Why you should EMBRACE YOUR AGE

Getting older doesn't have to be all doom and gloom- there are brilliant benefits to life after the menopause

Ageing may feel daunting, but taking control of your health and outlook can make all the difference. There are many positives to maturing – a fact reflected in a seven-year study* which found that while feelings of anxiety may worsen in our mid-50s, our wellbeing then steadily slopes upwards. The result? People are happiest at 70 years old – buoyed on by a sense of self-worth and satisfaction. But this doesn’t just happen. As Oprah Winfrey said, ‘Every year should teach you something valuable, whether you get the lesson is up to you.’ So, to stay on that rising curve towards contentment, take time to do the following…

Enjoy sex

While the menopause years aren’t always plain sailing, there are advantages to post-menopausal life. ‘Some women find their libido surges at this time,’ says Dr Heather Currie (menopausematters.co.uk). And if you’ve suffered with fibroids – which affect one in three women and can make sex painful – these tend to stop growing, or shrink, after menopause when oestrogen levels drop.

Say goodbye to contraception

Post-menopausal women have two things to celebrate. ‘You no longer have to worry about contraception,’ says Dr Currie, so no more side effects or pregnancy concerns (although if you have a new partner, use barrier protection such as condoms – STDs among the over-65s rose by 20% between 2017 and 2019**). Then there are periods. When these stop, so will PMT, period pain and forking out cash for tampons and pads – hooray.