The Age-Well Project

07/04/2026

We’ve always been a little wary of brain training exercises. There’s certainly plenty of them out there. They’re well researched, but the ultimate conclusion is often that they make you really good at playing that particular game with no substantial real-world benefits.
We’d usually rather read a book, play a board game or do a puzzle for a little cognitive sharpening.

But new research linked specific cognitive training designed to improve speed of processing to a 25% lower risk of developing dementia across 20 years, compared to the control group.

There’s more on the blog - link in stories and agewellproject.com

23/03/2026

You’ll have heard that sitting is the new smoking, our sedentary lifestyles are killing us etc etc

But is all sitting equally bad? it appears not. ‘Active sitting’ - where we’re engaged in a brain-healthy activity like reading or playing stimulating games, doesn’t have the same detrimental impact as slumping in front of the TV.

It’s what we do when we’re sitting that counts.

There’s more on the blog - linked in stories

26/02/2026

Some of our favourite activities - reading books, drinking tea, eating cheese (yes, we know how to live!) - have been linked to a longer, better life.

A new study suggests that cheese  can lower our dementia risk – although no one is quite sure how or why. This new study found that eating 50 grams (1.76 ounces) or more of high-fat cheese a day correlated with a lower risk of developing dementia.

A recent summary  of previous studies which concluded that regular reading improved brain connectivity and function, consolidating neural connections and enhancing brain connectivity, while also improving memory and concentration and slowing down cognitive decline.

And a study published just before Christmas found that tea-drinking protects against osteoporosis.

All good things! There’s more on the blog - linked in stories

30/12/2025

And a belated ‘merry everything’ from us! We hope you had a marvellous Christmas, and 2026 will be a year of ageing well. There’s a new post on the blog about - among other things - art, peanuts and Dick Van D**e. Lots of thoughts on longevity for these last days of the year. Linked in stories and on agewellproject.com

04/12/2025

How much should we worry about digital dementia?

The term isn’t new. It was coined by German neuroscientist and psychiatrist Dr. Manfred Spitzer in 2012.

He argues that outsourcing memory to search engines, the constant ‘pings’ of notifications, and multitasking, can weaken memory consolidation and reduce attention. He also suggests this can lead to a decreased ability for deep thought, reduced self-control, and  social issues.

How can we protect the brain? Research published a few weeks ago found engaging in creative pursuits, like dance, music or visual arts, is associated with a measurable slowing of brain ageing. You’ll have heard this before, but what’s interesting in this study is that the research team looked at how this might happen.

There’s more on the blog agewellproject.com and linked in stories

27/11/2025

Annabel’s just spent a month working and walking in the Swiss Alps. So that meant a lot of time climbing a lot of mountains!

Unsurprisingly, she found herself drawn to the latest studies of movement. She wanted to know what all the uphill huff and puff was really doing, not to mention the downhill drag on knees and limbs, and the slipping and sliding through mud and snow. 

It’s all on the blog - agewellproject.com and linked in stories

05/11/2025

We’ve been very remiss about telling you that there are some fascinating new posts on the blog - from the quest for immortality to the power of yoghurt to help us age well.

And from profound questions about who gets access to the cutting edge longevity technology to the secrets of the world’s longest lived woman, we’ve been trawling the latest research on ageing well, so you don’t have to.

Find us, as always, at agewellproject.com whenever you want a deep-dive into what’s really going to make a difference to your longevity

11/07/2025

We went to Stockholm! So of course we had to write a blog post about the secrets of Swedish longevity. Link here

Annabel and I went to Stockholm last weekend. What a beautiful city! It was a long-planned trip to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the book group we belong to. 20 years is a lot of books – and a lot of talking! Six of us met up in Stockholm (one of our number is Swedish).... Read More »

23/02/2025

Annabel’s yomping in Switzerland right now, enjoying the extraordinary winter landscapes.

Do you feel different when you find yourself in different locations? The air we breathe differs according to where we are, and, yes, air contains vital nutrients; our microbiomes are affected by where we spend time not merely what we consume; our bodies produce different hormones according to our location; we move differently according to the land beneath our feet.

And the landscapes we move in are the subject of Annabel’s next book, The Walking Cure: Harness the life-changing power of landscape to heal, energise and inspire.  The Walking Cure is about the remarkable art and science of place and space to affect our mind, mood and body.

Waterstones (UK) are offering a 25% discount on pre-orders of The Walking Cure this weekend (it’s out at the end of March) - link in stories. And there’s more about the power of landscape on the blog agewellproject.com

30/01/2025

Want to age well? You need to activate your brown fat…

Medically known as Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT), brown fat stores energy, burns calories, regulates blood sugar and insulin levels. It may do many other magically life-enhancing things, such as protecting against obesity, heart disease, cancer, T2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

At its simplest, Brown Fat exists to produce heat – and so keep us alive.

Which is why cold is the very best activator of Brown Fat.

Here are a few tips on how to increase your own Brown Fat supplies:

- [ ] Go for a regular wild swim
- [ ] Take a cold shower or ice bath. The Cleveland Clinic suggests twice a week.
- [ ] Go for a walk and expose your neck to the air for a few minutes.  Brown Fat collects around the neck, shoulders and chest.
- [ ] Turn the thermostat down every now and then. You want to be feeling a little cool, not violently shivering.

Want to know more about brown fat? It’s all on the blog agewellproject.com

12/01/2025

Check out Annabel’s tips for overcoming sleeplessness in today’s - yes, sleep is good for aging well but worrying about isn’t. It’s quite normal - even beneficial at times - to be awake at night. As ever, more tips on the blog!

01/01/2025

Here’s to an Age-Well new year! Wishing you a joyous 2025, full of purpose, long walks, good sleep, strength training, nourishing food and, of course, longevity 😊