Why 60 the new 40, 80 is the new 60 and 100 is the new 80

Turning 60 can either be a milestone or a millstone. It is the beginning of the decade when you either set yourself up for healthy ageing or your misdemeanours of past decades catch up with you.

It is the turning point where, in one direction, lies a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet. In the other direction lies a healthy older age – whereby you keep fit, eat well and stay mentally and physically active.

The research tells us that the decisions we make in this decade will either help us to age successfully or lead us on a downward health spiral. Dr G calls this decade the Slippery 60s.

There are 4.2 million Australians over the age of 65, which is around 16% of the population. Around 1.8 million are 75 and over, and half a million are 80 and over. Although Australia is referred to as the lucky country with most enjoying a high standard of living, our health record leaves much to be desired.

Critical to ageing well is to consider that chronological age is just a number. It is your biological age which is important – the age of your mind and body. You can’t change your chronological age, but you can lower your biological age. Embrace 60 as your new 40; 80 as the new 60; and 100 as the new 80.

If you are in your 60s, start thinking like a 40-year-old. Make a list of the things you enjoyed in your 40s. Are you still doing them? If not, why not? Would you like to start doing some of them again? Is there a reason you stopped? Was it health, or family, or did someone say you were too old? Clearly, you need to carefully consider any health issues, but Dr G cautions you not to take advice to do nothing. What are the new things you want to do as a 60-year-old (your new 40)? Make a list of them.

The items you would like to achieve in the next three months become your short-term goals. The more involved ones – three to 12 months – become your medium-term goals. Those items that take more time, perhaps to build skill or fitness, become your long-term goals. The older you get the more you need to keep mind and body functioning. These short-, medium-, and long-term goals will become part of your blueprint for successful ageing.

To keep active and well, the best place to start is with an exercise program. Exercise is the closest thing to a panacea for successful ageing.