Exercise

You know you should. It helps your heart, lifts your mood and you can annoy everyone who’s not doing any by telling them how much you’re putting in.

Stop Smoking

You know you shouldn’t. If you’re flirting with an illness, and you will as you get older, cigarettes will help you develop it. Once you’re over the teenage fallacy that smoking makes you look cool there is not one upside to smoking that isn’t slaughtered by the downside. Smokers tell you it relieves stress. What is more stressful than killing yourself?

Socialise and Keep Mentally Active

This is what the pub was invented for as far as I am concerned. A pint supped over a crossword, or a fight with Sudoku, and a bit of banter with friends goes a long way to keep you happy.

Drink More Water

Largely to aid digestion. Constipation is a curse of old age. We have all heard of the retired accountant who had to work it out with a pencil, so drinking water with meals is a good habit to cultivate.

Get Outdoors

You need your Vitamin D and the sun provides it. Except in the West Coast of Scotland, where I grew up. Fresh air is a tonic too. Life always looks better after you’ve been outdoors in the garden, on your bike or after a good walk.

Eat Nutritiously

We’re talking whole grains, fresh vegetables, fruits and pulses. Stick exclusively to these and while living longer can’t be guaranteed as a consequence, it will certainly feel like it.

Drink a Little Alcohol, Often

What great advice. I’ll leave it to you to define the parameters of “little” and “often”.

Make Your Home Safe

The biggest killers in the Western World are staircases. For oldies, a broken hip can be a lifetime sentence to bed. And all because you tripped over the carpet, telly cable or cat.

See Your GP, Optician and Dentist Regularly

By the looks of my village surgery, OAP’s don’t need much encouragement here.

Be Positive

In the sense both of being optimistic but also in taking control of your life at whatever age you are. It’s not a dress rehearsal etc etc