Are you ready to change?

Janet Street-Porter has no interest in slowing down. At 79, the broadcaster and journalist is focused on one goal: staying active, independent and sharp well into her 80s, 90s and beyond.

She’s determined to become a centenarian. ‘My full intention is to live to be 100 and to live a very full life so anything that comes along that might impede that, I go absolutely crazy,’ she revealed to The Express. ‘I want my body to be operating at peak capacity, peak efficiency and if anything goes wrong I can't handle it. I've got all painkillers going.’

Intentional – but not obsessive – movement is a key part of that strategy.

Janet's step count goal

‘Keeping fit is essential, but I don’t like to be militant about it,’ she told The Telegraph. One daily habit is walking around 5,000 steps. ‘You don’t have to power walk,’ she said. ‘Just put one foot in front of the other. As a writer, I spend a lot of time on the computer, but I make sure that I do an hour and a half of walking every day.’

A shorter session works just as well. ‘Even if you do half an hour; just do something,’ Janet added. ‘I also think it’s important to walk in the morning and in the afternoon.’ It’s even better if the walk becomes a chance to switch off. ‘Whatever you do, do not take your phone with you!’

Her low-impact workouts

Low-impact exercise is also high on her list. ‘I swim now in rivers and lakes. It’s less stress on my muscles,’ Janet told Yours. Tennis and swimming in the sea are regular features too, although she was quick to point out: ‘That’s not to say that I swim like an Olympic athlete. I prefer to do a ladylike breaststroke!’

Managing arthritis and avoiding overtraining

Over the years, Janet has become increasingly mindful of how exercise affects her arthritis. ‘Mentally you’re all right but your joints are stiff,’ she told Yours. And she cautions against overtraining. ‘I had a gym in my house for 20 years and I had a personal trainer once or twice a week for 10 years,’ she said. ‘However, that’s what wrecked my legs.’

Excessive intensity has occasionally caused problems. ‘I’ve had a lot of injuries through exercise, and an arthritic condition that was aggravated by weights,’ she added to The Telegraph. Managing her condition while continuing to move is therefore critical: ‘Thankfully, I have found a mixture of various exercises that work for me.’

Her diet

Janet isn’t overly rigid about her diet either. ‘[On the weekend], I have a full English. My partner Peter cooks it,’ she told the Manchester Evening News. She balances indulgence with nutrient-dense choices: ‘He’ll do bacon and eggs from the local farm shop, tomatoes or mushrooms, occasionally black pudding. I’ll precede that with dark fruit: blueberries, black grapes, pomegranate seeds.’

Ageing with positivity

Ultimately, ageing well is shaped as much by attitude as lifestyle. ‘It’s all about your mindset. Living in the past is the most ageing thing. [Instead], live in the present,’ she told The Telegraph, before concluding, ‘Just get up every morning and, even if it’s the dreariest of days, say to yourself “Today will be fantastic.”’