexual libido, or general lack of interest in sex.

Risk Factors For ED

According to studies referenced by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism or (JCEM), ED is associated with depression, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and medications that are used to treat these conditions. Other risk factors would be smoking and hyperlipidemia.

Causes Of Erectile Dysfunction

There is a vast array of things that may contribute to Erectile Dysfunction. We are going to name some of them here.

-Relationship Stress

-Performance Anxiety

-Depression

-Schizophrenia

-Alzheimer’s

 Disease

-Stroke

-Parkinson’s Disease

Treatment For ED

Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction has changed drastically over the last few years. A few current treatment options available are as follows:

Focused Shock Wave Therapy

Shockwave Therapy is another treatment option for Erectile Dysfunction. This form of therapy has been shown to work best with men who have Vasculogenic ED since this form affects the blood flow to the penis. 

Shockwave Therapy will use high-energy sound waves to quicken tissue repair and boost cell growth. Shockwave therapy helps to improve the blood flow to the penis and strengthens blood vessels in the process. To begin your procedure, your specialist will use a wand-shaped device and place it on different areas of the penis alternating around 15 minutes each. The wand emits small pulsing vibrations that help trigger blood flow and boost tissue remodeling. The most used treatment plan is to schedule your appointment two times a week for a period of three weeks, followed by no treatments for the next three weeks, and then repeating treatments twice a week for the next three weeks.

Radial Wave Therapy

 Another name for this form of therapy is Energy Wave Therapy. This is also a method used to help treat Erectile Dysfunction in men. Radial Wave Therapy uses sound waves to improve blood flow through the penis. The FDA has not approved this treatment method, although it has shown to have positive results in helping to treat dysfunction in the individuals who select to use it for treatment.

To start your procedure, a doctor will use a radial wave wand device to deliver low-intensity energy sound waves to the shaft of the penis. There are five points of contact to the penis he will deliver the sound waves to—three on the top of the shaft and two below the shaft. The sound waves pass through the skin and into the tissue to promote blood vessels to grow and increase blood flow, which will increase erectile functioning. Radial Wave Therapy is done over six weeks at twenty-minute increments for a total of six treatments. Since there is no pain associated with this treatment option, everyday life can resume after the session. There are no proven adverse side effects as yet seen by research. 

Nutrition

Nutrition is one of the most underrated forms of self-care on the earth. Food is medicine, and it can be such a powerful tool in taking care of our physical bodies. Many foods we eat can be contributing to unwanted symptoms of a bigger issue. Adjusting what you eat can often improve or alter how your body feels day in and day out. Here are five ways to get a grasp on your nutrition now:

1. Keep a food log for one week & analyze what you eat.
2. Limit processed foods during the week.
3. Drink ½ your body weight in OZ of water each day.
4. Eat protein with each meal.
5. Eat veggies with each meal.

As men age, what is consumed as food becomes even more detrimental to health and wellness. Limiting processed foods and incorporating more whole food options can increase your chances of not developing low Testosterone or Erectile Dysfunction as age progresses.

Exercise

After age 50, it’s common for our bodies to slow down, but moving our bodies every day has numerous benefits. Individuals who exercise regularly have better sleep, improved brain capacity, fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, a decrease in chronic health conditions, lower risk of diabetes and heart disease, and less weight gain. If you do not already have a consistent workout regimen in your life, there is no time like the present to start one. It does not have to be excessive and time-consuming. Think about your schedule and what is a doable commitment for you. You might have more time in the morning to fit your workout in before work. Or you might find that you like to sleep in, and working out after work is best for you. Whatever you find, just start. 

Cardio– Make it a point to get in 30 minutes of intense cardio work at least 3 times each week. If you can hold a conversation while you are working out, you are not giving it your all. Take this time to put the work in, and the results will follow.

Strength Training–The other two days a week, you can alternate for some strength training. You should also be getting a good workout on these days as well, working up a sweat.

Mobilizing- This is something you should be doing every single day. Mobilizing and stretching are worth the effort in the time it takes to complete them. You will spend less time recovering from injury in the long run and have more time to work on your goals. This is especially important as you age. Bones and joints are more fragile as we get older, and the better we take care of them in stretching and mobilizing, the longer they will last.

Visit Genesys Men’s Health For Your Erectile Dysfunction Needs

Taking care of yourself throughout the ages and stages of life is crucial. At Genesys Men’s Health, we offer treatment options for a variety of sexual health needs. If you are a male over the age of 50 and searching for answers, come see us. We understand that aging is natural, and our bodies continue to change, making it more than okay to ask for help. We have an office in Salt Lake City, Utah, and serve everyone in the surrounding areas. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with our men’s health experts!