Pro-Ageing

Ageing has always been seen as something we should fight against. God forbid you should have wrinkles, sunspots, or grey hair! 

It’s great to take care of yourself and do what makes you feel good and confident in your own skin. But that right there is the important part… what makes YOU feel good, and not what you feel pressured into doing. 

The pro-ageing movement champions a new approach, a more balanced and healthy approach to growing older. It’s working with your body and not fighting against it, using moisturisers, antioxidants, and cell turnover skincare to help aid your skin in a more natural way. It is also about taking care of your overall health, with adequate sleep, hydration, healthy eating, and taking care of your mental health too. It’s an all-round holistic approach to getting older! 

Pro-Skincare

Use skincare that works with your body rather than fights against it, such as antioxidant ingredients like Vitamin C, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Resveratrol, Vitamin E, and Retinol (Vitamin A). Use moisturisers and serums that contain collagen to help improve the skin’s elasticity. Most importantly, keep your skincare routine simple! Your routine should only include a few steps: cleanse, moisturise, serum, and SPF. 

Pro-Eating

The diet you once ate in your teens may no longer work for you in your 50s, and so adapting your diet as you get older is a great way to work with your body. You do not need to stick to a rigid diet and not have any fun with food, but you may want to be more mindful of what you put in your body and tip the scales to feeding it more healthy and nutritious options. A diet that contains antioxidant-rich food, good oils, and fruit and veg will help to look after your body. Also, don’t forget to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and fluids! 

Pro-Exercise

Just because you are growing older doesn't mean you should stop moving. There are many amazing exercises that can be done that are great for keeping you in shape no matter your age. Yoga, swimming, walking, Pilates, spin, are all excellent ways to keep in shape and protect the body. Most importantly, it’s finding an exercise that you enjoy and keeps you motivated – whatever one you enjoy will be the one that is right for you!

Pro-Mind

You can’t be pro-ageing if your mindset is not right! Our modern-day world can lead to burnout, and so taking time for yourself to reset, rest, and unwind is crucial. Taking up a mindfulness practice such as meditation, listening or playing music, reading, painting, walking in nature, or even having a regular session with a therapist all aids in your mental wellbeing. Be kind to yourself!

Pro-Sleep

Sleep has multiple beneficial effects on our bodies and mental wellbeing. Getting 7-9 hours of good quality sleep will help repair the body in many ways. Sleep affects growth and stress hormones, our immune system, appetite, breathing, blood pressure and cardiovascular health, so it’s very important to prioritise sleep.

Pro-Positivity

Pro-ageing is ageing with positivity. There is no one age that is better than another, each year that we live adds a different dimension to our being. Wisdom comes with age, and as we age, we learn to develop ourselves in ways that we couldn’t imagine when we were younger. Adopting a new, positive way of thinking will enable you to embrace the ageing process and see that life has many things to offer. The practice of gratitude is an important tool to apply when thinking about ageing. Instead of thinking of negative associations with ageing, give thanks and be grateful for all the wonderful things that have come about as you have aged. 

“We are all going to age and soften and mellow and transition. All of us. If we are lucky. There are plenty of things to be anti about: anti-discrimination, anti-drug, anti-oppression, anti-poverty, and anti-sickness. Ageing isn’t one of them. We need to become pro-ageing and embrace the opportunities that ageing provides.” - Jamie Lee Curtis