7 Morning Routine Ideas for Women Over 50

A healthy morning routine for women over 50 can help women stay healthy, centered and energized all day long. 

Time flies as you get older.  Back when we were kids, the summers seemed endless.  Women over age 50 now notice the days, weeks and even seasons speed by and wonder where the time went.   The problem is your day gets away from you, distractions set in and you never end up doing what is important to you. 

In the second half of life, women don’t want the years to fly by. We want to make the second half even better than the first. That means taking care of ourselves and following our dreams — writing that book, learning a language, and/or getting in shape. We need to develop habits and make time for what is important – self care and pursing our dreams.

I used to have a terrible morning routine. My mornings used to consist of hitting the snooze alarm, grabbing coffee, rushing a shower and bolting out the door with some frozen oatmeal peanut butter balls in a baggy. I’d then pray the Rosary in the car on the way to work. Let’s just say this was not centering and relaxing!

Without a solid base to start my day, I prioritized my work but not myself. My workout routine was stop and start never consistently working on my core, stability and stretching. 

Because I wasn’t consistent, my results were fleeting. My belly was flabby and I had to start wearing my shirts untucked to hide it.  Adding a consistent morning routine changed all that.

Women over 50: A 30 minute structured morning routine energizes your life and helps strengthen your core.

First of all morning routines are important and can set you up for happiness and success. Hey, abs are important, too so I put them first in my morning routine. A 10 minute core workout and stretching routine made a huge difference to me.

Once I was consistent with my morning routine, I was hooked. Since then, I’ve noticed a huge improvement.  A friend at work exclaimed, “Look at you with your shirt tucked in! You look so fit.”

My husband noticed, too.  One morning as I was standing by the coffee pot in my PJ pants and t-shirt, my husband said,  “Your stomach is really flat.” I smiled and said, “Yeah. I’ve been working out.” (Yes!)

Having a strong core is vital as I age. Because of that, I needed to add it to my “every morning” routine. And when I put the necessities in the morning and a daily habit, they get done. 

Women over 50 – healthy and energizing daily morning routine

Get in the habit of a daily morning routine.   

Start one if you aren’t doing it now.  Here are some ideas based on what’s been working for me:

Wake up earlier

This simple act forced me to get up to turn it off. Set your alarm 30 minutes earlier than you normally do and put it in a place you can’t roll over to turn it off. Since I am a snooze button junkie, I had to put my alarm (which is on my phone) on the dresser across the room.

Hydrate as soon as you wake up

Drink 8 oz of water.  Some people like to drink warm water with lemon to give them a boost of vitamin C in the morning which is even better.  

I usually have a glass of water beside my bed and I finish it off in the morning before I do anything else.  If the water is right there on my bedside, it’s easier for me to pick it up and drink it. Do whatever works for you.

Exercise – 10 minute core and stretching

Wake up your body with a stretching and a core workout.  Roll out of bed, change your clothes and knock out just 10 minutes of core and stretching.  Even on busy days, you know you can at least do 10 minutes of exercise.

I use a combination of Pilates Matt ab and stretching with the Pilates Magic Circle (it is magic!) and some push ups and/or squats. While I may run or do a strength workout later that day or even if it’s a rest day, I do my Power 10 morning routine. 

Nurture your soul – 10 minute prayer, mindfulness, and/or meditation  

While every woman may approach prayer and meditation in a different way, we are all looking for the same thing. Start your morning centered and connected to your inner self.  You may meditate or pray for a few minutes. You may read the Bible or a spiritual book. Whatever works for you.

My friend Sheri uses the meditation app Insight Timer every morning when she wakes up to listen to meditative music.  When she wakes up, she washes her face and heads to a room she’s set up just for this purpose. This way, she starts her day with a centered calmness. 

Starting my day with prayer and contemplation helps me to be more patient and kind with myself and others throughout the day. I like to pray the Rosary which is a 400 year old Christian devotion.

Listening to a Rosary podcast is nice so I can focus on the contemplation rather than what comes next. I also use an app called Laudette which has a plethora of resources for prayer and devotion.

Write in your journal

In my case, I either write in my notebook journal or use my favorite online journal app Penzu.  Many people find writing down three things they are grateful for is a great way to start the day. In my case, I also write down three things I look forward to.

Writing helps me to focus my thoughts and keep the creative wheels turning. My fingers will type out what ideas or feelings my inner self is communicating with me.  Doing this in the morning helps me to be ultra-creative.  

Plan out your day to get your most important things done

Choose your top three most important tasks or projects to be done today.  While we try to put ourselves first, because of work or family obligations, we may not be able to do that.

Starting in the morning find some “me time” in your day and block it out. Choose your top three things you’d like to focus on, accomplish, get done today. Put them on your calendar or daytimer. 

Nourish your skin with a skincare routine for women over 50 

Youthful looking skin doesn’t run in my family.  When both my mom and my grandmother were in their 60’s, they looked 10 years older. (And they both smoked which made matters worse.)  Subsequently, I take skincare very seriously. 

In the morning I cleanse and nourish my skin.  For years, I’ve used DHC skincare products and as I’ve aged, I use their Co-Q 10 products and olive oil elixir line.  This way I am nourishing my face and neck with nutrients.  

Sunscreen and foundation come next. I use Tarte foundation with sunscreen and on days when I plan on being outside, I put on a 50+ sunscreen underneath.  Let’s give a shout out to whoever invented the amazing product — sunscreen. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Carve out time for your special project or passion.  

My passion is writing. Yours might be learning a language, painting, or taking on a project at work that is meaningful to you. 

When I am able to, such as days when I am working remotely and don’t have to make my 45 minute commute, I use that “extra” time to write. So I extend my morning routine for my special writing projects.

With a consistent morning routine, women over 50 are setting themselves up for success.

Not only will you knock out a regular workout but you’ll focus on what is important to you so you don’t spend your day on autopilot.

This morning routine for women over 50 is a habit to energize your day by doing some light exercise, hydrating, and spending a few minutes in reflection, mindfulness and meditation. 

What a great way to start every day.