How Not To Get Old: One Woman’s Quest to Take Control of the Ageing Process

by Jane Gordon

'A jolly quest to make the greying years more colourful' The Times

When journalist Jane Gordon was hospitalised and left immobile after a nasty car accident, dependent on others to feed her and help her to the bathroom, she suddenly had to confront what it might be like to one day be old and infirm.

Determined to not only regain her strength but find ways to stay physically and mentally fit for as long as possible, Jane decided to road-test different self-help programmes designed to promote longevity. From ballroom dancing to brain training, learning a second language to silent meditation, joining the gym and improving her gut health, Jane seeks advice from top neuroscientists and medical professionals to assess the impact these courses have on her health, and whether they will stop her getting old before her time.

Part self-help, part manifesto, How Not To Get Old is about future-proofing your physical and mental wellbeing and taking control of the ageing process, rather than wallowing in it. For what begins as a clever experiment in the art of stopping time becomes a joyous celebration of what we CAN do, not what we can't or shouldn't, and ultimately demonstrates how later life is still very much for living...

Genres: Self Help

272 pages, Hardcover

Published February 22, 2022

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!
It’s inspired me to challenge myself and take up a few of Jane’s suggestions 😊

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light hearted and entertaining account of a woman’s attempt to try various activities that are proven to slow ageing. Nothing groundbreaking but enjoyable and inspired me to try something new

[BingeReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book although it required quite a bit of motivation for me to finish. I like the general takeaways from this book such as motivating yourself to do things that you are not naturally drawn to. I like the line about how concentration is key. One of the real problems with aging that makes you more vulnerable to cognitive decline is being able to pay attention without being distracted by other things. So often people say my memory is getting worse, when it’s not their memory, it’s their ability to pay attention that is deteriorating. I’ve never thought of it that way but that makes a lot of sense.

As Dr. Jon said, there are around a hundred billion neurons in the human brain and there is no possibility of filling that up in a lifetime. And while the frontal lobe is not going to function at 60 as it did at 20, there is plenty of space and life left in the brain. You just have to keep on challenging it. I believe that and it’s comforting not to have to worry about experiencing a ‘memory full’ problem when I’m older.