Video: Why your 50s can be your best decade (yet) By Mayo Clinic Staff Share Facebook Twitter Print details A new decade can bring fresh challenges, but it can also bring a new lease on life. Turns out the 50s aren't too bad after all. In fact, life might just be getting better. Watch for 8 reasons the 50s may be your best decade yet. Show transcript Why your 50s can be your best decade (yet) Don't feel as old as you expected to at 50? It's not just you. Research suggests that many people worldwide are aging more slowly. It's not too late to go for that marathon. You might not sprint like before, but endurance fades less than 2% per decade. (Keep stretching!) Many 50-somethings are happier than ever. Scientists tracked women's moods over time and found a positivity increase between 50 and 70. You're still plenty sharp. Your vocabulary, math skills and emotional intelligence are just hitting their peak. And your self-esteem is on the rise. Self-esteem tends to increase up until about age 60, and then plateaus. If you're attached, it's just getting good. Relationship satisfaction increased with age in one study — especially for empty nesters. And the flame is far from out. While hormone changes can affect intimacy, 73% of older adults are satisfied with their sex lives. After all: You're getting back to you. It's a time for new priorities, new interests. And a fresh start on the rest of your life. Guidance from the experts at Mayo Clinic. Show references Sanderson WC, et al. Measuring the speed of aging across population subgroups. PLOS One. 2014; doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0096289. Campbell KE, et al. The trajectory of negative mood and depressive symptoms over two decades. Maturitas. 2017; doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2016.10.011. Borges, N, et al. Age-related changes in performance and recovery kinetics in masters athletes: A narrative review. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity. 2016; doi:10.1123/japa.2015-0021. Hartshorne JK, et al. When does cognitive functioning peak? The asynchronous rise and fall of different cognitive abilities across the life span. Psychological Science. 2015; doi:10.1177/0956797614567339. Orth U, et al. Development of self-esteem from age 4 to 94 years: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin. 2018; doi:10.1037/bul0000161. Pilojev P, et al. The stability of adult personality varies across age: Evidence from a two-year longitudinal sample of adult New Zealanders. 2014;51:29. Gorchoff SM, et al. Contextualizing change in marital satisfaction during middle age: An 18-year longitudinal study. 2008; doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02222.x. Let's talk about sex. University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging. Healthyagingpoll.org. Accessed Aug. 2, 2019. VID-20466673