--- title: "Slow the Aging Process | Sutter Health" description: "While a variety of factors determine how rapidly you age, daily activity, eating well and regular screenings can help you stay healthy for years." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/slow-the-aging-process" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Health and wellness](https://www.sutterhealth.org/health) / 3. Slow The Aging Process # Slow the Aging Process Learn what to do at 50 and beyond to stay youthful and active into old age. * * * September 27, 2024Medically reviewed by [Steven J. Rosenthal, M.D.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-provider/dr-steven-j-rosenthal-1046243573) With an average U.S. life expectancy of more than 78 years, most of us will technically be past our prime for decades. How well you take care of your body now greatly impacts how well you’ll feel during those years. As a board-certified internal medicine and geriatric medicine specialist, Steven Rosenthal, M.D., sees many people whose bodies age faster than necessary. But he also sees many others who defy the odds and seem unusually energetic and healthy for their age. While aging involves a complex interplay of environment, genetics, lifestyle choices and luck, Dr. Rosenthal notes that unusually youthful older people tend to have a few things in common. Follow their example to age well in your 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. ## In Your 50s and 60s By the time you reach 50, you’ve been slowly losing strength and stamina for 25 years or more. “To maintain good physical health, you have to keep up a regular exercise routine consisting of strength resistance and cardiovascular exercise, such as walking,” Dr. Rosenthal says. ![Older couple walking on the beach](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/Images/people/couples/older-couple-walking-on-beach-600x300.jpg) You also need to eat a healthy diet and begin routine medical screenings. Several “silent” medical conditions don’t cause symptoms but greatly impact your future health risks. Two such diseases include hyperlipidemia, which influences stroke and heart attack risk, and osteoporosis, which increases risk for future bone fractures. At age 50 and beyond, says Dr. Rosenthal, you need the following annual screenings and exams: - Cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar screenings - Eye exam to check for glaucoma - [Regular colon cancer screening](https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/reduce-your-colon-cancer-risk) - Breast cancer screening for women - Bone density screening Now is also a good time to complete an [advance healthcare directive](https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/advanced-healthcare-directives), if you’ve not done so already. This important document specifies your care and treatment wishes in the event that you become incapable of communicating your own decisions. ## In Your 70s, 80s and 90s Learn what to do at 50 and beyond to stay youthful and active into old age. ## Explore related topics [Senior health](https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/articles?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_healthTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Senior+health%22%5D%7D%2C%7B%22i%22%3A%22builtin.entityType%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Sutter+Health+Page%22%5D%7D%5D&limit=10&verticalKey=health-and-wellness)[Graceful Aging](https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/articles?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_healthTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Graceful+Aging%22%5D%7D%2C%7B%22i%22%3A%22builtin.entityType%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Sutter+Health+Page%22%5D%7D%5D&limit=10&verticalKey=health-and-wellness) ## Meet our care team ![Steven J. Rosenthal, M.D.](http://a.mktgcdn.com/p/TtwLFd4SdtFRyfjYDeuh04Ue60S-TU0sLVdO6u8wTUo/1.0000/300x300.jpg) [Steven J. Rosenthal, M.D.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-provider/dr-steven-j-rosenthal-1046243573) Geriatric Medicine Internal Medicine ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","name":"Slow the Aging Process | Sutter Health","description":"While a variety of factors determine how rapidly you age, daily activity, eating well and regular screenings can help you stay healthy for years.","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/slow-the-aging-process","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/slow-the-aging-process#breadcrumblist"}} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","headline":"Slow the Aging Process","alternativeHeadline":"Slow the Aging Process | Sutter Health","description":"While a variety of factors determine how rapidly you age, daily activity, eating well and regular screenings can help you stay healthy for years.","datePublished":"2024-09-27T15:27:22Z","dateModified":"2026-10-23T16:03:28Z","publisher":{"@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/Images/people/couples/older-couple-walking-on-beach-600x300.jpg?h=300&iar=0&w=600","width":"600","height":"300","caption":"Older couple walking on the beach"},"@type":"MedicalWebPage","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/slow-the-aging-process#breadcrumblist"},"reviewedBy":[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Person","name":"Steven J. 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