Health Tip of the Week: start planning ahead

We’ve all heard that saying that you’re only as young as you feel – this is why it is so important to remain positive as our bodies get older.

There is also a lot of truth in the adage “use it or lose it” – as those who continue to stay active both physically and mentally as they age are likely to have better functioning faculties than those who take a back seat in life.

According to experts at the HSE and Age Action, a good way of ensuring you stay in the game for longer is to make a plan and stick to it.

Official advice encourages older people to make plans for the future – this could involve resolving to get fitter, to have a healthier diet, to take up a new hobby, to learn a new skill – be it a language or even how to surf the internet and it could even be a plan to find a new partner – because it is never too late for love.

Likewise, booking a holiday at home or abroad is always a good plan and even volunteering to help someone will ensure a more positive frame of mind – which as we get older is vitally important.

Justin Moran, head of advocacy and communications at Age Action, says: "The most important advice for positive ageing is to plan ahead, which will help to create a positive mental attitude – don't let anyone hold you back, tell you that you're too old for something or that you're past trying new things.

“But you do also need to take care of the practical matters like ensuring you’ll have a decent income in retirement, deciding when you want to retire, where you might want to live, what you will do with your new free time. Like anything else in life, the better prepared you are, the more you’ll make of it.”

Health Tip of the Week is a sponsored by Pfizer as part of its Healthy Town initiative. Each year, Pfizer selects a town to take part in a unique project to aimed at showing you – no matter what age you are, or indeed where you live – simple steps to improve your health.

For more see www.irishtimes.com/sponsored/healthy-town