How to roll back the years with a rumba
HoSPITALISED after a terrifying 60mph car accident which left her severely bruised and battered, sixtysomethingyearold journalist Jane Gordon finds herself suddenly dependent on others and gains an unexpected insight into how life could be in her old age.
In readiness, and with a milestone birthday on the horizon, she determines to get herself in the best possible shape and embarks on a series of difficult challenges to ‘future-proof’ herself, in both mind and body.
Gordon makes clear from the outset that this is not about merely trying to look young — it is ‘a Botox-free book’.
our health, after all, is what determines our longevity and, like so many of us, Gordon had hitherto carelessly taken hers for granted, and hadn’t done any of the things you ‘should’ in terms of eating and exercise. Indeed, so keen was she as a schoolgirl to avoid sports, she feigned severe stomach pains, which resulted in her having a healthy appendix removed.
For her experiment, Gordon enlists the help of brain guru Jon Simons, professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, who explains that, while it is impossible to stop the brain degenerating, exercising it with new challenges increases its neuroplasticity (its ability to change continuously throughout our lives) and maintains cognitive abilities for longer.
In other words, ‘use it or lose it’, and, indeed, using it is what this book is about, as Gordon road- tests programmes specifically selected to keep her mind active and sharp.
To monitor her progress, she undergoes a series of cognitive tests at the beginning of her experiment. Four months later, when she has completed her challenges, she repeats the tests — and discovers everything she has been doing has significantly improved her focus and concentration. Even Professor Simons is astonished by her progress.
Each chapter describes a new challenge to improve both mind and body, from ballroom dancing (good for warding off arthritis, Parkinson’s, dementia and depression) to French lessons (learning a new language alters the structure and function of the brain and creates new connections that keep it running efficiently).
An advanced driving test proves good for focus and concentration, while music lessons, apart from aiding coordination, can have benefits for the quality of our
hearing. Swimming, gym workouts, brain teasers, puzzles, meditation and mindfulness — and even a master class in the art of orgasm — are accompanied by a healthy diet.
The book is peppered with interesting scientific facts: orgasm increases blood flow to the brain, allowing oxygenation and nutrients to get there — and is, therefore, more stimulating than any intellectual challenge.
Written in a jaunty, journalistic style, How Not To Get Old is an easy and enjoyable read and a useful addition to the pantheon of self-help books encouraging us to keep our lives full of new challenges.
It does occasionally veer into schoolgirlish coyness when discussing subjects such as sex and life-drawing, with its attendant (tee-hee) nudity. For my taste, there could have been less of the larks and more sciencebased information about how to slow down the ageing process.
The book comes alive when there are interesting observations, such as how scientific research carried out post-mortem uncovered people with changes in the brain that indicated advanced Alzheimer’s, but who had not presented with any of the symptoms.
This is believed to be due to the fact that they had stimulated their brains with a lifetime of educational curiosity and so had been able to offset the physiological damage and continue to function as usual.
Ultimately, this is a positive and life-affirming handbook with good ‘takeaway’ for those wanting to ensure they get more out of life as they age. And it confirms what I’ve long believed: people need projects.