I posted about a new programme by the BBC on social media but feel it’s a very important subject for us all.

Times have changed. One by one unwritten rules of “growing old” get broken. If you are 71 and are good at tennis – go for it. 78yo starts powerlifting, 93yo jumps with parachute… We are allowed to behave as young as we feel. The questions are: how young our bodies are, how young do our bodies allow us to feel, and how long can can we stay feeling young and illness-free.

Are we active and can carry ourselves with ease, are our muscles strong and serving us well, is our mind still sharp? For your body to serve you well, it needs looking after. And looking after it involves good nutrition, daily exercise, quality sleep and peace in our hearts & minds.

Cliches, maybe, but how many of us can honestly say they’ve the whole package? Surprisingly, even strong, active people in good shape can be physically much older than they are biologically due to the daily stress they encounter, which means that all age-related diseases they are trying to avoid by keeping active and eating well are much closer than they anticipate.

The programme I’m talking about is How To Stay Young, unfortunately it is only available on iPlayer in the UK, perhaps the BBC will put it up on YouTube fully later on.

Here is a great little test of strength and mobility, which, for many, might prove much harder than they expect. The reason why, as they explain, is that it requires strength, flexibility and coordination – attributes that we lose as we age. So if we can demonstrate we still have them, then it’s all good!

The good thing is – it is never, NEVER too late to make improvements, giving your body and yourself a chance to enjoy a happier, healthier life.

Angela Rippon, who is 71 (!) still looks glamorous, plays tennis and keeps active. She’s still sharp, witty and intelligent. Foxes, we should all look up to her as a role model.

Don’t know about you, but when I’m 71 I also want to be wear high heels and play tennis! My wrists are too weak at the moment, something to work on now rather than later 🙂