Midlife Health - Introduction to the Five Pillars of Ageing Well (Yes, we can get bolder as we get older!)

I am sorry but I am going to be blunt – ageing is inevitable – the only alternative to getting old is death and that, although also inevitable, is not a great option!

However, how we age is something we can have influence on, and our health will play a massive part on our quality of life as we get older.

Medical advances have increased life expectancies by decades as they have reduced deaths from diseases and conditions that resulted in the early deaths of our ancestors. What doctors can’t do is completely reverse or erase deleterious effects of extreme obesity or years of heavy smoking. While we may still be alive, an extra twenty or thirty years of living with emphysema or chronic fatigue or disabilities from diabetes or chronic arthritis can cause increased problematic mental health issues as well as physical concerns.

Of course, there are many variables that can impact on our health and longevity and research has shown that these include the social class you are born into, environmental and economic factors and to a certain extent DNA and your inherited genes can influence how long you are likely to live for.

Midlife Health is a huge subject, and it is important to remember that we are not living longer because our human bodies have changed – it is because our environments have changed - and they could change again. The recent COVID pandemic show how a viral infection can sweep the globe and realistically could happen again. However, worrying about things out of our control is a waste of our energy and emotions. The good news is we can make changes and improvements to our own lifestyles to reduce the risk of debilitating diseases or learn to live with them to improve day-to-day quality of living. Getting older does not inevitably mean that we will all become arthritic or have respiratory problems or develop Alzheimer’s. However, a lot of us will develop conditions that can be painful, frightening, or frustrating and just downright annoying.

So how can I help? I am not a doctor or a nutritionist, but I have had Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) for over thirty years, so I know about painful, frightening, frustrating and annoying ailments. I also know what it is like to be so scared about being in so much pain and frightened that the disease was going to define who I was and become.

I have framed on my wall the wonderful image from Charles Mackesy, with the quote “Asking for help isn’t giving up” said the horse “it’s refusing to give up”. Midlife is the pivotal point where you can change your life in so many ways and improving and keeping as healthy as possible positively impacts on your self-esteem, confidence, and wellbeing.

There is so much for us to talk about so look out for my blogs, podcasts and follow me on social media to share my Five Pillars of Ageing Well:- Nutrition; Hydration; Physical; Social & Cognition.