Ageing Well: Caring for Ourselves and Our Elders
It feels presumptuous to write about ageing from the vantage point of my 40-year-old bones. Yes, there’s a little more creaking, and the effects of gravity are becoming increasingly known to me in intimate ways. But as I peek over the hill towards later years, it’s hard to say how it will truly be. It looks difficult to be very old of body, but I trust that nature knows the way. To every season, turn…
Honouring Our Elders
We wanted to name the importance of supporting and keeping our elders well – and to applaud those in our community who take this dedication seriously and do it with such love. It’s always moving to witness multiple generations in a doctor’s surgery, to see the shifting roles, the reciprocity, the joys of grandchildren, and even the poignancy of loss and how it shapes us anew.
The Value of Shared Ageing
Modern life has often divorced us from the community of shared living and ageing. But immersing our elders in our lives is integral – not just to receiving their wisdom, but to supporting working parents through intense stages of life and raising mindful, grounded children.
Ageing Gracefully Starts Now
While the investments we make in our bodies in our younger years lay the path for healthy ageing, the body is forgiving. It’s never too late to start eating with good nutrition in mind, lifting weights to build muscle and bone, and exercising our minds to improve cognition.
When we look to the Blue Zones – regions of the world with the highest concentrations of centenarians – we are not surprised to see common themes:
- Community
- Weight-bearing movement
- A sense of purpose
- Intergenerational connection
- Whole food diets free of chemicals
5 Ways to Invest in Your Own Ageing Today
- Build muscle strength through incrementally heavier weight lifting
- Eat a high-protein, whole food diet
- Invest in relationships, meaning, and hobbies outside of work
- Consider HRT to protect your bones from frailty later (if you’re female and at that stage)
- Stay mentally active through learning, reading, or creativity
5 Ways to Support Your Elder Loved Ones
- Keep them moving and physically active
- Maintain good nutrition (a diet of tea and toast is a risky business!)
- Help them sustain a sense of purpose
- Share life in community—through churches, choirs, creativity, nature, and gathering
- Encourage joyful, meaningful routines
Let us celebrate ageing not just as an inevitable passage, but as a chapter rich with possibility, connection, and care.
