Over 50 and female?

Then you should definitely have a look at this site specifically for women. Its called fabafterfifty and is the creation of Ceri Wheeldon. Lots of articles and an excellent blog. I think we could do with a similar one for blokes! Any volunteers out there?

Are we still up for hanky panky?

Yes - according to the latest statistics from the Kinsey Institute - but not as often once we are 50+. An excellent article in the Daily Mail by Diana Appleyard gives us the facts. According to the most recent Sexual Wellbeing Survey, the average British person has sex 127 times a year, and the average married person has sex 98 times a year.
The Kinsey Sex Institute states that the average 18 to 29-year-old has sex 142 times a year; 30 to 39-year-olds 86 times a year; 40 to 49-year-olds 69 times a year; and the over-50s have sex 52 times a year. 

Diana then gives us many reasons as to why this need not be the case with some interesting case studies. Perhaps alarmingly 1 in 20 couples are virtually celibate, rising to one in 10 among the over-45s.

Over 50's fitter than we ever were!

In our book we talk about the research that made it clear that the average 50 year old today was fitter than a 25 year old 50 years ago. But new research of 1,500 over-50s carried out by finance firm Engage Mutual has shown that when we are 50+ we are now fitter than we ourselves were at 25. 

We have better diets, take more exercise and have increased free time to focus on our health. More than 70 per cent of over-50s do more exercise than when they were younger, the report found.

A similar number now pay more attention to their diet, with a dramatic decrease in the number of take-aways and ready meals they eat.
Only a fifth of them said they would have consumed the recommended amount of fruit and veg a day while in their 20s, compared to an impressive 75 per cent today.

Just goes to show that just because we get older we are still open to learning as new data hits us.

Eat more strawberries!

Unless you go to Wimbledon of course where they are currently costing 25p each!
Spanish and Italian researchers fed 12 healthy volunteers half a kilo of strawberries over two weeks.
Results showed that eating strawberries regularly can boost levels of antioxidants in the blood and also help prevent red blood cells undergoing haemolysis, a process which sees them fragmenting.
Scientists from Marche Polytechnic University in Italy and the University of Granada in Spain say that the power of strawberries lies in the high levels of phenolic compounds they contain, which have antioxidant properties.
Oxidative stress can also occur as we age, when we exercise or even give birth, highlighting the potential of the humble soft fruit.

Are you too old to be an apprentice?

Not according to the latest G'ment figures. There has been an increase overall in apprenticeships which just may have something to do with the fact that University education now needs a special app to work out whether the investment of time and money is worth the effort of paying it back compared with the pluses of having a degree.
Statistics from the Department of Work and Pensions showed an increase of 103,000 adults taking part in apprenticeship schemes over 2010 and 2012. he Government has pledged investment for a further 360,000 apprenticeships in 2011.
But Chris Ball, chief executive of The Age and Employment Network (TAEN), said: "The figures for 2009/10 show that only 1.8% of those people enrolled on apprenticeships are over the age of 50.
"While this percentage figure may seem small, it is an increase over the previous year. The overall numbers of people aged over 50 enrolled on apprenticeships increased from 5,376 in 2008/9 to 8,900 in 2009/10.
"Employers who are giving older workers the opportunity to undertake apprenticeships should be applauded."

So what are our favourite pastimes?

Men and women in their 50s rate sex more highly than those in their 30s, a survey revealed yesterday. 
It found that after gardening and eating out, passion is the third most popular pastime for people in their 50s. For nearly one in five of them (18 per cent), it topped the list.
For those in their 30s, the most popular pastimes were going to the gym, eating out and watching television.
Sex came tenth on the list in this age group, with only 3 per cent rating it as their favourite activity.
The favourite pastimes of the over-50s reflect a trend towards simpler pleasures in tough economic times. 
Traditional middle-age treats such as cruises and holidays did not feature in the top ten, while exercise did. Walking came fourth.

Tough times finding a job when you are 50+

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found that nearly half (46 per cent) of those out of work over 50 have been unemployed for at least a year, a total of 182,000 people, and up from 31 per cent in 2009.

In recent years companies such as B&Q, Marks & Spencer, BT and Sainsbury's have led the way in employing older workers – the so called "grey panthers" – but the analysis suggests that fewer are finding jobs amid harsh economic conditions.