How well will I age?

In the last 6 years, I’ve seen my elderly parents struggle with #chronicdiseases, #frailty, and a slow decline in their #qualityoflife. No amount of nagging about their lack of exercise and poor diet seems to make a difference. It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion, and you’d probably agree that few experiences in life are more painful to watch. As I fulfil the role of daughter and caregiver poorly, I’ve been trying to get my head around #ageing with both fear and trepidation. The question I ask myself isn’t how long do I want to live? Instead, it’s: how well will I age??

Why should we care about ageing well?

At worst, ageing is the major driver of chronic diseases, and at best it causes functional decline. This means - at some point, as we get older, we will not be able to continue with activities we love. If understanding the ageing process better means that we can intervene earlier to prevent the onset of anticipated health problems, what does it take to change the will of people to do so?

Or, more bluntly, my will to do so?

Traditionally, medical systems have been centered around sick care. But now, even on our local shores, there is a massive paradigm shift around ageing. The intention is to extend our #healthspan, keeping us thriving for longer. In a speech given by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung at the Ministry of Health Committee of Supply debate 2022, Minister Ong spotlights a major healthcare initiative for the nation called Healthier SG that focuses on #preventativecare. “The focus is to maintain health, rather than to treat sickness… we are not called the Ministry of Sickness, we are called the Ministry of Health”.?

It’s possible to reverse ageing if we start now

Science can now measure biomarkers to assess how our bodies are performing, and the #healthtech sector has made real-time monitoring of lifestyle interventions possible to slow down or even reverse ageing (and the increased incidence of chronic diseases that come with it!). Imagine a dashboard with our #healthdata.

Managed by #healthcoaches who hold a mirror up to ourselves to ensure that this call for change isn’t a mid-life crisis (and so what if it is?!); their raison d’être is to provide non-judgmental support to help us endure the painful changes needed to rid ourselves of detrimental lifestyle habits developed through our lifetimes. My health coach had better have a sense of humor; it’ll make the hard work just a tad easier.

Four areas are addressed by experts - #sleep, #exercise, the foods we eat, and our #mindhealth. These are, in fact, our best-kept secret weapons for healthy ageing. I’m told that no scary stuff is expected; it’s more like a traffic light – red shows areas to really work on, amber denotes ‘meh’, and finally, we get a high-five for the greens and celebrate those. The end result? Feel better, be better equipped to handle our changing bodies, maybe lose a couple of kilos, and celebrate our proactive intervention. We’re effectively putting up a fight against ageing badly.?

?Why are we still waiting to invest in our health?

Now, with the nation making healthcare a priority, why are some of us still waiting to #invest in our health? Employers recognise the multifaceted benefits of #optimalhealth and mental wellbeing, and are investigating ways of boosting medical benefit plans. It’s down to us now. Is society, and are we, ready to take ownership of our lifestyle to enjoy the health dividends as we move further away from our prime?

If you’re in your 20s & 30s and are young and energetic, you may be a fitness buff and feel invincible. But don’t forget the sleep, mental wellbeing & #nutrition components. As for us working women and/or Moms who juggle work, family, parents, and life in general - we’re far more interested in a fulfilling rather than a long life. We might make time for some #selfcare but are in constant guilt about being last on our list of priorities. Having to work on ourselves means one more plate to spin in the air.

It’s time to do something different

Will the fact that we’ll age better be enough of a dividend pay-out for us to invest in a healthier #futureself? Will it convince us to prioritise our health and wellbeing...do the things we know we should but don't? The logical answer to both questions - what are we waiting for?

To my friends, girlfriends and working Moms, I want to make a proposal:

Let’s age better together.

Hubbies & Dads - you too are welcome to come along for the ride. Many of us could use a push across the line over to the healthier side, and Chi Tree Health is making it easier for us. You know where to reach me.

Cris Prystay Julia Radchenko Patricia Choo Belina Tan Natasha KK Mak-Levrion (Nat) Shireen Kwan Vivian Lim Venessa Tan Richard Mclean Fabien Levrion Manfred Schmoelz Mohammed Zaidi Geoffrey W. Grant Bowman Chris Rogers Patrick de Moustier Ryion Pun Christina Maynes David Lim Jag Sekhon Christopher Mansfield Simon Pangrazio Craig McGee Lindsay Cooper Arjan De Boer Alicia Davenport Toni Baker Mariella Hutton Dr Hisham Badaruddin Lisa Sofiar Amirah Rahmat Caryn Peh Billy Ko Sherly T