7 steps to ageing joyfully
From giving back to eating well, MAGGY PIGOTT of charity Open Age reveals how to grow old happily
AS a society we are living longer than ever before. And how wonderful. Indeed older people can offer so much, including experience, wisdom, skills, work, love, care, emotional stability, perspective, fun, time and money.
Everyone benefits – from the individuals themselves and their family and friends, to the wider community.
But in order to live out our long lives to the full we need to keep healthy enough to enjoy them.
And I am here to tell you it’s easier to do than you might think.
So to stay well and ensure you age joyfully, follow these seven simple steps.
STEP ONE: MOVE
Experts say that if exercise could be packaged as a pill it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial in the nation.
Indeed physical inactivity can, at worst, be deadly. According to the World Health Organization it is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality, causing an estimated 3.2 million deaths each year. But there is good news.
If you exercise regularly, you will feel and see benefits, both mental and physical. On a day-to-day basis you will feel better, have more energy, have fewer aches and pains and be able to get up from an armchair without grunting.
So make sure to build activity into your daily life.Any is better than none. More is better still.
TOP TIP: Gardening can be a moderate-intensity activity if you are moving, weeding, raking and planting. Digging counts as vigorous activity and can strengthen muscles.
STEP TWO: EAT WELL
Eating the right foods, in the right quantities, is crucial for good health.We need to maintain a healthy weight – neither over nor underweight. Consuming more calories than you burn almost always results in weight gain. On average a woman needs around 2,000 calories a day and a man needs 2,500 to maintain weight. Many consume a lot more.
So what should we eat?
The NHS recommends:
● Fruit and vegetables: At least five servings a day to provide vital vitamins, minerals and fibre.They should count for just over a third of our daily food.
● Starchy carbohydrates: Bread, rice, cereals, oats, potatoes and pasta should make up just over a third of our daily food.Wholegrain or wholemeal is best.They provide vitamins, fibre and minerals.
● Protein: Is essential for the body to grow and repair. For example, tofu, beans, pulses, nuts, poultry, seeds, fish, lean meat and eggs.
● Milk and dairy: Yogurt, cheese or soya drinks (fortified with calcium) are great sources of protein and calcium.
● Fluids: Drink six to eight glasses of non-alcoholic liquids a day. Water, lower-fat milk, sugar-free drinks, tea and coffee all count.
TOP TIP: Eat when you’re hungry. Ignoring your hunger is likely to make you eat more, and more unhealthily, when you eventually succumb.
STEP THREE: HAVE A PURPOSE
We all need something to live for, something that gives meaning and purpose to our lives and makes us want to get out of bed every morning. The Japanese, who have the longest life expectancy in the world, call it “ikigai” or a “reason for being” and attribute their increased longevity to this concept.
As we age, our priorities change and we may seek a new purpose; perhaps one less focused on children, earning a living or “success”. It may be time to consider how we wish to spend our later life, possibly making a greater contribution to society.
There should also be some “me time” – having fun and spending time on what you love doing, or have always wanted to do but never had the chance.
TOP TIP: Think about what you would like to be said at your funeral, or in your obituary, and if you haven’t yet achieved it, get started.
STEP FOUR: CONNECT
Human connection lies at the heart of human wellbeing.At the end of our lives we usually realise (if we hadn’t before) that it is the people we care about that matter most, not our career or our possessions. Being sociable not only improves our health and wellbeing but actually protects our brains too, keeping our memory and cognitive function sharper for longer.And remember, when it comes to friends, quality rather than quantity is what matters.
TOP TIP: Reconnect with old friends. You share history and good memories. Write a letter or email if you’re too shy to ring them up. Or see if they’re on social media. Chances are they’ll be delighted to hear from you.
STEP FIVE: GROW
Your mind, that is. As we age we may believe we have seen it all.
But this brings the risk that our behaviour and thinking may become narrow and inflexible.
Knowing and being comfortable with yourself and what you want are advantages of ageing. But being flexible and open to trying something new broadens our minds and keeps us young.
Lifelong learning and new experiences also help us to have fun and stay involved in life.We can find a new purpose, skill, interest or perhaps even a fresh career. It helps boost confidence and creativity, makes us happier and can even increase longevity.
TOP TIP: Believe that you can achieve new things, even in later life. Self-belief works. And you don’t need perfection – good is good enough.
STEP SIX: BE GRATEFUL
Studies have shown that being grateful is extremely good for you, delivering benefits to your health, emotions, social life, personality and career.
Of course getting older brings its own challenges, as does each stage of life. But older age can bring time, freedom, experience, perspective, fewer responsibilities, growth and confidence about who we are and what’s important.
For this we can be grateful.
TOP TIP: Keep a gratitude journal. Each night write down three to five things that happened during the day that you are grateful for, whether large or small.
STEP SEVEN: GIVE
By the time you reach later life, you will have accumulated skills, talents and experience.You are likely to have more time and energy.And according to research, you’ll probably be feeling happier and more satisfied with life too.
If you haven’t already begun, can there be a better time to give back to others, yourself and the world?
It has been proven that givers are happier, more fulfilled and thankful for themselves and more connected to their community. TOP TIP: Give joy, compliments and laughter. Try to make everyone feel better for having met you. You will feel uplifted too. People are attracted to, and like to be with, people who make them feel good. And give hugs regularly. Hugging releases the feel-good hormone oxytocin, reducing stress and blood pressure.
● Extracted by HANNAH BRITT from How to Age Joyfully by Maggy Pigott (£12.99, Summersdale). To order a copy call the Express Bookshop on 01872 562 310, or visit expressbookshop.co.uk