People often use their 50th birthday as a chance to look back on their lives and think about what’s to come. This could mean making a new promise to live healthy and take care of their body and mind.

But it can be hard to know where to start, especially if you don’t have a healthcare team already in place.

Healthline brought together a group of medical experts to talk about healthy ageing and how people can take charge of their health as they get closer to their 50th birthday. The goal was to learn more about how people can take charge of their health as they get older.

Find a general practitioner you can trust.

Seeing a primary care doctor or nurse regularly is one of the best first steps you can take to take charge of your health.

Biggers also talks about how important it is to find a primary care doctor with whom you feel comfortable. You should be able to talk to them about things like your lifestyle choices and your sexual health.

Get the right blood tests done.

Bloodwork is a way to detect illness before it becomes too severe or can lead to other complications. Having bloodwork done allows early detection and monitoring of disease so patients can take proactive steps to prevent further complications.

If you or somebody you care about is feeling unwell, it’s easy to worry that something more serious may be lurking beneath the surface. But there are several types of blood tests that can provide you with a good idea of your overall health and address immediate health concerns, as well.

Each time your doctor checks your blood, he or she is looking at an early warning sign to check whether you are healthy and free of disease in your body. This way, they can catch any problems before they become serious.

Your Mental Health

Having a conversation about your mental health is important. If you’re struggling with symptoms of depression or anxiety, know that there are many avenues for treatment. Screening for mental health concerns in older adults is a relatively new recommendation in the medical field. Let’s make sure we can provide support to anyone who needs it so they get the help they deserve

Your Sexual Health

Aging can affect many aspects of your health, including sexual ones. Many factors influence sexual health, including hormones and lifestyle habits. Women and men can experience changes to their hormones regardless of age, but this change is often harder to notice in women than in men, according to experts at Mayo Clinic.

Stay Active

It’s true that, as you face physical changes with increasing age and begin to consider retirement, your activities may seem limited by the belief that all (or most) of life’s activities are simply one thing or another. Not so! If you enjoy moving about, walking the extra mile or two, dancing a bit younger at an exercise class, or even just being challenged by an intense workout, it’s likely you’ll maintain your general health and vigor as you age as well.