Healthy ageing and where to start?

After work last Friday I sat with a group of friends in their sixties and older, and asked what ‘healthy ageing’ meant to them.

One lady, a medical doctor for more than 40 years in the USA, chuckled and said: “Goodness, healthy ageing has as much to do with luck and genetics than anything else”.

She explained that she’d worked with patients who were at the epitome of health and those who weren’t. Both often lived well into their 90’s and that there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for living a long and healthy life.

Because we all have our own independent philosophies around wellness, I believe the key is to build a lifestyle plan stacked with reasons to succeed; it’s the best strategy to keep us motivated for the long term. Like a client of mine, who was more than 150kg and found the love of her life while dropping 70kg.

Another client was crying on the treadmill after his doctor told him he would not get back to full function after a serious stroke. Yet he did! He got back to work, back to driving and in-fact became a keynote speaker for Stroke Rehabilitation!

What both clients had was a ‘desire to change’ and someone alongside them to help build a plan. Someone who believed in their success, sometimes more than they did. It doesn’t matter where you’re starting from, as long as you start!

Follow my monthly article as I breakdown the ‘five lifestyle markers’ to take into consideration when designing your lifestyle plan, as well as some simple steps to follow and remember.

I’m here with you on your journey and should you need help just reach out: joanne.melbourne@bayvenues.co.nz