Looking for your 'Best Life After 40'?

The first container in the framework is checks or check ups. But it's more than an annual check up with your medical practitioner. It's also about knowing your key biomarkers, and a set of core measurements and metrics that give you an insight into the current physical state of your body. Then there are other checks or check-ins, like how much sleep you're getting, how happy you feel on a scale of 1-5 and benchmarks that can tell a lot about you and how you are doing in life–especially as you approach or pass 40 years of age.

I love the word cadence because it captures a feeling of movement, flexibility and the rise and fall of things. It's more than exercise, at its core, this container is about moving our bodies, exercise, strength and physical functionality. That means getting (or staying) stronger, fitter and flexible as we get older. Too many of us stop exercising in our thirties, stop intentionally pushing our bodies as we move into our forties and that makes it harder and harder to stay fit, strong and flexible as we get into our fifties and sixties. This 'container' is about moving our bodies to live longer, stronger and stave off physical decline and the onset of chronic disease and death.

Yes, this container is all about what we consume, or what we put into our bodies. It's a broad spectrum of nutrition, diet, eating plans, alcohol consumption, supplements and medications. It includes smoking, drug-taking and the intake of other substances. It's an exciting area that fits around and obviously has an impact on all the other containers in my framework–especially cadence, connection (sharing meals for social wellbeing) and what turns up in out checks. It's a fun area because cooking should be a fun and happy activity. It's about learning new things about food, drinks and supplements. Jump aboard as we try to simplify and make sense of the huge about of information and ideas around 'consumption' and what it has to do with health, happiness and longevity.

Staying curios, open-minded and wanting to learn, grow and change is, for me, one of the joys of getting older. I think it is crucial for any of us over forty to be curios, want to learn new things and stay on top of the ever-changing world around us. Do you have a 'growth' mindset? In this container we will explore the difference between having s 'fixed' mindset versus a 'growth' mindset and how wanting to learn and stay curios as we get older has a huge impact on our cognitive health, our professional lives and our social success, personal growth and psychological resilience. I'm a learner, I love research and exploring topics and having new adventures. Strap yourself in and let's go exploring together!

The social determinants of health are so powerful, and research consistently shows social connection is as important as physical factors for longevity. This final 'container' will focus on our connections to family, friends and the community. How we maintain social connections as we get older, what impact good relationships have on our physical and mental health and wellbeing and how we can prioritise good human connections. We'll also explore how we should navigate difficult or even toxic relationships or connections. The good news is social connections seem delay cognitive decline. Our quality of life is enhanced by friendships and good family relations. Community and a sense of belonging is vital for all of us we get older and speed past 40!