.png?w=1040&h=380&fit=crop&auto=compress%2cformat&dpr=2)
Here’s what you can do at any age, from Australia's trusted, straight-talking doctor and broadcaster Dr Norman Swan.
Your 30s and 40s
Don’t smoke burnt plants (do I really need to explain why again?).
If you’ve got kids, encourage them to continue in education as long as they can. The more you’re educated, the longer you live and the later you develop dementia.
If you’ve got kids, make sure they’re fully immunised, including to hepatitis B and human papillomavirus (HPV), both of which are anti-cancer vaccines.
Find a GP you like and stick with them. You need someone who knows you and cares about your health with a laser focus.
Women should continue in cervical cancer screening. No bottle of supplements is going to match screening to prevent you dying prematurely of an avoidable cancer.
Know what your cholesterol levels are – the good (HDL) and the bad (LDL). A high LDL in your 30s can indicate you’re already silting up your arteries and need to lose weight (lowers unhealthy fats), change your diet and up the exercise (raises HDL). If your cholesterol is really high, you may have a genetic problem and need medication.
Know what your blood pressure is. There’s nothing like a constant battering from high blood pressure to age your brain, heart and kidneys prematurely and leave you open to life-shortening heart attacks, strokes and dementia. If your blood pressure is getting beyond normal levels, then lose weight (can have the equivalent effect of a blood pressure med), exercise for 45 minutes to an hour of moderate intensity most days of the week (also reduces blood pressure), lower your alcohol intake or switch to low alcohol drinks, and reduce your salt intake.
Don’t sit on symptoms like bleeding, bruising, unplanned loss of weight or new onset of pain just because you’re young.
Your 50s
All of the above, plus breast and bowel cancer screening.
Keep eating a very diverse diet … Don’t allow it to become narrowed down because you can’t be bothered. That’s what tends to happen as you get older.
Same goes for exercise. You’re now entering the time of life when your muscles – if you don’t work on them – get weaker and smaller. If anything, you should be upping the amount and intensity (carefully tuned to your capacity and level of fitness).
Keep your abdominal fat as low as possible as measured by your waist circumference.
Look around you and assess how many people you can call upon if you need help or support. Now’s the time to maintain and work on family and friendships rather than take them for granted. Social interaction and support are central to staying young.
At age 50 there are five factors which predict a longer life in health:
a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9
30 minutes or more per day of moderate to vigorous exercise
alcohol intake in line with official recommendations
a high quality diet (e.g. Mediterranean)
never smoked
Women who have none of these factors live just over 23 years more free of diabetes, heart disease or cancer; men get 23.5 years. Women who have four or five of these factors live 34 years free of these diseases; for men, it’s 31 years extra.
-
The ultimate guide on what you can do at any age to stay young and healthy longer, from Australia's trusted, straight-talking doctor and broadcaster, Dr Norman Swan, bestselling author of So You Think You Know What's Good for You?
Latest news
Book Club Guide for Rat Daniels
Questions for your group to discuss this stand-out Australian debut.
Authors on the Road for Book Week 2026
A snapshot of just some of all the activity around Australia!
Read an extract of Alma Vampires
Start reading the new paranormal romance series!
Amy Remeikis is going on tour!
Enter the Fantasy Realm
Hachette Australia, with The Realm, presents ENTER THE FANTASY REALM! Join Tigest Girma, Louisa Carmody and Christy Anne Jones in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to talk all things fantasy.
Read an Extract: Middle Rage
Part confessional, part manifesto, Middle Rage is full of Myf Warhurst's humour, warmth and wisdom, with some tips thrown in to help women live their best middle-aged lives.
In the Good Books with Luke Bateman - Hachette Recommended Reads
Explore our featured reads on the In the Good Books podcast
Start Reading No One's Looking
Read an extract from No One's Looking, a comedic and uplifting novel from bestselling author Brooke Davis. Out October 13 2026!
Hachette Memories of Lost & Found
Our staff share how special Brooke Davis' debut was - we’d love to hear your memories too!
Brooke Davis' Letter to Booksellers
The lovely Brooke, a bookseller herself, checks in with her colleagues across Australia to say a big hello.
Alice Oseman is coming to ANZ!
Information on Alice Oseman's - author of Heartstopper - trip to Australia and New Zealand.
Read an extract from The Doubles
Dive into this fast-paced, genre-bending debut!
Q&A with Penny Sunday
Meet Aussie dark romance author Penny Sunday!
Read an extract from The Wretched Divine
From the bestselling author of Belladonna
.png?w=440&h=247&fit=crop&auto=compress%2cformat&dpr=2)
Ashleigh Barton's Letter to Readers
Ahead of Eighty-Nine Questions for After, Ashleigh shares her thoughts on why sad books are so important for kids.
Read an extract of True Crime
Start reading Patricia Cornwell's thrilling memoir
The Richell Prize Opens 2026
Announcing this year's round of The Richell Prize
Mum's Shelf, Sorted
Happy Mother's Day!
Read an extract from The Chateau on Sunset
Read the new book from bestselling author Natasha Lester
Read an extract from Rat Daniels
Dive into this unforgettable coming-of-age story from a stunning new voice in Australian fiction
Book Club Questions for Margaret, Are You Leaving?
We hope these questions help guide your book club discussion for this heartfelt novel. We’ve done our best to avoid spoilers, but don’t read these questions unless you’ve finished Margaret, Are You Leaving? – you don’t want to risk ruining any reveals!
Welcome to the World of Donovan Bixley
Entertain the kids at home
Read an Extract from Rebirth: A Love Story From the Depths of War
Antoun Issa powerfully captures his mother's true experiences of love, heartbreak and new hope during the violence of civil war.
Celebrating our CBCA 2026 Notables
The Children's Book Council of Australia's 2026 Notables list has been announced!
Find a book you'll love, get our newsletter
Hachette Australia acknowledges and pays our respects to the past, present and future Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our head office is located on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
© Hachette Australia, All Rights Reserved · Site by Chook