Lifestyle

FIXER UPPER

HGTV Star Reveals Harsh Realization That Came With Turning 50

Chip Gaines said his mornings now include “extra cracks and pops.”

Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

PublishedMay 18, 2026, 5:36 PM EDT

UpdatedMay 18, 2026, 5:36 PM EDT

Updated May 18, 2026, 5:36 PM EDTPublished May 18, 2026, 5:36 PM EDT

Comments

HGTV star Chip Gaines opened up about his true feelings toward aging in a candid essay published on his website, Magnolia.

In an essay titled “A Note from Chip on Adventure‚” published in the Summer 2026 issue of Magnolia’s magazine, the father of five wrote about how his body—and his perspective on getting older—has changed over time.

“The golden years. Really? Whoever came up with it must’ve been in advertising, not arthritis,” he wrote.

Chip, 51, has been married to Joanna Gaines, 48, since 2003. The evangelical couple rose to fame by transforming neglected and outdated homes on HGTV’s hit house-flipping show Fixer Upper, which premiered in 2013, and are widely credited with popularizing the rustic farmhouse aesthetic.

Despite being two of the network’s most in-demand stars, the pair left HGTV to grow their Texas-based lifestyle empire, Magnolia, which includes a television network, real estate brokerage, and a quarterly print publication.

While Chip wrote that he still gets up before sunrise to feed the animals on his and Joanna’s farm in Waco, Texas, it now takes more effort: His body had changed considerably in his fifties compared to his thirties or even his forties.

NO MORE MS. NEXT DOOR

Hugh Hefner’s Ex Hits Back at People Saying She Aged Poorly

Roosa Rahkonen

“In those years, I’d jump out of bed ready to take on the world,” he wrote, adding, “Now, it’s more of a slow roll, a few extra cracks and pops before I’m upright.”

He called it an undeniable fact that, no matter how well he looked after himself, either his body or mind would eventually slow down.

Splash Patel

Olympic Champion Reacts to Being Called 'Unrecognizable'

Roosa Rahkonen

“I will say that what is alluring to me about the whole ‘forever young’ idea is less about avoiding stiff joints or gray hair and more about what no amount of antiaging cream can give you: time,” he wrote.

Chip offered a pointed message for those seeking eternal life, calling the idea of staying young forever a “big marketing stunt” used to sell products.

“The fountain of youth is a scam,” he wrote, “so don’t take the bait.”

His goal: to age with grace and purpose rather than fight against the clock.

Chip wrote, “Even if the time comes when I can’t fix a flat, ride a tractor, or even walk up the stairs, I pray 80-year-old Chip Gaines is still kickin’ in the ways that matter most.”

Blond Instinct

‘Basic Instinct’ Star, 68, Reveals Longest Hair in Years

Roosa Rahkonen

Play Video

Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast.