If and when a drug company can offer you this result in a pill, I suggest that it will be worth billions of dollars in profits.

However the reality is that for most people, it is now possible to achieve the twin benefits of a longer life and better health – but we have to do a bit more than just take a few pills.

Unless you are physically impaired or have a serious illness, it’s generally possible to make significant improvements in your health and wellbeing.

The two biggest hurdles to be overcome are –

Do you really want to make some healthy changes to your lifestyle?

Are you prepared to put in the necessary effort?

If you answer “yes” to these two questions, there’s loads of medical evidence confirming that if we improve our lifestyle, we can slow down the ageing process and enjoy a better quality of life in our later years.

It’s not really that hard. We just need to follow these basic steps:

We need a positive, optimistic mental attitude towards life.

We need to reduce our levels of stress. There are lots of techniques and coaches who can help you do this. Meditation is a proven method.

Work at getting eight hours sleep a night.

Eat a healthy, well balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Cut down on processed food and sugar-filled soft drinks. There’s ton’s of information about healthy eating on the internet and in magazines and books. Our book contains a chapter from a leading nutritionist.

Exercise regularly and make sure that you cover these five groups – balance, joint mobility, stretching, strength and cardiovascular. Regular 30 minute brisk walks are an excellent form of exercise, but you still need to work at covering the five groups I’ve mentioned above. I’ll write more about this in future articles. If you haven’t exercised for some time it’s important that you talk to an experienced trainer who has worked with older bodies.

Our book “How to stay Healthy, Active and Sharp in Retirement” has all the information you will need to make a big difference to your health and fitness.

It’s available on our web site at www.retirementbooks.com.au. There’s a money back guarantee if you’re not satisfied.