If you are 50 years old today, statistically you will live to 80 if you are a man or 83 if you are a woman. That’s 30 and 33 years left respectively.

The Pursuit of Lifelong Health

Question: What is going to give out first, your health or your money?

As it says in one of my favourite quotes,

“Today, we live too short and die too long in pain and suffering.”

Advances in medical technologies have allowed us to live longer than in any time in history. New medications, treatments, surgeries, and equipment can extend lives longer than ever.

But what is the trade-off when it comes to quality of life. Is living the last decade of your life in chronic pain, lugging around an oxygen tank, or unable to recognise your loved ones worth it just to contribute to the above statistic?

Is the sacrifice made to accumulate a satisfactory retirement account for the twilight of your life worthwhile if you don’t have the health to enjoy it?

Sitting on a huge pile of cash didn’t help Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Computers, when he succumbed to cancer.

If you don’t have enough money put away, will you have the health and the energy to keep on working and earning income when you are 70? 75? Even 80?

Hitting age 65 with a measly retirement fund and dealing with health issues may even be a worse scenario. The prospect of little money and the inability to earn much is not what anyone wants at that stage of his or her life.

So if you are 50 today, even younger — regardless of your financial situation, the best thing you can do today is be proactive about your health. Nothing is more important.

Have a cold, hard look at the state of your health today. If it’s not what it should be, change it now.

You know the drill. Manage stress. Avoid toxins. Eat well. Supplement with quality products. And exercise.

Do this and regardless of your place in the financial spectrum, your later years will be far more fulfilling.