WHY I ' M FIGHTING FIFTY
By Tracey McAlpine
How do you look good and stay well as you get older ? It ’ s a question I asked myself when I hit fifty . My thirties and forties had sped past so quickly , with most of the time spent looking after the family . I realised it was now time to take better care of myself . I had always been fit and well , but I knew it would be challenging to stay this way in the future .
I
was starting the second half of my life , maybe a little optimistic , but many people now live beyond ninety . What surprised me about reaching this age , was that suddenly I was perceived as being much older than I felt . Along with my birthday cards , arrived details of a walk-in bath , a chairlift and funeral plans . Was this really my future , already ? I was fitter than in my thirties , had more time on my hands to take on new challenges and certainly didn ’ t feel I needed help climbing the stairs .
I was fascinated with ageing and specifically how to age well . I started researching skin ageing and how the beauty industry were marketing to older women . Not very nicely as it turned out , there was too much emphasis on anti-aging . The health industry also seemed to think I was heading towards the end of life and their advice wasn ’ t inspiring either . I wanted someone to tell me how to live well now , in my fifties , and how to prepare for later life , not to assume I had already reached it .
Researching the internet for information , I discovered that there wasn ’ t a website that had reliable health and beauty advice aimed at my age group . I knew I wasn ’ t alone in needing this , so I decided to create it . A very brave decision as I had no experience of running a website or even how to use social media . I was very naïve at the time and didn ’ t even know what a blogger was ! I had a lot to learn !
As I didn ’ t have any contacts , I started to network in earnest , speaking to anyone who would listen to my plans . I had been a stay-athome mum for twenty-five years having left the advertising industry in my twenties . I assumed everyone I approached would be much younger than me but , in fact , many older women were holding senior positions in companies , some were brand founders who quickly understood my desire to share good information and offered to help .
In July 2012 , Fighting Fifty launched . A health , beauty and fitness information hub where women , and men , could find reliable advice . I brought together experts who could answer questions and write compelling articles and started reviewing products that I knew would
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