12 things most men should stop doing after age 60

While some habits might’ve felt perfectly normal at 40, it’s a completely different story when you turn 60, and that’s when you should quit doing them altogether.

Stop treating loud snoring and nighttime gasping as a joke

Man Keeping Woman Awake In Bed With Snoring — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Your snoring may be the running joke in the house, and yes, it can be funny. But pay attention to the pauses. Loud snoring mixed with choking or stretches of silence is a strong sign of sleep apnea. Many men have no idea it’s happening until someone else tells them.

You might find yourself experiencing morning headaches and a sense of heavy daytime tiredness as well. It’s not something you can fix by ignoring. Write down what you or your partner hears, then take that information to a doctor.

Stop using younger men as the standard for weightlifting

Fitness, gym and senior man with dumbbells for weightlifting, challenge or cardio workout, training or bodybuilding. Biceps, arms and elderly person with hand weight for strength, mindset or exercise — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

It really doesn’t matter how much the guy next to you is lifting, in all honesty. His weight isn’t necessarily the right one for you. Strength and joint comfort, as well as your recovery time, can change when you’re over 60 years old.

Judge yourself against your own fitness level, not someone else’s, when you’re older. Start with a weight you can control through the full movement without holding your breath or twisting around. Then add more. Little by little, of course.

Stop training only the chest, shoulders, and arms

Athletic and sporty senior man engaging in leg day training session with squat and bodyweight kettle ball at home exercise as concept of healthy fit body lifestyle after retirement. Clout — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Speaking of training, some younger guys build a whole routine around the muscles they can see in the mirror. You know, chest day first, then arms, then shoulders again. It’s manageable when you’re young. It’s a major problem when you’re older because your other body parts get ignored.

Your back and hips matter. So do your legs and calves. When you’re 60, you’re better off working all major muscle groups at least twice a week to maintain your body strength. Work on your biceps if you want, but don’t forget the rest of your body.

Stop shaving your beard neckline in the same position

Senior Caucasian man standing in modern bathroom shaving face with electric razor, practicing daily skincare routine near sink and mirror, morning light streaming through window blinds — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Your old beard line may be in the wrong place now. Yes, you might’ve shaved it there for 30 years, but skin gets looser and thinner with age. A neckline that once looked good may soon make the area under your chin look more obvious because you’re older.

Try checking it with your head in a normal position. Start with the neck crease, or a little above the Adam’s apple, and then see whether your beard neckline needs to move. Maybe it only needs moving half an inch, but still, it’ll make a big difference.

Stop doing every heavy household job alone

Senior roofer climbs an aluminum ladder, carefully inspecting the roof of a residential building under a cloudy sky, taking precautions during maintenance, — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

You’re not going to get a prize for carrying the washing machine down the stairs alone or going up on the roof by yourself. There’s no need to keep acting like the man of the house and doing it all by yourself.

The truth is, older men make up a large share of the victims of serious ladder-fall injuries, and a lot of that could be avoided. Pride isn’t going to keep you safe. Use a hand truck and split the load. Above all, ask someone to help you out, or hire someone to do it for you. No shame in that.

Stop treating a thinning scalp like it’s still covered by hair

Asian senior man worrying about hair loss checking in mirror at bathroom — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

A few wispy hairs aren’t going to work as sun protection. The skin underneath gets direct UV exposure as soon as your scalp starts showing through, especially around the crown and hairline. That’s not good.

Bald and thinning areas are very vulnerable to sun damage and skin cancers among older men. Put some sunscreen on there. You might also want to get a hat, as long as it covers the top of your head. There’s no point in acting like there’s hair there when there really isn’t, honestly.

Stop wearing trousers underneath your stomach

Elderly man with a confident walk, dressed in a blue shirt and light pants, strolls in a well-lit hallway — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Low-slung trousers. They look fine on a hanger, sure, but then they’ll spend the whole day sliding under your stomach, leaving your shirt to creep out. Traditional dress trousers aren’t meant to do that. They’re supposed to sit closer to your natural waist, usually above the hips.

Try getting a higher rise or some side adjusters. Even investing in some good quality suspenders can keep them in place without you needing a belt. No, buying a bigger size and dropping them lower doesn’t work. That just creates more fabric. It’s not a better fit.

Stop wearing old business suits

Senior man choosing a new suit in a store — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Open your old suit bag. Be honest. The collar probably doesn’t still sit against the shirt, and the jacket doesn’t button without pulling. There’s no good reason to keep wearing them. Your body will change after you retire, and that includes changes to your posture and waist size.

A tailor can only do so much, like fixing the sleeves and hems. They might be able to alter the trouser waist, too. But really, you should quit wearing old business suits altogether, and stick to the stuff that, you know, actually fits.

Stop drinking most of your daily fluids late in the evening

Senior man in bathrobe taking pills and drinking water in kitchen in evening. Aged male suffering from insomnia taking sleeping pills at night. Mature man taking medication in kitchen — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Saving nearly all your water for the evening might’ve worked when you were younger. It was probably even efficient. Except, when you’re older, you’ll be stuck getting up three times during the night to use the bathroom, and that’s because of bladder or prostate issues.

These are way, way more common after 60. Most medical advice says you should drink normally earlier in the day, and then ease off around two to four hours before bed. That’s not to say you should dehydrate yourself or anything. Just change the timing.

Stop holding your urine

Portrait of senior gray-haired man holding hands at the genitals while posing at the studio with white background. Urological diseases, pain during urination concept — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

That’s not all for the bathroom. There’s a moment when you’re driving, and you realize the nearest restroom is another 40 miles away, so you decide to tough it out. It’s fine once in a while, and usually okay when you’re younger. Definitely not as a 60-year-old.

Repeatedly holding in your urine makes it harder for your bladder to empty properly and may increase the chances of infection. Prostate enlargement already slows things down when you’re 60, so don’t risk it. Take the stop. Nobody gets a medal for waiting.

Stop plucking individual gray beard hairs

Portrait of handsome Mature adult man touching his beard and looking at his reflection in mirror — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

It usually feels harmless when you tweeze one gray beard hair because you think it makes the rest of your beard look darker. Then five more show up. Plucking one gray hair isn’t going to make your beard look truly darker, and in fact, it can leave irritated follicles or red bumps.

You also run the risk of ingrown hairs instead, and it might cause some spots to look thinner. It’s better to go for a short, even trim. It’s a lot neater, after all. Beard dye is also a very valid option, as long as you patch-test it first.

Stop using one bar of soap for your face, beard, scalp, and body

Senior man wearing in ukrainian vyshyvanka lathering his hair with soap at summer garden. The scene captures care with a sense of peace and natural simplicity. Concept of tradition and daily ritual — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

So many guys stick to using only one bar of soap for their face and body. It’s not usually an issue when you’re young, but when you’re older, your skin gets drier, and it needs more TLC. Try using a mild cleanser on your face, and especially under your beard.

For a flaky scalp, use regular shampoo or an anti-dandruff one. Body soap can remain body soap. It’s not like you need to do a complicated ten-step routine when you’re 60, just separate the jobs a little. Simple as that.

Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.

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Woman in White Leotard Dancing — Image Credit: Ron Lach /Pexels.com.

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