Better with age: Women over 50 are happier, more secure than women in their 20s

LONDON — Turning 50 may seem daunting to many middle-aged adults, but it seems there may be something to the modern saying that “50 is the new 30.” That’s because a new survey finds that women over 50 are happier, more secure, and more content with their relationships than women in their 20s.

The interesting findings come from the responses of 1,000 British women aged 50-65, and 1,000 British women aged 20-30 in a survey commissioned by Platinum Magazine.

Over half of women over 50 say they are happy with their relationship status and a quarter report being “happy” with their age. Interestingly, one sixth of older respondents even say they are more confident in their looks and attractiveness than at any other time in their life.

Conversely, only 44% of 20-30 year old respondents say they are comfortable with their current love life. Additionally, only one in 10 are content with their age and self-confidence.

When it comes to sex, older women seem to have the upper hand as well; a third of 50+ respondents are having sex at least twice per week, and 70% regularly go on dates. Older women are even exercising more, with women aged 50-65 reporting about two hours of physical fitness a week. Meanwhile, women aged 20-30 are exercising for only 90 minutes, on average, per week.

Many of these findings will probably surprise readers. As a society, we tend to assume that older people of both genders slow down as they age. Perhaps, then, it isn’t so shocking that two thirds of older respondents believe they are wrongly perceived by society and misrepresented in the media.

“It’s clear from our research that while women over 50 feel younger than ever today, they also feel misrepresented by media,” comments Ali Kirker, editor of Platinum, in a statement. “Over 50s are still passionately working, enjoying a great love live and going to exciting social events – gone are the days of perceptions around over 50s being knitting and reading.”

So, what advice would older women give to their younger counterparts? Among the top suggestions given by aged 50+ respondents: “Enjoy dating different people,” “Do everything you want before having a family,” and “Don’t get taken for granted.”

Besides those pieces of advice, four in 10 older respondents also say they would advise younger women that “marriage isn’t the be all and end all” and nearly half believe younger woman should “not care what others think.”

A third of all aged 50+ respondents say they feel younger than their real age, and another third report feeling more open to new experiences ever since their 50th birthday. Examples of new experiences cited by respondents include going to music festivals, traveling alone, and starting a business.

It’s clear that older women aren’t letting their birth date hold them back, with one in four saying their age doesn’t define them. Still, nearly 75% of the older respondent group say they are misrepresented by clothing stores, TV shows, and movies. Another fifth also believe that businesses and workplaces don’t understand their age group.

The survey was conducted by OnePoll.

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