“We have been successful in adding years to life. Now we must add life to years.” John F Kennedy

Speaking many years before the true extent of the longevity revolution became apparent, President Kennedy had little idea how prophetic his words would prove to be. Now we know what is possible. In time, we may be able to add even more good-quality years to our lives. And we can start right away adding a lot more life to our years. There are many simple choices we can make to help us live to a healthy old age and research shows that it’s never too late to start.

Diet: eat what you enjoy but also what is good for you and in moderation. Include fish, red wine, broccoli and blueberries in your diet – all have shown evidence of combating the effects of ageing.

Exercise: simple activities like walking, swimming and using the stairs instead of a lift are all good for muscle strength, bone density and heart and lung fitness, as well as fighting ageing itself. Research at Newcastle University’s Institute for Ageing and Health has shown that exercise can actually slow the fundamental changes in cells that cause ageing in muscles.

Mental exercise: keeping alert, active and interested by stimulating your mind can all help to slow some aspects of memory loss.

Our lifespan is not programmed, the choices we make can influence how healthy and enjoyable our later years will be.