Ageing and joint pain don’t have to go hand in hand … More than 50% of people over the age of 65 have some level of joint pain. But what if I told you this wasn’t inevitable? Would you actually take preventative action now? I am of the firm belief that we don’t have to live in pain, and luckily I’ve had the opportunity to spend time and engage with experts on the subject. I recently came across this article with loads of research sources to support preventative action! According to Brett Smith, rheumatologist from Alcoa TN, “Pain is more common as we age, but not necessarily a fact of life.” P ..read more

Meditation can be difficult if you feel uncomfortable Recently I’ve had the joy of watching and learning from Jon Kammit Zinn’s Masterclass on mindfulness. Seated meditation is a bit difficult for me – especially if it’s not a guided meditation – and it’s a real challenge on a number of levels. the physical discomfort after about 10 minutes of sitting with my legs crossed and the ongoing self-judgement of my never-ending thought cycle (being just two). I was so interested to read Ava Whitney Coulter’s Q&A with Cara Bradley on how mindful movement can support your meditation process. She ..read more

It is expected that by 2040 obesity will have overtaken smoking as the leading preventable cause of cancer in women – a pattern that men will follow a few years later. Terrifying. In a virtual conference “Cancer Prevention – Physical Activity” Prof Linda Bauld of Edinburgh University stated that whilst tobacco and smoking remained the main cause of cancer in the UK obesity was now the second highest risk, and in the future is likely to become the main cause. Physical activity is a life saver According to a recent Cancer Research UK study, more than 135 000 cases of cancer – about 4 out of ..read more

Age-related memory loss is preventable Dementia rates are rising every year. And every year we get closer to 50, 60, 70, concern around our brain health steps onto stage. It’s our first experience with not being able to find a name, a word, or something else we’ve always been so quick with that brings the issue into focus. And before long we’re laughing at our fading memory, finding that our contemporaries are also experiencing it, and mark it down to the passage of time. But what if we could actively do something really simply to keep our brains sharp as we age – and at the same time, take ca ..read more

Good news to start this week as your brain feels like it’s slowly crashing towards year end! To those of us in midlife that are starting to worry about our cognitive decline, take a breath. The good news is that it’s not all bad news! We know that age and wisdom go hand in hand, but so do happiness and self esteem. The Ageing Brain is Actually An Asset In a recent study, research suggests that the type of creativity rooted in a lifetime of experience and tinkering peak in late middle age, which means we’re also better at our jobs! New research conducted at Trinity College Dublin compared how t ..read more

Let’s go back to yesteryear Let’s Dance! Put on your Red shoes and dance the blues… Dancing Queen Flashdance: What a Feeling Dirty Dancing Saturday Night Fever Footloose What do you inherently want to do? DANCE! Just like movement and storytelling, dance is an ancient behavior that comes naturally to all of us – even if you think you’ve got no rhythm, two left feet, can’t co-ordinate and count, and you’ll never get the hang of a “step-change” in time… One of the things I’ve missed most in lockdown is a good old dance party with my favourite old dance tracks and a few new ones all thrown into ..read more

During 2020, I started hearing more and more about the “microbiome”. Having spent the past 13 years focusing on my mid-life health and wellness and knowing that having a healthy gut is key, I started paying attention so that I could learn more. According to the latest TRENDium report issued by the Global Wellness Summit, 70% of our immune system is headquartered in our “gut” – an extraordinarily complex, 100 trillion-cell system of bacteria, viruses and fungi, with new studies confirming that the microbiome has a real impact on our immune response and chronic disease. And an even bigger reaso ..read more

If you read my blog, you’ll know I find meditation really difficult. I’m much better at a session of breathwork to clear my mind. But the last few months have been tough – staying focused, positive, staying confident on final outcomes with every new bump in the road. I’ve also found my personal insecurities heightened, falling into old, negative default behaviors far more easily than I have in years. So, I’ve been dabbling with finding a mediation practice that can work for me, and doing quite a lot of reading – from Dr Joe Dispenza’s “Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself” – which was totally ..read more

If there’s one thing this year has taught us it’s that innovation, technology and creativity are forces to be reckoned with.   A night out with the greats! This past Sunday night, I sat on my sofa with Sir Kenneth Branagh, Dame Judy Dench, Dame Maggie Smith, Sir Dereck Jacobi and Sir Ian McKellen for a chat about their lengthy and extraordinary careers. Well, me and 6,665 other guests – a crowded living room to say the least. My daughter sat next to me, and her friend tuned in via zoom to listen in on the conversation. Such an insightful and inspiring evening! Quite phenomenal when you th ..read more

“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.” – Albert Camus Reality is bleak, now’s the time to dig deep. As December and the end of 2020 hurtle towards us, November is coming to a swift end. I’m not sure about you, but this week I have suddenly felt overcome by exhaustion. For those of you in the US, I’m sure you’re finding things even more tough. With Thanksgiving upon you and recommendations ..read more