Retirement: Age is just a number

You are only as old as you feel. Photo / Getty

LIFESTYLE OPINION

Age is a number, that’s all. It has no limitations! The only limitations are the ones you set for yourself.

I always remember when I was young my mother said to me,”A sharp haircut and a good pair of shoes will take you anywhere at any age” and all these years later, I still go along with that piece of wisdom she instilled into me.

As you age, who is to say you must cut your hair short, get a perm, drive a small practical car, tone down the lipstick, wear comfortable flat shoes and revert to tea drinking? Mind you, at my age, I am not one for a tight tank top, low-rise jeans, metallic platform heels, plastic bangles, and oversized earrings. . . although the earrings I could do!

If you feel good in that flowing lime green dress and bright yellow shoes ... then wear them, I say!

Colourful clothes

Clothes speak volumes when it comes to your personality. For instance, a colourful dress isn’t content with blending into the background. Whether you are playing with a new print or experimenting with a bold colour, you will never go unnoticed. Your fashion choices are guaranteed to brighten up a room.

Bring on the sneakers

This summer is the season of all sneakers. You can dress them up and dress them down, they can be plain or flowery and some even come with their own pearl adornment! They are not just for the younger generation . . . plus there is a bonus, they are comfortable.

Glasses

The range of modern, colourful frames for your glasses has exploded and I love seeing an older person in an oversized funky pair of glasses. It exudes their personality and shows they are not afraid to stand out from the crowd.

The car or a bike

An E-bike is a great mode of transport when retired

I see so many retired people on their e-bikes or a brightly coloured bike with a basket and it always makes me smile. If I lived in town, I would use a bike as a mode of transport . . . . it would probably be yellow or red. Unfortunately, the ruts in my rural road would swallow a bike up, so I am reduced to an unwashed wagon.

Exercise

Age is not a deterrent to exercise and as we grow older, we need to keep active. Whether swimming, yoga, Pilates or a gentle walk, we all need to keep moving. Maybe this is your time to run a marathon or swim a mile!

Some common myths about ageing

We need to start seriously challenging the long-standing assumptions of age. We know older people can learn new things, age doesn’t mean they are ready to down tools and go slower and not all older people think the same.

They also have a wealth of knowledge and a lifetime of stories to tell.

We are only as old as we feel and there is a lot of living out there to do. So, let’s start doing it now!