Petrol Cars Just Got Overtaken.
We might accept that electric cars are outselling petrol cars. But some things are simply not negotiable.
The best music came from our era — and preferably it was played on vinyl. A handwritten letter meant more than a text message.
We survived perfectly well with a handful of television channels. Now we can scroll through hundreds of them before announcing, “There's absolutely nothing on.”
And perhaps — just perhaps — the 70s and 80s really were a pretty good place to be.
There is something enjoyable about looking backwards. We know how that story turned out.
The trouble is, we can't do the same thing looking forwards.
There's no time machine that lets us pop ahead to 75, 80 or 85, have a quick look at ourselves and come back with a shopping list of everything we should have done differently.
It reminds me of one of my favourite songs, with its wonderfully simple message about doing what you want to do and being who you want to be.
So perhaps keeping a weather eye on where we're heading — and doing a few things now that might help us arrive there a little better — isn't such a bad plan.
Although future me still maintains that music from our era was better! 🎸
The Future Is Under Construction — But Life Is Already Here
A little reflection for this Wednesday...
But there's a peculiar danger in becoming so good at constructing the future that we forget we're already standing in our life.
Maybe positive ageing isn't about trying to feel younger. Maybe it's continuing to have plans for tomorrow while still noticing what's good about Wednesday. And if you're still working, it's hump day — so technically, you're already halfway somewhere.
Happy Wednesday. Keep constructing the future.
“Don't Treat Me Like I Can't Use It”
“Are you scared of technology or just tired of being made to feel like you should be?”
Have you ever handed your phone to someone younger because you couldn't work something out — only to have them tap away at lightning speed, hand it back and say, “There you go!”
Maybe we're more capable than we're given credit for -Recent research suggests there may be more going on here than simply whether we're “good” or “bad” with technology.
We should stop assuming someone's technology skills based on the number of candles on their birthday cake!
Research source: Gudynaite, G., Zamalijeva, O., Pakalniskiene, V. & Gegieckaite, G. (2025). Experiences of ageism and digital technology use among older adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1669321. “Experiences of ageism and digital technology use among older adults”
My Heel Told Me to Slow Down….
Plantar fascia pain is teaching me about load, adaptation and keeping an ageing body movingdy moving
There is something mildly irritating about deciding to get fitter and stronger in your 60s, only to have a body part lodge a complaint. In my case, it was my heel. Over recent months, I'd been deliberately doing more — walking more briskly, increased wood stacking; gradually increasing the weights I use for strength training and generally trying to build a stronger, more capable body. Add flat feet and ageing orthotics and eventually my heel decided it had something to say.
My heel isn't completely settled, so this isn't a triumphant "Here's how I cured plantar fasciitis" story.
It's simply what I'm learning while working my way through it. And the biggest lesson hasn't really been about feet. It's been about adaptation. As we get older, there will inevitably be times when a knee, shoulder, back, hip — or in my case, heel — objects to something we're doing.
Maybe healthy ageing isn't about avoiding the niggles. It's about learning how to keep moving when they arrive.
Coach Colleen’s Healthy Ageing Weekly Report - Week Ending 23 August 2026
This week wasn't about following the original plan perfectly.
It was about changing the plan when my body needed me to — and finding some new things worth keeping along the way. 🌿
What Does Seven to Thrive Actually Look Like?
Seven to Thrive is seven individual 60-minute coaching sessions designed around you — your health, your life, and what you would like to improve.
HAVE WE MADE MODERN LIFE TOO COMFORTABLE?
Researchers studied the Hadza hunter-gatherers in Tanzania, expecting perhaps that they simply spent far less time inactive than people in industrialised societies.
They didn't.
They averaged about 9.9 hours a day in non-walking/resting postures — surprisingly similar to sedentary time seen in industrialised populations.
The fascinating difference was how they rested.
They frequently squatted or knelt rather than sitting in chairs. Measurements showed that some squatting positions kept the leg muscles working substantially harder than ordinary chair sitting.
Perhaps the problem isn't simply that modern humans rest. Humans have always rested. We may have changed the way we rest.
And we don't have to look to hunter-gatherer communities to see how dramatically everyday movement has changed.
We don't have to go back very far.
Think about an ordinary day in Australia a century or more ago.
There were no remote controls, robot vacuums or online shopping. People generally walked more as part of everyday life. Household work involved lifting, carrying, scrubbing, chopping, bending and reaching. Gardens were worked. Washing was physical work. Even getting from one place to another often required more physical effort.
Life wasn't necessarily healthier, easier or better — far from it.
But it did contain something modern life has become remarkably good at removing:
Incidental movement.
Today:
We take lifts rather than stairs.
Our floors are flat.
Our paths are paved.
Machines carry, wash, lift and move things for us.
We spend much of our day indoors and turn the lights on at night.
None of these things is bad. They're wonderful conveniences.
But there is an interesting question:
In making life easier, have we inadvertently removed some of the everyday challenges that helped keep our bodies capable?
Perhaps ageing well isn't about exercising for an hour and then avoiding movement for the other 23.
Yes, we naturally lose muscle as we age — but how much strength and capability we retain is not entirely predetermined by our age.
As we get older, maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important — not because we need to become bodybuilders, but because strength helps us keep doing the ordinary things that make up our lives.
Getting out of a chair. Carrying the shopping. Climbing stairs. Gardening. Travelling. Staying steady on our feet.
In fact, carrying the shopping is something our Over 60s Wellness Ambassador has already demonstrated for us — a very ordinary everyday task, but also a good example of why maintaining strength matters as we get older.
Age-related loss of muscle mass and strength is known as sarcopenia, and it becomes more common as we age.
The good news is that our muscles don't simply stop responding because we've reached a certain birthday.
We can continue to build and maintain strength well into later life.
You only have to look at people such as Joan MacDonald — better known as Train With Joan — who began transforming her health and strength in her 70s and has become a wonderful example of what can be possible in later life.
Of course, we don't all need — or want — to train like Joan.
The goal can be much simpler:
To be strong enough to keep doing the things we want to do.
Because maintaining muscle isn't really about having bigger muscles.
It's about maintaining our independence, capability and choices as we age.
When Chronic Pain Changes More Than Your Body
Chronic pain is usually talked about in terms of symptoms.
Where does it hurt? How severe is it? What makes it better? What makes it worse?
But chronic pain can change much more than the body.
Chronic Pain Australia’s recent Annual National Pain Report provides a confronting picture of what living with persistent pain can mean.
Among respondents:
57% said chronic pain had affected their ability to work
42% had stopped working because of chronic pain
72% said cost was preventing them from accessing healthcare
58% had felt ignored or dismissed when seeking healthcare
71% reported experiencing mental health issues after their pain began
These figures tell us something important.
Pain rarely stays neatly contained to the painful part of the body.
It can affect someone's ability to work, exercise, sleep, socialise and participate in family life. It can change finances and independence. And when pain continues for months or years, it can also begin to change how someone sees themselves and their future.
For someone who has always been active, capable and independent, suddenly needing help can be difficult.
For someone whose work has been an important part of their identity, being unable to work can represent much more than lost income.
And for someone who has spent months attending appointments, trying treatments and explaining their symptoms, feeling that they are not being heard can add another layer to an already difficult experience.
Living well alongside pain
Of course, good medical treatment and pain management remain important.
But there is another part of chronic pain management that deserves attention:
How do I live my life when pain has changed some of the rules?
Sometimes the goal isn't simply getting back to the person you were before pain.
It may be finding ways to rebuild confidence, maintain relationships, reconnect with meaningful activities, adjust expectations and gradually create a life that feels like your own again.
That doesn't mean giving up on recovery.
It means recognising that while we are treating the pain, we also need to support the person living with it.
And perhaps that is one of the strongest messages contained within these statistics.
Behind every percentage is a person whose life may have changed in ways that can't be measured on a pain scale.
Source: Chronic Pain Australia, Annual National Pain Report. Chronic Pain Australia’s recent Annual National Pain Report provides a confronting picture of what living with persistent pain can mean. [Read the full report here.]
“We don’t start with what’s wrong. We start with the life you want.”
We spend a lot of time planning for retirement, but not always much time thinking about the life we actually want when we get there.
What do you want to still be doing ten years from now? Who do you want around you? What will give your days purpose, connection and enjoyment?
And perhaps the most important question — is there anything you could start doing now that your future self might thank you for?
That’s the thinking behind Prequel, and why I believe these conversations are worth having before we think we need them.
Want to know more about Prequel? [Explore the program here.]
What Does It Really Mean to Thrive?
I’m really pleased to share a little more about Seven to Thrive.
When we were developing this program, one thing was really important to me: I didn’t want it to become another program telling people all the things they should be doing for their health.
Most of us already know many of those things.
What can be harder is working out what actually matters to me, what would I like to be different, and what can realistically fit into my life?
That’s what Seven to Thrive is about.
Across seven individual coaching sessions, we look at the things that contribute to wellbeing — movement and strength, food, sleep and energy, stress and resilience, connection, enjoyment and purpose — but always through the lens of the individual.
And each conversation comes back to something practical:
What is one small thing I could try that might make a difference?
By the final session, those discoveries come together into a personal 90-Day Thrive Plan.
There’s no expectation of a perfect lifestyle at the end of Seven to Thrive.
The hope is something much more useful: greater clarity about what helps you thrive, more confidence in making changes that work for you, and a practical way forward.
I’m looking forward to seeing this one come to life.
Want to know more about Seven to Thrive? [Explore the program here.]
Your 50s Are a Prequel, Not a Waiting Room
If you're in your 50s and feeling pretty good, healthy ageing can seem like something to think about later.
But your 50s aren't a waiting room for getting older. They're an opportunity to start shaping how you want to live in your 60s, 70s and beyond.
You don't need to overhaul your life. But there are some things worth investing in now that your future self may thank you for.
1. Build strength now
Strength isn't just about looking fit. It helps us keep doing everyday things — carrying the shopping, climbing stairs, travelling, gardening, getting up off the floor and staying independent.
Think of strength as something you're putting in the bank for later.
2. Know your numbers
Blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose can change without you necessarily feeling any different.
Your 50s are a good time to stay on top of appropriate health checks and talk with your GP about your individual risk factors.
3. Think decades, not days
One of the most interesting things about healthy-ageing research is just how much midlife may matter.
The choices we make now can have an influence well beyond how we look or feel today. Think of your 50s as an opportunity to invest in the decades ahead.
4. Invest in your relationships too
We put considerable effort into our finances and physical health, but our social connections deserve some investment as well.
Friendships, family, community and simply having people to share life with can become increasingly valuable as we get older.
5. Have something you're moving towards
What do you actually want your 60s and 70s to look like?
Travel? Grandchildren? Work? Volunteering? Learning something new? Staying physically active? Starting something completely different?
Healthy ageing isn't only about avoiding illness. It's about being capable of living the life you want to live.
Your 50s are part of the plan
A major 2025 study published in Nature Medicine followed more than 100,000 people for up to 30 years. Researchers looked at who reached age 70 free of major chronic disease while also maintaining good physical, cognitive and mental health. The research found that healthier dietary patterns during midlife were associated with a greater likelihood of healthy ageing later in life. It's a useful reminder that what we do in our 50s isn't only about feeling better today. It can be an investment in the person we hope to be at 70.
The aim isn't to fear getting older. It's to arrive there better prepared.
Interested in the research?
Read the Nature Medicine study on diet and healthy ageing →
🧭 Thinking about your own Prequel?
Our Prequel program is designed for people who want to take positive steps now to prepare for a stronger, healthier and more independent future.
How Are You Thriving? Take Our 2-Minute Check-In
Take two minutes to think about these seven areas of your life.
Give yourself a score from 1 to 5 for each statement:
1 = Not really true for me
2 = Occasionally true
3 = Sometimes true
4 = Mostly true
5 = Very true
1. Strength & Independence
I feel physically capable and confident doing the everyday things that matter to me.
Your score: ___ / 5
2. Purpose
I have things in my life that give me purpose and something to look forward to.
Your score: ___ / 5
3. Connection
I regularly connect with people whose company and support I value.
Your score: ___ / 5
4. Curiosity
I'm still interested in learning, trying new things and exploring new ideas.
Your score: ___ / 5
5. Movement
I regularly move my body in ways that help me feel stronger, fitter or simply better.
Your score: ___ / 5
6. Looking After My Health
I take an active role in looking after my health and wellbeing.
Your score: ___ / 5
7. Outlook
I generally feel positive about the years ahead and my ability to adapt to change.
Your score: ___ / 5
Your total: ___ / 35
What does your score mean?
Your total score is interesting — but it's not the most important part of this check-in.
Instead, look back at your seven answers.
Where did you score 4 or 5?
These are areas of your life that may already be helping you thrive. Keep doing what you're doing.
Where did you score 1 or 2?
Think of these not as weaknesses, but as opportunities. Is there one small thing you could do to move just one of those scores up by one point?
Maybe it's going for an extra walk, rebuilding your strength, calling an old friend, joining a group, learning something new or finding something that gives you a greater sense of purpose.
🌱 You don't have to improve everything at once. Pick one thing. Start small.
“Which of your seven would you like to work on?”
Want to take the next step?
If this check-in has got you thinking about an area of your life you'd like to work on, our Seven to Thrive program is designed to help you take practical steps towards staying stronger, healthier, connected and engaged as you age.
Ageing Well: 7 Things That Matter More Than You Might Think
New Australian research suggests ageing well is about much more than simply being in good health.
Researchers asked older Australians what ageing well actually meant to them. Their answers identified seven important areas:
1. Autonomy
Having choices and feeling that you still have control over how you live your life.
2. Purpose
Having something that gives you a reason to get up in the morning
3. Independence
Being able to continue doing as much as possible for yourself and maintaining confidence in everyday life.
4. Manageable health
Interestingly, ageing well didn't mean having perfect health. What mattered was being able to manage health challenges while continuing to live a fulfilling life.
5. A positive attitude
How we think about ageing matters. Being able to adapt to change and focus on what we can do may be just as important as worrying about what we can no longer do.
6. Staying actively involved in life
Keeping physically and mentally engaged — through exercise, interests, hobbies, learning, travel, social activities or simply trying something new.
7. Connection and belonging
Having meaningful relationships and feeling connected to family, friends, neighbours or the wider community.
Want to explore your own seven?
If these seven areas have got you thinking about how you want to age, our Seven to Thrive program is designed to help you take practical steps towards staying stronger, healthier, connected and engaged in the years ahead.
Find out more about Seven to Thrive →
So, how are you ageing? Interested in the research? Read more about the Federation University study here.
Living Longer Isn't Just About Diet and Exercise
Diet and exercise get most of the attention when we talk about longevity. But fascinating new research from Sardinia suggests there may be another piece of the puzzle: personality.
Published in the International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology in July 2026, the study, by researchers including Maria Chiara Fastame from the University of Cagliari, looked at 125 adults aged 71–101 living in Sardinia’s famous Blue Zone and a nearby non-Blue-Zone rural area.
The researchers found that the Blue Zone group showed higher openness to experience, along with better coping skills, greater emotional competence, and more involvement in mentally and physically stimulating activities.
One particularly interesting finding was how much time they devoted to these activities. Blue Zone participants averaged around 11.3 hours a week on hobbies and mentally stimulating activities, compared with 6.8 hours in the comparison group.
Perhaps one of the lessons from Sardinia is that healthy ageing isn’t only about looking after our bodies. Staying curious, engaged and interested in the world around us may matter too.
Free Longevity Tools to Help You Live Healthier for Longer
Staying healthy and independent as we get older doesn’t necessarily require expensive programs, apps or subscriptions. There are a number of free online tools and resources designed to help older Australians understand and improve different aspects of their health and wellbeing.
From maintaining mobility and independence to supporting brain health, emotional wellbeing and digital confidence, here are two free resources worth exploring.
1. Heart Foundation – Heart Age Calculator
Find out whether your heart is ageing faster or slower than you are.
2. LiveUp – Healthy Ageing/LifeCurve Quiz
Explore how you're tracking physically and discover practical ways to stay active and independent.
Weekly wellness report: 10/8/26
Weekly Wellness Report for 10 August 2026
How did you go this week?