“New Year, New You!” I’m sure that by the 12th January you’ll have been exposed to a myriad of articles and sales messages about how you can transform yourself in a number of easy steps, if only you do x or y or maybe even z. I have never really been a proponent of New Year’s resolutions, however I do think that a period of reflection and readjustment can do a body and mind some good.

This rings true for me, even more so this particular year. It’s the year I take a new half-century on the chin. Yes, age is just a number I tell myself but there is something about 50 that makes it sound rather serious. FIFTY. I must really be a sensible grown up by now. There must be things that once eluded me, I surely now must know. Yet in my mind I don’t “feel” 50, whatever indeed that should feel like. Who really knows? Each of those years that ticked by seemingly at a snail’s pace during one’s school years (the best years of your life, repeatedly told but only latterly fully appreciated and understood) now roar by in a flash that defies logic. The very things that used to be viewed as some form of punishment; having to stay in rather than going out, being in bed by midnight and even having a little quiet lie-down in your room on a weekend afternoon are now delights to be slowly savoured.

I appear to have lost a number of important things over the years. My eyesight has slowly deteriorated to the point I need to wear glasses to see any smallish print. The font size on my kindle means fellow holidaymakers can also read the latest summer sizzlers from the comfort of their own sun lounger without having to move a muscle to turn a page. My memory, which could once be relied upon, especially in times of extreme examination pressure, can no longer be trusted. If it isn’t written down in large print, it either didn’t happen or will never have a hope of happening. Lists are my friend, but only if I remember to bring the list when it is required and of course the glasses to read what’s written on the list. I’m not sure where my metabolism has gone but it certainly isn’t ticking along quite as well as it used to. Overindulgences now take a lot longer to right and a lot less time to go badly wrong.
So what’s a girl of a certain age to do? There are always options in life; Plan A: do something or Plan B: do nothing and hope for the best. Plan B has regrettably run out of time so it’s Plan A, an Age Defying Action Programme (ADAP) with the emphasis firmly on action! It can be fun, I tell myself, it can be fun! So that is why I lace up my trail shoes and run up and down muddy hills in the woods first thing most mornings of the week. I’ve now passed the stage where the absolute highlight of this was the shower at the end and enjoy many benefits of this new regime. The key I think is discovering something you enjoy and keep at it. If you don’t try you’ll never know. The other important part of this equation is what you put into your body, after years of trial and error, I firmly believe that this is the key to ageing well. Exercise is great but it is the icing on the cake, get the basic ingredients right and you are laughing all the way to the bakery. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing; follow the 80/20 rule, eat real food, don’t follow faddy diets, drink plenty of water, watch the demon drink and live, laugh and love, whatever age you may be.
With age comes wisdom, experience and realisation. I used to worry about things. Now I know that I cannot change the past nor predict the future, the only thing I can impact is the present (and only those things directly within my control) and how I do that is completely down to me. Worrying about things used a lot of energy but changed absolutely nothing. It’s never too late for an old dog to learn new tricks, try something new and push oneself out of a very cosy comfort zone. Change is inevitable and attitude is everything. Age is just a number after all. Now where are my glasses? Happy 2017.