I am middle-aged. In September, I will be 54 years old. Statistically that is actually just about the end of the middle part of my life, and entering into the final stage. An Australian man lives an average of 82 years. Divided into beginning, middle and end, each section would be 27 1/3 years. Given my health history, I would be more than happy to accept a guarantee of living to age 82, so it seems logical that I must accept that my middle age is just about over.

Not so fast. Sure, when I was 18 I would have accepted that 55 was old. I’m from the “never trust anyone over 30” generation. I sang along to The Who’s call of “Hope I die before I get old”. But now that the time is here, I find that I, and seemingly most of my fellow boomers, find it hard to accept the realities of aging. A 65-year-old friend of mine recently said to me the he considered himself middle-aged. Apparently he expects to live 130 years.

Partially it’s the words that are difficult to accept. We go from young, to middle-aged, to old. I suppose senior citizen isn’t quite as bad, and I personally like the idea of being a village elder, but there’s a basic problem with all of them: They remind us we’re closer to the end than the beginning, and that stinks.

While there are some truly great benefits to maturing, including wisdom, contentment, perspective, and security, all of these are mental or emotional rewards. Physically, getting older is a difficult battle that the longer it lasts, one increasingly realises we are destined to lose. The good news is that if we recognise the aging process early, accept what is happening and take positive steps to counter its effects, we can dramatically change the quality of our time in middle-age and elder-hood. The destination can’t be changed, but the story of the journey is yet to be decided.

As with all challenging situations, the first step is to accept things as they are, and cut out the denial. Anybody that claims to feel as good at 50 as they did at 25 either was very sick at 25, or is in deep in denial at 50. Certainly though, not every body is the same at 50. I used to have a client who was a world-class senior tri-athlete. At age 72 he was in better condition than I’d ever been in my life. Of course he too wished he could feel like he did when he was in his 20s. We all must recognise, and make concessions to, the changes in our bodies as we age.

One of the biggest challenges we face are changes in hormone levels as we grow older. While virtually everybody knows what menopause is, how many are aware of two related conditions: perimenopause and andropause? Perimenopause, which causes hormonal changes in women, can begin up to 15 years before the on-set of actual menopause. It can cause hot flashes, depression, anxiety, sexual changes , among other symptoms, and is treatable if recognised. Unfortunately, millions of women suffer unnecessarily because they don’t realise what is happening to them.

Andropause is the technical term for male menopause, and it is one of the largest unrecognised and untreated health problems facing men today. As we age, the production of testosterone slows in most men. This can cause weakening of muscles, depression , anxiety, fatigue, and loss of sexual drive. Viagra, and the like, may treat the last symptom, but it is the others that are much more serious. Most cases can be successfully treated with artificial testosterone. I strongly suggest that all men over 50 have their testosterone levels checked every few years. It would be a good thing to add to the crucial regimen of having regular prostate and colon exams.

Keeping fit later in life is also a changed story. The body’s ability to recover from harsh treatment at 25 is far greater than at 50. Diet, exercise, and recreation all must be adjusted if we are to experience personal optimum health as we age. The emphasis must shift from the strength and toughness of youth to the fitness and endurance that will sustain us through our later years. Hopefully, armed with the wisdom, knowledge and perspective we have gained over time, we boomers can keep our bodies healthy even as we become elders.