Source : the age
By Katie Cunningham
As Luigi Fontana sees it, “ageing doesn’t start when you’re 65 or 70 and you retire — ageing actually starts in utero.”
Fontana, the scientific director of Charles Perkins Centre at the Royal Prince Alfred Clinic, whose work centres on health in our later years, says there’s a growing body of research that shows what we do before procreation can affect the probability of our kids or grandkids developing a number of chronic diseases.
We may not be able to change what our parents did before we were born, but Fontana says the take-away is the same – it’s never too early to start setting ourselves up for a healthy retirement.
Professor Luigi Fontana and chef Marzio Lanzini in the Charles Perkins Centre’s research kitchen.Credit: Wolter Peeters
“The sooner you start to improve your lifestyle, the better,” he says.
“At any age, if you reduce your body weight and increase your muscle mass, you will slow down osteoporosis. If you reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol, you are markedly changing the trajectory, and therefore the risk, of developing chronic diseases.
“So, it’s never too late.”
Planning for health
While we tend to focus on planning financially for retirement, financial security isn’t the only thing that will make or break your golden years.
“Money is really important, but a successful retirement needs more than just financial security,” says Jane Hogan, manager of insurance governance & wellbeing at Aware Super.
You may not realise that your super fund does more than just look after your money. Funds can also offer health and wellbeing services such as nutrition, fitness, mental health and menopause support.
Aware Super’s Jane Hogan.
Hogan says Aware Super offers health and wellbeing services for free to insured members through a partnership with Teladoc Health.
“Those experts include dietitians, maybe a psychiatrist or a psychologist, an exercise physiologist, or a menopause support nurse,” she says.
“They’ll also set up a follow-up to make sure everything’s on track and going well.”
How can I set myself up for a great retirement?
Perhaps the biggest determinants of physical health as we age are a healthy diet and regular movement. Fontana says we should all aim for a pescatarian-style diet, high in fish, fruit, vegetables, whole grains, seeds and nuts.
“I’m not proposing that people have to become vegetarians,” he says, but adds that moderating meat intake is a good idea.
We should also make time for both cardio and strength training – the latter should ideally be done three times a week to help prevent muscle loss as we age and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
But beyond the big two of diet and exercise, there are other ways we can all set ourselves up for a happy and healthy retirement.
Now is the time, Fontana says, to start building social connections and friendships outside of work. That will help ensure we have that all-important sense of community as we age.
“There are more and more studies that show social isolation is as powerful a risk factor for mortality as smoking — and many of our elderly live in isolation,” Fontana says.
“So, I think forcing yourself to meet with friends is very important as well.”
Fontana also recommends reducing stress – yoga and meditation can help – and prioritising sleep.
“Sleep is very important as we age. Unfortunately, we know many people sleep less as they age. And most importantly, they get less time in deep sleep.”
Deep sleep is critical because it is the sleep stage that “cleans our brain” and reduces our risk of dementia.
Strength training is important to combat muscle loss as we age. Credit: iStock
To promote good sleep hygiene, and therefore maximise our chances of hitting deep sleep, Fontana recommends going to bed at the same time each night, avoiding the use of blue light devices like phones or tablets at least an hour before bed and keeping the temperature of bedrooms cool.
Ultimately, it’s about taking the right steps to give yourself the life you deserve in retirement, says Hogan.
“We all have a bucket list for retirement, whether it’s travelling, volunteering or spending time with your family,” she says.
“Staying healthy and happy is what makes those things possible. That’s why we encourage our members to think about their whole lifestyle and wellbeing as part of their retirement plan – just like they would their finances.”
- Advice given in this article is general in nature and is not intended to influence readers’ decisions about investing or financial products. They should always seek their own professional advice that takes into account their own personal circumstances before making any financial decisions.
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