The Retirement Newsletter: Getting old — is seventy the new sixty? (Part two of three)
Issue Number: 197 (50) — the joys of ageing
Welcome
In issue 197 (50) this week, I continue with my question, “Is seventy the new sixty?”.
Last week, in issue 196 (49), I looked at what is ageing, and this week, I will explore what we can do to slow the process.
If you missed last week’s issue, it can be found here:
What can we do to slow the ageing process?
We can’t stop ageing altogether, but there are things we can do to slow it down. As you may have guessed, I covered most of them in the newsletters on  Looking after your physical health in retirement and Looking after your mental health in retirement. So what can we do?
1. Eat a healthy diet
As we age, our metabolism slows, and we naturally burn fewer calories. Therefore, to avoid gaining weight as we age, we must consume fewer calories or exercise more (see number 2 below).
Gaining weight can significantly impact how we age. Weight gain can increase the chances of developing diseases and conditions such as cardiovascular disease (e.g., strokes and heart disease), musculoskeletal disorders (e.g., osteoarthritis), type 2 diabetes, and even some cancers (e.g., colon, endometrial, and breast).
We should aim to eat whole, nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and lean proteins. We should also include healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, omega-3s from fish) and reduce our intake of processed foods, sugar, and excessively refined carbohydrates. Processed foods seem particularly bad because they can contribute to inflammation (see last week’s issue, where I discussed Inflammation and Immune System Decline).
Intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating can also be beneficial. I have used time-restricted eating to lose weight, and it has worked well. I have also reduced my calorie intake, switched to a healthier diet, and exercised more. As a result I have lost 40 lb (18 kg) and feel a lot better, and my blood work has improved.
2. Stay active
Regular exercise strengthens our muscles, bones, and hearts and helps us manage weight (see one above).
Strength training helps us maintain muscle mass, which naturally declines as we age. Aerobic exercises like walking, swimming, or cycling improve cardiovascular health. Flexibility and balance exercises (like yoga or tai chi) can help reduce our risk of falls and injuries.
3. Get enough sleep
Getting regular, good-quality sleep is essential in the fight against ageing. We should aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night, as poor sleep has been shown to increase inflammation and disrupt hormone balance.
4. Manage stress
Chronic stress can lead to increased inflammation and, hence, accelerated ageing. As I suggested in Looking After Your Mental Health in Retirement, we can reduce our stress levels through meditation, deep breathing exercises, mindfulness, or spending time in nature. Don’t forget that social connections and engaging in hobbies can also help lower stress.
5. Stay hydrated
Water is essential for cell function, skin health, and detoxification. To maintain hydration, we should avoid substances that our bodies use water to metabolise or can act as a diuretic (make us pee). Two common substances that spring to mind that need water to be metabolised and can act as a diuretic are caffeine and alcohol. However, with caffeine, the dehydration effect is more than offset by the amount of water usually found in the drink.
6. Protect your skin
This applies at any age, as exposure to the sun is a significant cause of premature skin ageing. Some tips are to use sunscreen, wear clothing with a UV protection rating, and avoid excessive UV exposure. If you travel somewhere very hot and sunny, buy a sun umbrella with a good UV rating. I used one when I lived in Malaysia, and it was a lifesaver. But don’t use a rain umbrella as a sun umbrella as they may not stop the UV rays; get a sun umbrella with a UV rating.
It is not all about the sun. Daily life can also damage our skin, so remember to moisturise regularly.
7. Support your brain health
I have already covered this in Looking after your physical health in retirementand Looking after your mental health in retirement.
It is important to keep our brains active as we age. As I have said before, the brain is like any muscle: if we don’t use it, we lose it. So, at the risk of repeating myself, we need to keep our brains active by learning, reading, solving puzzles, or learning new skills. We must also stay socially engaged to prevent cognitive decline. Also, we should aim to reduce our exposure to toxins like air pollution and processed foods, which can harm brain function.
Look after your brain, and it will look after you!
8. Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol
Smoking and excessive alcohol can have such severe impacts on our ageing that they serve a special mention.
Smoking has been shown to speed up ageing by damaging cells, skin, and internal organs.
Excessive alcohol consumption leads to inflammation and liver damage, and this accelerates ageing.
Stopping or cutting back on both can be difficult, but it can help.
9. Be sensible
This seems odd, but as we age, we need to acknowledge that we are getting older and that things may not work as well as they used to. We need to respect what our bodies can and cannot do in everyday life.
For example, as a teenager, I worked for a company that hired rowing boats on the local river. I had a good sense of balance and was very sure-footed when hopping from boat to boat.
I was recently walking along the gunwale of my narrowboat — the Grey Wagtail (YouTube Channel — Newsletter) — to fix a canopy and I slipped and fell in the canal. Now, years ago, that wouldn’t have happened. But now, 40+ years later, I must acknowledge that I cannot do such things. My balance and agility are not as good.
As a result of the fall, I banged my knee and hurt my arm and shoulder. And they have taken a long time to heal.
So, be sensible. Don’t think we can still do what we used to be able to do. I am not suggesting that we wrap ourselves in cotton wool and avoid anything slightly risky, but we must think things through.
10. Regular health checks
I covered the importance of monitoring our health in Looking after your physical health in retirement.
We should monitor our blood pressure and weight at home as well as our cholesterol and blood sugar levels with our local health provider. We should also monitor for known family problems like liver disease, heart conditions, and cancer.
Getting early detection of health issues that can prevent or slow down diseases linked to ageing.
Final thoughts
Ageing is inevitable, but how we age can be in our control.
If we make healthy lifestyle choices, we can significantly slow down the process, reduce the risk of age-related diseases, and maintain our energy, strength, and mental sharpness well into old age.
What do you think?
What do you think? Have you got any tips that can help slow the ageing process? If you have, please share them in the comments.
This month in the Retirement Hustle
This month in The Retirement Side Hustle, I report on my February Financials — how much money did I make from my side hustles in February 2025?
In the video, I look at how much money I made from my two YouTube Channels — Science Channel - Travel Channel — and my various blogs and eBooks.
The Retirement Side Hustle Newsletter is subscription-based. However, each video comes with a free minute or so that allows you to confirm the content, and if you take out a free subscription, you get full access to one edition.
Useful links
Some useful UK mental health links:
Samaritans phone 116 123 — https://www.samaritans.org
No Panic (anxiety) 0300 772 9844 — http://www.nopanic.org.uk/
Non-Emergency NHS Helpline: 111 — https://www.nhs.uk
Mind — Side by Side — https://sidebyside.mind.org.uk
Some Mental Health Apps you might like to try:
SAM App — Anxiety Management — https://mindgarden-tech.co.uk/
Smiling Mind — Mindfulness App — https://www.smilingmind.com.au/smiling-mind-app
General Health Websites:
National Health Service, UK — https://www.nhs.uk/
National Institute of Heath, USA — https://www.nih.gov/
Next week
Next week, in issue 198 (51), I will wrap up this series on “Getting old — is seventy the new sixty?” by attempting to answer the question.
Thanks,
Thanks for taking the time to read this newsletter, and please don't hesitate to share it with your friends or on social media using the buttons below.
If you want to thank me for the newsletter, why not buy me a cup of tea?
Until next time,
Nick
PS: If you would like to contribute something to the newsletter — a story, advice, or anything else — please get in touch.
Keep active and interested is the key in my case.
Learn a language; attend a coding course; volunteer in your community; learn to play a musical instrument. Do whatever ‘floats your boat’.
#9 “Be sensible” is a particularly good reminder!