Over 50? These 11 gadgets can help boost your daily health

Looking to feel your best after 50? Whether you’re focused on staying active, sleeping better or just making your daily routine a little healthier, the right tools can make a big difference.

Making just a few changes can have a significant impact on your future health — both your body and your mind. We’re not talking about fad diets or expensive treatments here. Instead, think a few easy switches and new routines that could make all the difference 10 years down the road.

With this in mind, we’ve rounded up 11 top-rated health and wellness gadgets that can help support your well-being. From fitness products to at-home wellness solutions and beyond, these handy finds are designed to fit seamlessly into your routine.

Standing desk

You may have heard the phrase, “sitting is the new smoking,” and while it’s true that sitting for prolonged periods can negatively impact your health, standing may not be the answer either.

A 2017 study observed that occupations that predominantly involved standing were associated with a higher risk of incident heart disease. So, standing all day isn’t necessarily the solution.

Instead, ideally, you want to move throughout the day. A standing desk can be a way to switch up the way you work and keep you from being sedentary. Specifically, you’ll want one that’s adjustable so that you can easily switch between sitting and standing.

Amztabler

This standing desk is adjustable, and you can also fit a walking pad underneath it. 

$90 at Amazon

Grip strength trainer

According to Harvard Health Publishing, strong or weak grip strength can help to measure an individual’s risk of having a heart attack, stroke or dying from cardiovascular disease.

Research shows that poor grip strength is also an indication of a weaker immune system, which can leave you more vulnerable to getting sick. To build muscle strength, resistance training two or three times per week is recommended, with one or two days off in between workouts.

A grip strength trainer is a resistance-based tool that can help improve your grip strength, as well as build strength in your hands, forearms, wrists and fingers. An adjustable trainer allows you to start with low resistance and work your way up to higher strengths.

NIYIKOW

This hand grip strengthener can be adjusted from 22 pounds to 132 pounds according to your need.

$13 at Amazon

Walking pad

It’s never a bad idea to get your body moving, and a walking pad can help you do that. Smaller and more easily portable than a treadmill, a walking pad is great for small spaces or even use while you work.

Walking pads allow you to exercise when you’re working or not able to get outside for a stroll. But, according to WebMD, they can even benefit your heart health, lower your risk for certain types of cancer, help lower stress and lead to improved brain function.

Sperax

This bestselling walking pad is powerful yet quiet and weighs only 27 pounds, making it easy to store and move. 

$240 at Amazon

Ankle weights

As you age, your lean muscle mass naturally diminishes. Strength training, however, can help you preserve and enhance your muscle mass. Can’t make it to the gym? No problem. Wearable weights make it easy to do strength training right at home.

According to WebMD, exercising while wearing one to three-pound ankle weights may raise your heart rate by about three to five beats per minute, and may also boost your oxygen consumption by 5-10 per cent.

The weights are best used for exercises that target the leg and hip muscles, such as leg lifts, rather than wearing them while walking or running, as this can lead to a muscle imbalance.

Sportneer

These ankle weights can be adjusted from one to five pounds, and one pair of weights can be adjusted from two to 10 pounds. 

$42 at Amazon

Sauna

You might think a sauna is only good for relaxation. While it’s definitely great for de-stressing, regular sauna use has been shown to have many benefits besides helping you unwind.

According to the Mayo Clinic, sauna use may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and certain types of dementia, alleviate common respiratory ailments like asthma and improve pain for people with conditions like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.

If you can’t make it to a sauna regularly — you can get a portable sauna that you can easily use at home.

I-THERA-U

This portable sauna has nine levels of heat to choose from, and reviewers say it “works great” and is “impressive for the price.”

$230 at Amazon

Brain teasers

While you’re taking care of your body, don’t forget about your mind. As you age, your cognitive skills wane, and thinking and memory become more challenging. Brain games, like puzzles, teasers and challenges, can be great for keeping the brain healthy.

According to experts at Ohio State University, puzzles and games that involve learning or trying something new, can “stimulate and challenge” your brain. This includes the parts responsible for logic, reasoning, attention and problem-solving.

And according to Harvard Health Publishing, anything that stimulates and challenges your brain, such as word games or puzzles, helps to “ward off age-related cognitive decline.”

Games like Kanoodle are great for challenging your brain. And with the possibility of making hundreds of different combinations to solve, there are tons of ways to play.

Educational Insights

Kanoodle offers the chance to solve 200 different puzzle combinations, ranging in difficulty. 

$25 at Amazon

Compression socks

Compression socks work by squeezing the blood vessels in your legs and can result in reduced swelling and relief from leg pain.

According to the Pedorthic Association of Canada, compression socks can help improve circulation, and can also help improve blood flow from your legs to your heart.

Compression socks can aid in preventing blood clots and reducing pain, fatigue and swelling. They’re also good for treating conditions like varicose veins and edema (swelling of the legs caused by fluid retention), though you’re best off speaking to your doctor before purchasing a pair to treat an illness.

What’s great is that you don’t necessarily need a prescription to get compression socks — there’s a wide variety to choose from online.

DHSO

These socks provide gradient compression, and reviewers say they’re “very snug” and “comfortable.”

$18 at Amazon

Rebounder

Rebounding (exercising on rebounder — a.k.a. an indoor mini-trampoline) is a full-body workout that comes with some serious health benefits, many of which are perfect for those over the age of 50.

For instance, trampolining can improve bone density, something that decreases as you age. A study by researchers at the University of Calgary found that competitive trampolinists had higher bone density at the hip and spine than their peers, suggesting that regular trampolining can help strengthen your bones. It can also lessen your chance of developing osteoporosis.

Additionally, it can build strength, improve balance and provide a good dose of cardio activity, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Kanchimi

This folding rebounder is easy to store when you aren’t using it, and it comes with a one-year warranty.

$130 at Amazon

Water flosser

Keeping your teeth clean is important at any age, and a water flosser can make it even easier to do just that. A water flosser sprays water to remove food from between your teeth and may be a good option for those who have trouble with regular flossing.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a water flosser can be helpful for people who have orthodontics or dental work that makes it hard to use dental floss. It may also be useful for people who have trouble flossing by hand with regular floss.

COSLUS

This water flosser is cordless and easily portable, and it’s currently a bestseller on Amazon Canada. 

$35 at Amazon

Fitness tracker

Great for any age, a fitness tracker is ideal for keeping track of your health goals. It can be used for stress management, sleep tracking and more.

For instance, if you’ve recovered from a heart attack or heart surgery, or have other heart-related issues, and need to monitor your exercise intensity more closely, the heart rate function on a fitness tracker is an easy way to do that.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, fitness trackers may also actually encourage sedentary people to become more active. In a 2022 study, researchers found that, on average, using physical activity monitors led people to take more than 1,000 extra steps per day and do 49 additional minutes of physical activity per week.

Fitbit

The Fitbit Inspire 3 provides information including a daily readiness score, active zone minutes, all-day activity tracking and 24/7 heart rate tracking. 

$130 at Amazon

Supportive shoes

Comfortable supportive shoes are a good thing to have at any time, but as you age (and foot problems are more likely to occur), they become essential.

Certain foot issues will require specific orthotics, but in general, having a comfortable shoe with a soft, supportive sole is a great place to start.

Memory foam soles like the ones on these Sketchers sneakers provide pressure relief, instant comfort and breathability, and can also be effective at easing pain from issues like plantar fasciitis.

Skechers

Reviewers say these Sketchers sneakers are “super lightweight and comfortable,” and feel “like you’re walking on clouds.”

$64 at Amazon

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