THREE THINGS NOELLE LEARNED ABOUT AGEING:

There’s no ‘secret formula’ to ageing well.

A lot of magazine articles and marketing campaigns are written as if there is a ‘secret’ to healthy ageing. But it isn’t that simple, and it’s not the same for everyone. Sure, some foods have proven health benefits and we know exercise is good for the mind and body, but there are as many different ways to age as there are people. The happiest interviewees in the series were the ones who have found the lifestyle that is right for them. Ageing necessitates your own unique approach, just the same way that living daily life does! Do what you love for as long as you can. Professor Faull, the neuroscientist, told me that the best way to keep our brains in good shape is to find something we enjoy doing, and do it every single day for as long as possible. It can be as simple as knitting, gardening, or even having a little bit of a sing-song in the morning. In episode 3 of the series, a woman called Daphne told me how she sings every day “because it’s a tonic”. She turned 101 while I was interviewing her, so I think the proof is in the pudding! It’s never too late to change. The most inspiring thing was learning that it’s never too late to change. I met people in their 80s and 90s who were adjusting to new routines, finding new hobbies and making new friends. It is never too late for us to keep growing in life. I will never forget Margaret, who works in aged care and who said to me, “We affirm our elders in who they used to be, but we need to affirm them in who they are becoming as well.”