There’s a lot of advice about how to live well for longer which is overwhelming so wouldn’t it be nice to have just TWO mantras to live by to achieve the same result?
You and only you can make decisions for your future self. Maybe your inner voice tells you everyday that you made a poor decision or you spent too much on the latest purchase.
My mother once told me that two things can lead to a better future and that is to stretch and save. She is now 81 years old with a younger partner, swimming every day and travelling all over the world. She was told at the age of 60 when arthritis set in to ‘keep moving’ by her doctor and that is what she does.
Stretch…keep moving…exercising. If your body stays active, so does your mind and your curiosity. In order to do this, start small, maybe add 1000 steps to your daily routine. Or do a short workout, climb the stairs, or do 5 minutes of yoga. If it’s something you enjoy you’re more likely to keep doing it. Harry Jamieson the wellbeing and fitness expert recommends 5 minutes each morning of stretching followed by breathing for 3 minutes counting in 4 seconds and breathing out for 8 seconds to prepare the mind for the day.
Save…it’s hard to imagine a time when you may retire and to see yourself as ‘older’, but that time will come. The sooner you start to save the better your finances will be when you most need them. Consider two people who have invested the same amount each month for 30 years but one started 10 years before the other. The early bird saved almost double the amount by starting early due to compound interest. Even making small contributions can have a huge impact on your final retirement pot. Stats also show that those who have less to retire on and live in poorer socio economic areas suffer more from chronic disease and live shorter lives.