Six Health Numbers Everyone Over 50 Should Know

When was the last time you checked your health numbers? For many of us, the number we pay the most attention to is the one on the bathroom scales. We know roughly what we weigh, we might know whether our clothes are feeling a little tighter or looser, and we probably have an idea of whether we feel fit and healthy.

But once we reach our 50s and beyond, there are other numbers that can tell us far more about what's happening inside our bodies.

Your weight alone doesn't tell you how much muscle you're carrying, where your

body fat is stored, whether your blood pressure is creeping up or how strong your

bones are.

Understanding a few key health measurements can help you build a much clearer

picture of your health and, importantly, identify areas you may be able to improve.

Here are six health numbers worth knowing after 50.

1. Your Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can often go unnoticed because it doesn't always cause

obvious symptoms, which is why knowing your numbers is important.

Blood pressure is recorded using two numbers: systolic pressure, when your heart

pushes blood around your body, and diastolic pressure, when your heart rests

between beats.

Your blood pressure can be affected by a range of factors including your age, weight, activity levels, diet, alcohol consumption and stress. Regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and making positive lifestyle choices can all play a part in looking after your cardiovascular health.

Rather than waiting until something feels wrong, getting into the habit of checking your blood pressure regularly can help you spot changes and discuss any concerns with your GP.

2. Your Waist Measurement

You may have spent years looking at your weight or BMI, but your waist

measurement can provide another useful indication of your health.

Where we carry excess body fat matters. Fat stored around the middle is associated with an increased risk of health problems including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

One useful measurement is your waist-to-height ratio. NHS guidance suggests

trying to keep your waist measurement to less than half your height. So rather than becoming fixated on losing a particular number of kilograms, reducing your waist measurement can be another positive sign that the changes you're making are benefiting your health.

3. Your Body Fat Percentage

Two people can be the same height and weight but have very different body

compositions. One may have more muscle and less body fat, while the other may

have less muscle and a higher proportion of body fat.

That's why body fat percentage can tell us something that weight alone cannot.

Body fat is essential as our bodies need it. The aim isn't to have as little body fat as possible, but to maintain a healthy balance.

Body composition analysis can help you understand how much of your body is made up of fat compared with lean mass, giving you a much more useful picture than simply stepping on the scales. And this is where tracking changes over time

becomes particularly valuable.

Your weight might barely change, but if you're losing fat and gaining muscle, your

body composition - and potentially your overall health - could be moving in exactly the right direction.

4. Your Muscle Mass

This is one of the numbers we believe deserves far more attention as we get older.

Muscle isn't just about looking toned or being able to lift heavy weights in the gym. It helps you get out of a chair, climb stairs, carry your shopping, work in the garden, lift a suitcase, maintain your balance and continue doing everyday activities independently.

Maintaining strength and muscle becomes increasingly important as we age,

because we naturally tend to lose muscle over time. That's why resistance and strength training can be so valuable in our 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. Knowing your skeletal muscle mass gives you something tangible to monitor. Instead of exercise simply being about losing weight, your goal might become maintaining or increasing muscle while reducing excess body fat.

That's a very different and often much more positive way to look at progress.

5. Your Biological Age

You might know exactly how many candles were on your last birthday cake, but does your body behave like it's the same age?

Your chronological age simply tells us how many years you've been alive. Assessments of biological or body age aim to give you another way of looking at

your current health and fitness in relation to your age.

Factors such as your body composition, muscle mass, body fat and fitness can all

help build a broader picture of your physical health.

The good thing about many of these factors is that they aren't necessarily fixed.

Becoming more active, improving your strength, eating a balanced diet, getting

enough sleep and making healthier lifestyle choices can all contribute towards

improving your overall health.

At Forever Health Studios, our Personal Biological Age Analysis is one of the

ways we help members understand their starting point and track their progress.

Sometimes seeing those numbers changing can be far more motivating than

watching the bathroom scales.

6. Your Bone Density

We often think about keeping our heart healthy or maintaining our weight as we get older, but what about our bones?

Bone density refers to the amount of mineral contained within your bones and gives an indication of their strength.

Losing some bone density is a natural part of ageing, but some people lose bone

more quickly than others. This can lead to osteopenia, where bone density is lower

than expected, or osteoporosis, which makes bones weaker and more likely to

fracture.

Women can be particularly at risk following the menopause because falling

oestrogen levels can contribute to a reduction in bone density, although osteoporosis can affect both men and women.

An Echolight REMS scan (Radiofrequency Echographic Multi Spectrometry) is an

ultrasound based, radiation free system used to assess bone health. It may be

recommended if you're over 50 and have risk factors for developing osteoporosis.

Why does this matter from a fitness point of view? Because our muscles and bones work together.

Regular weight-bearing activity and appropriate resistance training can play an

important role in maintaining strong muscles and supporting bone health as we get older.

If you have concerns about your bone density, have previously been diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis, or have experienced fractures, speak to your GP or healthcare professional before starting a new exercise programme.

It's Not About Chasing the Perfect Number

Knowing your health numbers isn't about giving yourself six new things to worry about. Quite the opposite, as it's about understanding your body better.

At 50+, the goal doesn't have to be getting back to the weight you were at 25 or

fitting into the jeans you wore 20 years ago.

It can be about building and maintaining muscle, supporting your bones, improving your cardiovascular fitness, keeping excess body fat under control and staying strong enough to enjoy life for many years to come.

And that's why at Forever Health Studios; we look beyond the bathroom scales.

Our personalised approach includes Monthly Health Assessments using our

Inbody machine, Personal Biological Age Analysis, tailored strength training

and customised cardio plans, helping you understand where you are now and

work towards where you want to be.

Because the most useful health number isn't necessarily what you weigh. It's

whether the numbers that matter are moving in the right direction.

Want to find out more about your health and fitness?

Book a FREE consultation at Forever Health Studios in Kempston, Bedford,

and let's start building a clearer picture of your health and what you can do to

improve it.