The 10 secrets of yoof
HOW TO ENJOY LIFE IN YOUR 70S
IT might say I’m 70 on my birth certificate, but I don’t feel it.
As she got older, my mother hardly went out, she hardly saw people and I thought that her quality of life was really poor.
But these days, you could have two or three decades more life ahead of you after you retire.
So I said I am going to live to 100 and be fabulous and positive – not like mum. I don’t want to shrink down and constantly live my life in the past.
There are many small things you can do in your life to stop you from feeling old.
Here are some of my favourite tips for staying fit and healthy well into your 70s and 80s...
1 Don’t slouch!
I play tennis, I swim and hike but now experts say you only need to do 20-30 minutes walking a day. But you need to walk properly – don’t shuffle, walk straight. The enemy of old age is slouching, shuffling and stooping. Those three S words – you have to make a conscious effort to push them back.
2 Eat everything...
... but in moderation. I don’t believe in diets. I am not a fan of banning wheat, dairy or alcohol. I hate the word “ban”. I eat everything. I love a good fish and chips now and again – just don’t have a huge plate. Childhood obesity is happening because we don’t have enough cookery lessons in schools. Kids need to be shown that it’s fun.
3 Keep having sex
Why should people in their 80s not have more sex? You can see that maybe people in their 50s might be having less sex, because they’re going to work and are knackered. But I think that older people now are healthier than they’ve ever been. I couldn’t imagine a life without touching people and being tactile.
4 Socialise
If you only ever talk to the same three people every day, you’re not really challenging your brain. Why not try talking to someone you don’t know who is outside your age group? It’s easy to sit at home and not move, but simple things like going out shopping require you to talk to other people. I know it sounds really facile, but it works.
5 Carry on Working
I do as much work now as I did 10 years ago. When you go to work, you have to fit in with other people. And that’s very good for you. If you’re at home by yourself and not talking to people, your social skills will gradually wither. Going into Loose Women, I have to interact and listen to other people’s points of view and that’s all very good for me.
6 Less is more
Don’t fiddle with your looks too much. Less is more: less jewellery, less make up, less messing around with your hair. If it takes too much effort to get it together, then it’s too much.
7 Enjoy your style
Wear anything you like anything that makes you happy. But your clothing makes a statement about you, so do you want to make a statement that says: “I’ve given up?” It’s a form of selfexpression. At every price level, whether it’s Topshop or designer, you can get something that fits your size.
8 Don’t look backwards
I am not looking backwards, I am not harking back about what I could have done, all the maybes and what ifs. It’s important to live in the moment. I don’t want to cling onto the past, because it weighs you down.
9 Go on the internet
If you can’t walk, or you’re not very mobile, going online opens up a huge load of information and input. You can talk to people or go on Facebook or whatever else. Plus, everything is online these days. Even if you have to ask people to help you do that, it’s really important.
10 Be a ‘yes’ person
I want people to see that they can get old in a positive way, not a negative way. At the end of the day, work out a list of all the times you’ve said “yes” as opposed to all the times you’ve said “no”. Yes has to outnumber no – and the “oh, I’ll think about it” response counts as a no!