Nine things over 60s should do each week to stay young (including kitchen dancing)

Your sixties are a great time to focus on “healthspan” – staying healthy, independent and free from chronic disease for as long as possible. What you do in this decade can have a positive impact on how active you are into your eighties and nineties.

As we age and enter older adulthood, our risk of certain diseases, including dementia increases, “but it is not an inevitable part of getting older,” insists Emma Taylor, information services manager at Alzheimer’s Research UK.

For example, “Almost half (45 per cent) of dementia cases are linked to established health and lifestyle risk factors which we have some influence over.” While there’s no sure-fire way to prevent cognitive decline, there are many things we can all do to protect our brain health.

Three simple rules that we can follow to look after our brains – “love our heart, stay sharp, and keep connected with other people” – are principles that may help ward off a number of other unwanted conditions, while also supporting our mental health.

Here, experts share their top tips for a healthier and happier life in your sixties and beyond.

Get a blood pressure monitor and keep a close eye on cholesterol

Naveed Sattar, professor of cardiometabolic medicine at University of Glasgow, reminds people to book in for their free NHS health MOT if they haven’t already – eligible to anyone between the ages of 40 and 75, every five years. “Getting your lipids measured allows you to work out your cardiovascular risk score and discuss with your GP.”

Professor of cardiometabolic medicine Naveed Sattar recommends buying an at-home blood pressure monitor

He also suggests buying your own blood pressure monitor, which are relatively cheap. “There are several lifestyle changes that may lower blood pressure – including cutting your salt intake, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption – and some dietary changes that may impact cholesterol levels, though this is often hardest to change and if your cardiovascular risk is high, lowering cholesterol with proven medicines is easy, cheap and safe.”

Focus on fibre and cut down sweet, fatty snacks by half 

“As our bodies get older, we need to eat better quality fuel with simple diet changes,” Sattar continues. “Eat plenty of fibre-rich foods – eat a broader range of fruit and vegetables, and add more salads to meals – fibre is the gut’s lubricant and helps keep weight down.”

Cut down on sweet, fatty snacks – “maybe have half what you usually do and eat it more slowly,” he adds. “If weight is an issue, don’t be embarrassed to seek help from reputable sources – losing weight sustainably or stopping weight gain can improve many aspects of our health.

Experts recommend ‘exercising’ our brains through regular activities such as games of chess (Photo: Afriandi/Getty)

“As we age, more weight tends to gravitate to the waist which can increase the risk for many conditions – excess weight also puts more pressure on joints and makes activity harder, so improving diet can improve many aspects of life.”

Eat berries, beans and sardines each week

Nutritional needs become more complex at this stage of life for a number of reasons, adds consultant dietitian Juliet Wilson. “Less physical activity and decreasing basal metabolic rate (which starts to decline from around the age 60) can reduce appetite and energy requirements; digestive issues may reduce the absorption of important nutrients like calcium and magnesium; while medications can impact both appetite and nutrient absorption, increasing the importance of a nutrient-dense diet,” she says.

Consultant dietitian Juliet Wilson recommends eating blueberries, oily fish and beans

Wilson recommends focusing on a diet rich in flavonoids, specifically anthocyanins (natural compounds found in richly coloured plant foods like berries) and omega-3 fatty acids (found in oily fish) for brain and joint health; as well as magnesium for bone health, of which good sources include leafy greens, nuts, seeds and legumes. “This may be helpful in protecting against debilitating diseases like dementia and osteoarthritis, both of which are highly prevalent in the elderly population and lead to frailty,” she says.

“If I had to suggest three foods to eat weekly in your sixties, I’d suggest blueberries, raspberries or strawberries; at least one portion of either salmon, mackerel or sardines; and beans, like kidney, black beans, lima and edamame.”

Find fun in being more active outdoors – join a walking club or take up tai chi

“Find fun ways to be more active outdoors – whether that’s walking 5-10 mins more per day after lunch or dinner, or making time for a longer walk at weekends,” Sattar suggests. Or consider joining a tai chi group – ideally at a local park or green space. Research suggests that tai chi can significantly improve balance, cardiovascular fitness, cognition, mobility, strength and sleep.

Keep muscles supple with Pilates or barre

Strength and cardio instructor Tara Riley, founder of the Tara Riley method @pilatesandtara, says pilates and barre can be transformative for her clients in their sixties. “Pilates will keep the spine mobile and core – abs, pelvis and back – strong, while barre will help to maintain bone density and muscle mass by putting your joints under a safe load for high repetitions,” she says.

Strength and cardio instructor Tara Riley suggests that all over-60s should be doing pilates (Photo: Cecilia Cristolovean-Csiky)

“They are both fabulous for the brain because they require mindful coordination of the body, breath and mind. These types of exercises promote neuroplasticity, by improving neural motor function focusing on coordination, balance and strength.”

Five exercises to do several times a week in your sixties according to Tara Riley

Upper back strengthening and mobilising exercises are particularly important at this age, according to Riley, to help undo the long-term effects of decades spent sitting at a desk all day. Try this sequence to build strength and mobility.

Incline press ups

Great for the back as well as the core – lean at an angle placing hands on a surface such as a table or worktop. Bent elbows toward the waist as you lower yourself to the worktop and then press back up.

Lat pull with the resistance band

Hold a resistance band taught between hands, arms a little wider than shoulder width apart. Extend arms overhead and then pull arms down toward the waist bending the elbows and pulling on the band so the band drops behind the head. This will not only work the muscles but also improve the mobility of the upper back and shoulders.

Dynamic mobility deep squats and lunges

These not only target the large muscles in the quads, hamstrings and glutes but also aid mobility by putting the joint through full range of motion. If deep squats are too challenging, a great place to start is a sit stand, which requires you to stand up and lower yourself slowly back into the chair without using armrests. These are also great for those who have had knee or hip surgery.

Bent knee leg circles

These are a favourite of mine and we do them in barre often — they are wonderful for hip mobility. Standing upright, take one leg with a bent knee and swing it in a circular motion, moving as fully through the hip joint as possible. And then reverse the direction.

Go to bed at the same time each night and consider a nap

Our sleep starts to deteriorate as we get older, explains Dr Maja Schaedel, who heads up The Good Sleep Clinic. “You may have heard the myth that we need less sleep as we get older but this is unlikely to be the case. The truth is that we certainly get less sleep and less good quality sleep. We also know that our circadian rhythm (the internal body clock that tells us when to go to bed and when to wake up) starts to fall earlier and earlier and we want to fall asleep earlier and wake earlier.”

Dr Maja Schaedel recommends taking 20-minute naps (Photo: Claire Williamson)

This can get in the way with how “rested” people feel, she says. “One trick to maximise sleep quality is to align your time in bed with your natural circadian rhythm. If you’re a night owl, go to bed later and wake later, if you’re a morning lark go to bed earlier (9pm) but don’t be surprised when you wake at 5am.” She recommends introducing a daily walk or gentle stretching into your routine to improve your sleep.

While a regular sleep routine is important, it can be helpful to introduce a nap as you get older, Schaedel adds. “Our natural levels of alertness dip in the early afternoon and this is a prime time for a nap as it ties in with our natural dip in alertness whilst being early enough in the day not to disturb our sleep at night.” But keep it brief. “Twenty minutes is ideal, any longer and you may feel groggier than before the nap,” she advises.

Deep sleep is crucial for brain health. If you are experiencing insomnia (where you struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep) it’s important to speak to your GP about potential treatment, including melatonin or CBT-I (cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia), she adds.

Practice being positive, open and willing to try new things

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, points out that mindset is incredibly important, so “being positive, open, willing to try new things, and engaged with what’s going on around us are important. Things like volunteering to help others, joining a local group of some kind or learning a new skill or musical instrument are just a few examples of things worth considering if you’re looking at how to retain a sense of purpose and get the most out of life”.

A positive attitude can go a long way for the over-60s says charity director at Age UK, Caroline Abrahams (Photo: JAMIE_LAU)

Granted, “it’s easier to be positive, outgoing and involved if we are in good mental and physical health, financially secure, and well supported by family and friends than if we have none of these things”, she acknowledges, “but whatever your circumstances, trying to find space for fun and enjoyment are really important factors to staying well for longer”.

See or talk to people every day

Spending time with family or friends every day helps you feel more connected, and, crucially, provides important stimulation for your brain, Abrahams adds, while meeting new people gives you the chance to share different experiences, thoughts and ideas. “If you can’t keep in touch face to face then a phone call (or FaceTime with grandchildren) or connecting with others safely online are good options, too,” she suggests.

Exercise your brain with puzzles and hobbies

You’ve no doubt heard it before, but ‘exercising’ our brains through regularly learning new things and mentally-stimulating puzzles, games of chess and hobbies such as learning a language you’ve always loved the sound of, or taking up stress-relieving, mindful activities such as pottery, “makes a lot of sense”, Abrahams says. “If we want our brain to stay in peak condition, we need to use it. We know that doing hobbies and activities that we enjoy is vital for quality of life.”