What Is the Best Thing a Man Over 50 Can Do to Make Himself Look Younger?

If you ask a man over 50 what he could do to look younger, you might get some predictable answers.

Get a better haircut. Lose some weight. Buy better clothes. Use a good moisturizer. Maybe even color the gray.

All of those things can change how a man looks. But there is one thing that can change much more than his face.

Build and maintain muscle.

That doesn’t mean a man in his 50s, 60s or 70s needs to become a bodybuilder. It means doing enough resistance training to keep his shoulders, chest, back, arms and legs strong and developed.

And there is a good reason this matters as we get older: muscle mass and strength naturally tend to decline with age, while resistance training can help maintain and build them. The CDC specifically recommends muscle-strengthening activity for older adults.

Looking Younger Isn’t Really About Looking 30

I don’t think most men over 50 actually need to look 30.

Trying to erase every sign of age can sometimes have the opposite effect.

Gray hair isn’t necessarily aging a man badly. Neither are a few wrinkles.

What tends to make a man look older is looking tired, weak, poorly groomed or physically inactive.

A man with gray hair, some wrinkles and a strong body can look considerably younger than a man the same age who has spent years becoming inactive.

That’s why the goal shouldn’t necessarily be “look young.”

A better goal is:

Look healthy, strong, energetic and well cared for.

Why Muscle Makes Such a Difference

Think about the male body when you are young. The shoulders are generally broader than the waist. The chest and back have shape. The arms have some size. The legs have muscle.

As men age and become less active, some of that shape can disappear. The shoulders may look narrower. The chest can become softer. The arms lose some fullness. The waist may get larger. Posture can deteriorate.

Put all of that together and a man can look considerably older—even if his face hasn’t changed dramatically.

Resistance training attacks several of those problems at once.

The CDC notes that muscle-strengthening activity can increase or maintain muscle mass and strength, and recommends working the major muscle groups, including the legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders and arms.

And you don’t have to lift enormous weights. Consistency matters much more than trying to impress everybody in the gym.

Your Shoulders May Be More Important Than You Think

One of the easiest ways to change a man’s overall appearance is to develop the upper body.

• shoulders
• upper chest
• back
• arms

A little more muscle in these areas can change the proportions of the entire body.

A stronger upper body can make the waist appear smaller simply because the shoulders and torso have more shape.

That’s one reason I wouldn’t recommend that a man over 50 focus exclusively on losing weight.

If you lose weight but also lose muscle, you can end up smaller without necessarily looking younger.

The goal is different: lose excess body fat while protecting or building muscle.

Don’t Forget Your Legs

There is another mistake men make. They train their chest and arms because those are the muscles they see in the mirror. Then they neglect their legs.

That’s a mistake at any age, but especially as you get older.

Strong legs contribute to mobility, balance and everyday function. The CDC recommends combining aerobic activity, muscle strengthening and balance activities as part of healthy aging.

And visually, muscular legs help keep the entire body looking proportionate.

You don’t need enormous legs. You need strong legs that still look like they belong to an active man.

Then There’s the Waist

A man can build muscle and still look older if his waist continues getting larger.

That’s why the combination of muscle plus reasonable body-fat control is so important.

You don’t have to become extremely lean. In fact, some older men look worse when they chase a very low body-fat percentage and lose too much fullness from their face and body.

Instead, think about keeping your waist under control while maintaining muscle throughout your body. That’s a much more sustainable goal.

Your Skin Gives Away More Than Your Hair

You can have a great haircut, a strong body and nice clothes—but badly sun-damaged skin can still make you look older.

And unlike a lot of anti-aging claims on the internet, there is actual clinical research behind sun protection. A randomized trial found that regular sunscreen use slowed the progression of skin aging compared with discretionary sunscreen use.

That doesn’t mean sunscreen is going to erase 20 years from your face. It means protecting your skin from additional UV damage is one of the few anti-aging strategies with solid evidence behind it.

For a man over 50, a simple routine can be enough: Morning: cleanse if needed, moisturizer, broad-spectrum sunscreen. Night: cleanse, moisturizer, and whatever additional skin-care product fits your skin and routine.

You don’t need a bathroom counter full of products.

Hair Doesn’t Have to Be Dark to Look Younger

This is something I’ve been thinking about more lately.

A lot of men automatically assume gray hair makes them look old. Not necessarily.

Gray hair that’s clean, shaped and intentional can look fantastic.

The bigger issue is whether the haircut suits the man’s face and whether the hair looks cared for.

If you color your hair, that’s fine too. But you don’t necessarily need to eliminate every gray hair to look younger.

Posture Can Change Your Appearance in Seconds

Here’s a free anti-aging trick: stand up straight.

It sounds almost too simple, but posture changes the way the body presents itself.

A man who walks with his head up, shoulders comfortably back and chest open can immediately look more energetic.

And good posture isn’t just about appearance. Strengthening the back, abdomen and legs can help support physical function and balance as we age.

You don’t need to walk around stiffly with your chest pushed out. Just stop folding yourself forward.

Clothes Matter More Than Expensive Clothes

You don’t need designer clothes to look younger. You need clothes that fit the man you are now.

Too-big shirts can make a man look older and less defined. Extremely tight clothes can make him look like he’s trying too hard.

Find clothes that fit your shoulders, chest, arms and waist properly. Keep them clean and current. And don’t be afraid of wearing something other than the same clothes you’ve worn for the last 20 years.

What About Cardio?

Absolutely. Building muscle doesn’t mean ignoring cardiovascular fitness.

The CDC recommends regular aerobic activity along with muscle-strengthening and balance activities as people get older.

Walking is a great place to start. You can also cycle, swim, hike, use an elliptical, dance or do whatever activity you will actually continue doing.

The best exercise program isn’t the one that looks impressive on paper. It’s the one you keep doing.

So What’s the One Thing?

If you force me to choose only one thing for a man over 50, I’d choose:

Resistance training.

Not because lifting weights magically removes wrinkles. It doesn’t.

I choose it because maintaining muscle changes so many parts of aging at the same time.

It can help you stay stronger. It can help preserve physical function. It can change your body shape. It can improve the way your clothes fit.

And when combined with regular walking or other cardiovascular activity, it becomes part of a much bigger strategy for staying active as you age.

Keep your waist reasonable. Protect your skin. Get a good haircut. Take care of your teeth. Dress for your current body. Stand up straight. Stay active.

My Take

I think men over 50 sometimes make the mistake of fighting age instead of taking care of themselves.

There’s nothing wrong with gray hair. There’s nothing wrong with wrinkles. There’s nothing wrong with looking your age.

But there’s a big difference between looking your age and looking like you’ve stopped taking care of yourself.

Build some muscle. Move your body. Take care of your skin. Get cleaned up. Wear clothes that fit. And stay interested in life.

You may not look 30. You may not even want to.

But you can look like a strong, healthy, well-groomed man in his 50s, 60s, 70s or beyond.

And to me, that’s a much better goal.

This article is for general informational purposes and reflects my personal observations along with information from health and research sources. I am not a doctor or medical professional.