Similar to the tried and tested Dry January and Stoptober models, The Open University’s Take Five to Age Well campaign is encouraging people over 50 to sign up to a month of healthy habits designed by experts from the University.
With an ever-increasing demand on adult social care services and the NHS across the UK, The Open University will help people take proactive care across the month of September in five key areas of their lives.
Take Five to Age Well builds upon the Five Pillars of Ageing Well, devised by Dr. Jitka Vseteckova and is one of The Open University’s Open Societal Challenges which looks to use the power of the University’s research to address complex issues affecting society.
Top tips from Take Five to Age Well include:
- Stand on one leg whilst brushing your teeth – this is great for balance that become more and more important to avoid falls.
- Drink a glass of water before every snack and meal – this will help you stay hydrated (our hirst response weakens with age due to cognitive changes and so you need to proactively drink water even if you don’t feel thirsty).
- Choose a new vegetable you wouldn’t normally buy from the supermarket and look up a recipe that uses it.
- Spend 5 minutes doing something creative: draw a picture, play an instrument, do an origami online tutorial.
- Offer to walk someone’s dog – spending time with animals is calming and walking in nature is good for the body and brain.
- Laugh and have fun – the dose of dopamine from laughing stimulates the synthesis of new proteins in the brain, it also reduces stress and boosts mood. The average four year old laughs 300 times a day, whereas the average 40 year old laughs only four times.
Launching the campaign, TV Presenter Kaye Adams, said:
“We need to rid ourselves of the negativity that can surround the aging process like those greetings cards which depict older people as bumbling, confused and out-of- step. In reality, there are countless people in their 70s and 80s busting the stereotypes and leading active, joyful and productive lives. If anything, these years can be the best of our lives if we stay healthy. That’s why I am supporting Take Five to Age Well; a new initiative from The Open University that hopes to empower the UK to age well and challenge some of the stereotypes associated with ageing.”
Dr. Jitka Vseteckov, Senior Lecturer in Health and Social Care at The Open University, said:
“This campaign tackles an urgent national health challenge; we have an ageing population in a landscape of overwhelmed social care and NHS services. Through the Take Five to Age Well pledge we hope to engage people across the UK with their health and wellbeing.
“This will support the sustainability of existing interventions and contribute to our understanding of how we can effectively change our health related behaviours. We want to build a healthy population for a happier society.”
Alan is almost 81 and has been attending Dr. Vseteckova’s talks on the importance of ageing well, he says:
“I was a project manager and I treat my health like a project. It’s important to me because I want to avoid being in the healthcare system for as long as possible as there are many people more in need of appointments than me.”
Alan is one of growing numbers of older adults that is determined to live well in later life. With an average care home now costing over £800 a week, many people want to stay independent and avoid increasing care costs.
Professor Rose Anne Kenny, Chair of Medical Gerontology at Trinity College Dublin and author of bestselling book ‘Age Proof’ is a supporter of Take Five to Age Well, she says:
“One of the most important factors which influences ageing is keeping interested, staying engaged and ensuring variety in your life”.
Take Five to Age Well hopes to inspire people up and down the UK to think about their future health. You can sign up to the pledge here: https://wels.open.ac.uk/research/projects/take-5
