WHEN I RETIRED, I SET MYSELF A GOAL...

... of doing all I reasonably could do to keep healthy for as long as possible. I do realise that the biggest pitfall of that approach is that you cannot be fully in control of your health, but still, I think it's worth it. With my scientific background, I read as much as I could of reliable research into this area. There seems to be a lot of consensus that there are some things you can do.

These include eating a healthy diet, not drinking too much alcohol, keeping physically active, learning new skills, having a strong social network and a sense of purpose. Within these areas, there is, of course, lots of discussion about the best approaches, and then you need to keep up with medical checks, such as cancer screening, and ensuring you can see and hear well with whatever aids needed. 

Following on from this information, I made the most of the time I had to work on these areas. I started with my diet and made sure I did a lot of home cooking with beans, oily fish, fruits, vegetables, seeds and fermented foods, although I still enjoy the occasional full English breakfast.  I have had a lot of experience cooking now and make the most of my mini chopper and food processor to avoid accidents with knives. I also find I am less likely to burn myself using an air fryer than an oven.

When it came to physical activity, I chose those activities I really enjoyed, my favourite being walking. I have also always loved dancing, but am uncoordinated and cannot keep rhythm. However, I have found I really enjoy Zumba. This keeps my heart rate up and uses repetitive movements put together in different ways, which I can manage without colliding with others. I was very concerned that one of the main problems with getting older is losing strength and balance. Already being challenged with balance, this is always going to be a problem with me. I therefore do both Pilates and yoga. Pilates is great for strengthening core muscles, and yoga has also really helped with my balance since regularly doing these activities.

I also rather reluctantly lift some weights to strengthen my arms, but in general, I think the key thing is to find activities you will keep doing regularly.

I can find socialising exhausting, but I find the best approach for me is to be involved in doing an activity. I really like being outside, so I joined a community allotment, which also helps with healthy eating. I also really enjoy volunteering at a garden centre set up to support adults with learning difficulties.  I have therefore filled up my week with a basic structure which I find really useful in terms of organisation.

At the same time, it's very flexible and I have plenty of time to go on walking trips. These activities also mean I spend a lot of time in the natural environment. I also love reading and have joined a book club.

It is worrying to know that with age, cognitive challenges increase, as I have always had a range of cognitive problems. Perhaps the good news is that I have already had to learn how to deal with these problems and have developed lots of coping strategies for areas such as short-term memory problems. Having had bad experiences, I have taught myself to always have specific places to put objects such as keys, and this works most of the time.

Recalling words and names has always been difficult for me, so I have learnt to avoid using names by, for example, asking people to introduce themselves to each other.

Apparently, you must keep learning new things to keep your brain active, and fortunately, I am not embarrassed about being rubbish at some things, having had years of making messes. I have definitely learnt perseverance over the years and am willing to keep trying with those things I really want to do. At the moment, I am really enjoying my retirement. There is, of course, no guarantee that these approaches will work, and it must be much harder to keep positive if you have illnesses to contend with, but I am hoping that being prepared to be adaptable will help.

Author Gillian Greenway