Secrets of a super-ager

We’ve all heard the saying “age is just a number” – and it’s true. Jo Hartley meets the “super-agers” to uncover how to stay fit, sharp and strong into our 80s and beyond.

- Jo Hartley

Gladys Phillips is 100 years old and not slowing down. Daily walks with her grandchildren, weekly physio and regular social outings keep her feeling young. Still being able to touch her toes makes her legendary.

“Until I was 60, I owned a shop and worked as the first female taxi driver in Fingal Head [in NSW],” Gladys tells The Weekly. “I’ve always been active and social in the community, so I’ve never been lonely. When I retired, I played bridge and took up ballroom dancing. I don’t drink or smoke, and live by the motto: ‘Hard work won’t kill you, but worry will’.”

And it seems Gladys’ motto holds some truth. Dr John Tickell has spent decades travelling and studying the health, wellbeing and longevity patterns of people around the world. He’s learnt a lot from the Okinawans – living on a group of islands off the coast of Japan – who have one of the longest life expectancies globally.

From his learnings, Dr Tickell has simplified our needs into what he calls the ACE skills of life: activity, coping and eating. He notes that activity should be moderate and regular; coping is about social connectivity, a positive attitude and learning to switch off; and eating is about more plant and less flesh.

It all starts with diet