Trying to practice what we preach, Tim and I are keen to use all modern media to broadcast our message - blogs, websites, iphone apps, online e-zines - as well as more traditional media - videos, radio and press. I recently recorded a podcast with Anna Farmery of 'The Engaging Brand' talking about rejuvenation. Hope you enjoy it!
14 April 2011
Sixtyplusurfers - website for the over 60s
We follow many blogs, journals and twitters to keep abreast of ageing and staying young. One of the best is Sixtyplusurfers. We asked the features editor, Jenny Itzcovitz, to describe what they are about. Here's what she said:
If you are new to using the internet or looking for an easy to use website for the over 60s, then take a look at http://www.sixtyplusurfers.co.uk/
Sixtyplusurfers has a brand new issue every month with free to enter competitions, articles about health, fitness, crafts and hobbies, homes and gardens, fashion, beauty, travel, food and drink, pet care, camera and computer tips, money saving ideas, news and book reviews, music and entertainment. There's something for everyone.
Sixtyplusurfers also has its own Chat and Socialise page where you can talk to other readers from around the world, post your own blogs, send in your photographs. Everyone is friendly and its lot's of fun too.
Finally there's our own celebrity chef - Phil Vickery - prize draws and lots of ideas to keep you entertained during your retirement!
8 April 2011
What do your music choices say about you?
A quick personal anecdote. A good friend of mine is in his twenties and I shared some of my music recently. His reaction: this is OLD music!
Instinctively I got rather defensive. No, I said, it's not 'old' music it's simply great quality music. It just happens to come from a few years back, that's all. Only later did I recognise my own 'old brain' thinking. Yes, I love all the music on my iphone and yes it is all high quality to my ears. BUT. Most of it dates from the last century.
So, what do my musical choices reveal? Is it possible that no quality music has been released over the last decade? Rather unlikely. The hard lesson is that my choices said something rather hurtful about me: I'd somehow closed down, stopped being open to new influences, preferred to live in a nostalgic past than head for tomorrow's world.
So, now my earphones are buzzing to lots of great new stuff: it was out there all the time - I just had to be 'young brained' enough to be receptive.
More hope for middle aged brains
Finally, scientific proof that our brains do not decay into middle age; in fact many cognitive functions improve between 40-65 years old. We get better at:
- Recognising patterns
- Sizing up situations
- Financial decisions
- Verbal reasoning
- Drawing appropriate conclusions.
This is good news - but there is great variability in people's brain functioning too. To keep brains healthy requires what one researcher called 'disorienting dilemmas'. In other words, we need to keep our brains uncomfortable by being open to change, open to others and action oriented. These are key themes in 'You can be a young as you think'.
For more about the middle aged brain, listen to this podcast by Barbara Strauch. It is uplifting and inspiring. Never again will you be able to blame negativity and fuzzy logic on your brains' biological decline. http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2011/the-secret-life-of-the-grown-up-brain
6 February 2011
Launch of iPhone app
People love quizzes, especially, it seems, when the results tell them something they didn't know about themselves.
Our Brain Age Test is no exception - and we've had universally positive comments since we laid out 12 simple questions in our book 'You Can Be As Young As You Think.
So, we wanted to give as many people as possible the chance to have a go and put their brain to the test.
It's great, therefore, to be able to announce that our iPhone app is now written and will soon be available through the Apple iTunes App Store. You can download it for FREE.
23 April 2010
Free Book Content
We want as many people as possible to throw off their Old Brain thinking and regain their Young Brains! It's kind of like a mission.
So, we've decided to give away 20% of our book 'You Can Be As Young As You Think' online.
If you've come here having run through the Brain Age Test iPhone app, or if you are a regular reader of this blog, all you have to do is click here to download your free partial e-book.
Tip for easy reading: once file is opened, change from SCROLL to BOOK view (left hand bottom) and place in FULL SCREEN mode (top command bar).
Click now and start on your journey to a youthful mindset.
And don't forget, that the whole book can be ordered online from Amazon here
Do brain-training games work?
So is the jury out?
Read the book 'The Sharp Brains Guide to Brain Fitness' by Alvaro Fernandez and you'll learn that brain fitness products "change the trajectory of the life curve so that younger minds improve their peaks and older people do not experience loss in cognitive abilities like mental flexibility and working memory".
The book includes interviews with 18 international scientists - skilled in fields like cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging - who have run experiments to prove that its possible to maintain a healthy brain, and improve its fitness.
Now the other side. Nature magazine published results in April 2010 which says that brain-training games are just an empty promise. What they do is improve performance of the brain-training game itself, but the effects, apparently, do not transfer to other aspects of brain functioning. As lead researcher Adrian Owen says: "You're not going to get better at playing the trumpet by practsing the violin".
So who is right? It's important to say two things:
1. Brain training should be thought of differently than simple mental activity. Brain training is "the structured use of cognitive exercises or technqiues aimed at improving specific brain functions". Nintendo's Brain Age software is more about brain stimulation than training per se and they actually make rather limited claims about the research backing up their product beyond a bland 'use it or lose it'.
2. There are many other science-based companies who have products which have been proven to train cognitive skills. Companies like Posit Science, CogniFit and Scientific Brain Training support the benefits of their products with specific laboratory evidence.
So, before writing off brain training it is important to ask three questions:
- what are the claims being made?
- what scientifically-run studies support the claims?
- is the training relevant to my needs and objectives?
If you are satisfied with the answers, go ahead and train your brain. Becoming sharper and younger is so important these days that its crucial to decide for yourself.
Read the book 'The Sharp Brains Guide to Brain Fitness' by Alvaro Fernandez and you'll learn that brain fitness products "change the trajectory of the life curve so that younger minds improve their peaks and older people do not experience loss in cognitive abilities like mental flexibility and working memory".
The book includes interviews with 18 international scientists - skilled in fields like cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging - who have run experiments to prove that its possible to maintain a healthy brain, and improve its fitness.
Now the other side. Nature magazine published results in April 2010 which says that brain-training games are just an empty promise. What they do is improve performance of the brain-training game itself, but the effects, apparently, do not transfer to other aspects of brain functioning. As lead researcher Adrian Owen says: "You're not going to get better at playing the trumpet by practsing the violin".
So who is right? It's important to say two things:
1. Brain training should be thought of differently than simple mental activity. Brain training is "the structured use of cognitive exercises or technqiues aimed at improving specific brain functions". Nintendo's Brain Age software is more about brain stimulation than training per se and they actually make rather limited claims about the research backing up their product beyond a bland 'use it or lose it'.
2. There are many other science-based companies who have products which have been proven to train cognitive skills. Companies like Posit Science, CogniFit and Scientific Brain Training support the benefits of their products with specific laboratory evidence.
So, before writing off brain training it is important to ask three questions:
- what are the claims being made?
- what scientifically-run studies support the claims?
- is the training relevant to my needs and objectives?
If you are satisfied with the answers, go ahead and train your brain. Becoming sharper and younger is so important these days that its crucial to decide for yourself.
3 April 2010
If there is one book you should read this year
We all wish we could stay young forever. But ageing has a way of creeping up on us.
When did life get so serious? Why is it, as we grow older, we don't laugh as much? Why do we stop seeing the opportunities and the excitement and instead start feeling drained, cynical and out-of-touch? And just when did we turn into our parents?
Tim Drake and I spent over two years researching these very issues - and we came to a surprisingly simple insight - ageing really is all in the mind. In our ground-breaking book, 'You Can Be As Young As You Think', we show how you can test your brain's age and then train your brain to think younger, feel younger and be sharper.
You see, through our research, we uncovered the secrets of rejuvenation. These are the 6 Wisdoms of Youth. Each one is a powerful antedote to getting old - yet each one is surprisingly easy to apply through a series of practical tasks. Anyone, whatever their age, can learn these Wisdoms and truly rejuvenate their thinking - and their lives.
Here are some of the benefits you could reap from reading 'You Can Be As Young As You Think' :
- learn how to think with a 'Young Brain' and face life head-on with positivity and enthusiasm
- avoid becoming grumpy & irrelevant
- look younger, feel younger, act younger
- regain or retain everything you loved about being young
- be surrounded by people who make life worth living
- live a more fulfilling, successful and happier life
- aim towards eternal youth by leaving a legacy
In short, our life changing book helps you rediscover your youthful self and live the life you are only dreaming about. What other book promises you that?
When did life get so serious? Why is it, as we grow older, we don't laugh as much? Why do we stop seeing the opportunities and the excitement and instead start feeling drained, cynical and out-of-touch? And just when did we turn into our parents?
Tim Drake and I spent over two years researching these very issues - and we came to a surprisingly simple insight - ageing really is all in the mind. In our ground-breaking book, 'You Can Be As Young As You Think', we show how you can test your brain's age and then train your brain to think younger, feel younger and be sharper.
You see, through our research, we uncovered the secrets of rejuvenation. These are the 6 Wisdoms of Youth. Each one is a powerful antedote to getting old - yet each one is surprisingly easy to apply through a series of practical tasks. Anyone, whatever their age, can learn these Wisdoms and truly rejuvenate their thinking - and their lives.
Here are some of the benefits you could reap from reading 'You Can Be As Young As You Think' :
- learn how to think with a 'Young Brain' and face life head-on with positivity and enthusiasm
- avoid becoming grumpy & irrelevant
- look younger, feel younger, act younger
- regain or retain everything you loved about being young
- be surrounded by people who make life worth living
- live a more fulfilling, successful and happier life
- aim towards eternal youth by leaving a legacy
In short, our life changing book helps you rediscover your youthful self and live the life you are only dreaming about. What other book promises you that?
And, of course, if you are a life coach, this book is sure to give you new insights into your work with clients.
'You Can Be As Young As You Think' was published by Pearson in May 2009. Place a order through http://www.amazon.co.uk/
2 April 2010
Getting old happens young
I imagine that if I interviewed a dozen people in their 50s, most would say that they became aware of ageing when they turned 30. It's about at this age when last night's exercise routine leaves stiff limbs in the morning. It can also be the age when the grey hairs start to show. And, of course, it's that time when new parents start to recognise that their reactions mirror those of their parents.
It's that "OMG! I'm turning into my mum/dad!" moment.
However, social statistics show how much hidden ageing there is, well before our 30s! It may come as a shock but dreams and imagination, for example, can start drying up from 25 onwards.
What is even more shocking is that teenagers are also failing to find a vision for their lives.
A University of Minnesota study of 20,000 kids found that 15% think they are going to die early. Far from engaging in risky behaviour because of invincibility, the survey suggests that many teenagers adopt unsafe practices because they decide that there's not a lot at stake. The future is already a no go zone.
For all of us, avoiding bad behaviour and unhealthy practices is partly about having belief in a better future. Avoid the negativity of Old Brain thinking. Rejuvenate using the 6 Wisdoms of Youth.
It's that "OMG! I'm turning into my mum/dad!" moment.
However, social statistics show how much hidden ageing there is, well before our 30s! It may come as a shock but dreams and imagination, for example, can start drying up from 25 onwards.
What is even more shocking is that teenagers are also failing to find a vision for their lives.
A University of Minnesota study of 20,000 kids found that 15% think they are going to die early. Far from engaging in risky behaviour because of invincibility, the survey suggests that many teenagers adopt unsafe practices because they decide that there's not a lot at stake. The future is already a no go zone.For all of us, avoiding bad behaviour and unhealthy practices is partly about having belief in a better future. Avoid the negativity of Old Brain thinking. Rejuvenate using the 6 Wisdoms of Youth.
24 March 2010
How much younger would you like to be?
Wouldn't it be great if you could just wave a magic wand and strip years off your life? Like layers on an onion, what would you like to peel off? 5 Years? 10 Years? Or may be more.
I've just dug out some social research statistics on this subject. They are a little old - they date from 2002 - but they give an early guide to how people see rejuvenation.
The first thing to notice is that about a third of people, do not want to change their age at all. These people are happy with where they are in their lives and do not yearn for a younger self. And 5% would like to be somewhat older than they are currently - but virtually all of these are found in the 15-24 year old age band of respondents.
The rest of us - some 60% - want to be younger! But how much younger is the younger you? 5 years younger will do 9% of us. Almost a quarter 24% want to be 10 years younger. But 27% want to roll back a full 20 years!!
Looking at the detail, it is unsurprising, perhaps, to see that the older you are, the more you yearn for a bigger rejuvenation - most people wishing for 20 years more youth were 45+.
Interestingly professional and self-employed people are the occupations wishing for the biggest swish of the rejuvenation wand. Why would this be? My hypothesis is that this is a reflection of how much they have sacrificed for their careers and how poorly they have lived their leisure lives. Are you one of these people? A lost youth spent studying and lost life spent climbing the career ladder may bring great frustration concerning ageing.
The other social groups yearning for youthfulness are the divorced, the separated and the widowed. So here, rolling back the clock is probably about regrets and the desire to have the time to make a fresh start.
So there you have it. The majority of people want to rejuventate - but their motivations for doing so are mixed - getting older is the most powerful reason to wish to be younger. But regrets about a wasted life and the desire to start again are also powerful reasons to rejuvenate.
I've just dug out some social research statistics on this subject. They are a little old - they date from 2002 - but they give an early guide to how people see rejuvenation.
The first thing to notice is that about a third of people, do not want to change their age at all. These people are happy with where they are in their lives and do not yearn for a younger self. And 5% would like to be somewhat older than they are currently - but virtually all of these are found in the 15-24 year old age band of respondents.
The rest of us - some 60% - want to be younger! But how much younger is the younger you? 5 years younger will do 9% of us. Almost a quarter 24% want to be 10 years younger. But 27% want to roll back a full 20 years!!
Looking at the detail, it is unsurprising, perhaps, to see that the older you are, the more you yearn for a bigger rejuvenation - most people wishing for 20 years more youth were 45+.
Interestingly professional and self-employed people are the occupations wishing for the biggest swish of the rejuvenation wand. Why would this be? My hypothesis is that this is a reflection of how much they have sacrificed for their careers and how poorly they have lived their leisure lives. Are you one of these people? A lost youth spent studying and lost life spent climbing the career ladder may bring great frustration concerning ageing.
The other social groups yearning for youthfulness are the divorced, the separated and the widowed. So here, rolling back the clock is probably about regrets and the desire to have the time to make a fresh start.
So there you have it. The majority of people want to rejuventate - but their motivations for doing so are mixed - getting older is the most powerful reason to wish to be younger. But regrets about a wasted life and the desire to start again are also powerful reasons to rejuvenate.
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