Even though I am in my 50s, I am feeling younger than ever. I even feel healthier and stronger than I did in my 30s. And, after being a gangly, uncoordinated teenager, today I feel competent at a sport for the first time in my life.

On days when the ocean is flat, I sometimes swim for an hour or more, just for the sheer joy of it. On days when the waves are up and the ocean is “bumpy”, I love swimming up a wave as fast as I can so I shoot out the top and feel airborne for a second – Yiihaaa! Who needs a theme park if you can swim in the ocean?

But it wasn’t always like this. You see, I have spent most of my life living as a “couch potato”. Once I left uni and started to work full-time, I worked for a multi-national company. I sat for at least 10 hours a day, at a desk or in meetings plus commuting.

On a Thursday night, our special treat was to eat at a local Chinese restaurant. My only thought was to get there as soon as possible, so I would drive straight there after work. Until one day, when a friend laughed “Surely you don’t DRIVE there?!” This opened my eyes – Oops! I guess it’s not that far, maybe we could walk. In fact, it was only an 8 minute walk from my home, and I discovered that this walk was an opportunity to move my body after all that sitting.

You see, we live in this world in which we are information workers. Nowadays, many of us can do all of our work sitting at our own desk, without leaving home. We can meet people online, without even getting out of our own chair.

But you know that there is a cost. You can only have a sedentary lifestyle for so long before the aches and pains start. And if you don’t move your body, you will be more likely to reach for the chocolate bar at 3pm, to get through the afternoon energy slump.

Have you ever felt tired and stiff by the end of the day? Too tired to move? Wanting nothing more than to sink into a comfy chair in front of the TV? Do you ever wonder – if your body feels like this at 30 or 40, how bad will your body feel when you are 80?

Do you ever wonder if this is the best your body will feel? Or whether there is anything you can do about it?

I have found that the answer starts with small steps – by creating small healthy habits, and aiming to get a little bit healthier every day, moving more, eating healthier, getting enough sleep. I have discovered that gradually these small habits build into a healthier and more energetic lifestyle. Until one day you realise that you are waking up early and ready to jump out of bed because you are looking forward to the day – seeing the sunrise, walking or swimming, eating that delicious bowl of fruit.

But I never would have got there on my own. When I was retrenched from my job and we had little money, my husband and I would walk half an hour to a shopping centre, buy a coffee at a book store during their “happy hour”, read their newspapers, and then walk back. A lovely outing and the start of getting moving, all for only $3.50.

More recently, I am so grateful to my sister-in-law, who has inspired me to exercise, training together for fun runs with brisk walk-and-talks. Walking with friends, my fitness gradually improved.
I have learned that the more I care for my body, nurturing it and challenging it, the younger I feel. Today I have supportive swimming friends. We set goals for the next swimming badges and then swim together, cheering each another on to achieve them. And it is so much fun to celebrate these little milestones together.

I have just started a Facebook Group, which I hope will grow into a supportive community, in which we can learn and grow together, developing healthy habits and discovering fun ways to get moving and enjoying life. And as we encourage one another, hopefully we will all live with the youngest body we can enjoy, whatever our age.

I hope to meet you there soon.

Carolyn