How to age well? Keep your social circle and take regular walks, celebrity doctor says

Ian K. Smith, an author and ex-talk show host who worked under Barack Obama, shares ways to live better longer. Avoiding loneliness is key

Reading Time:3 minutes

Dr Ian K. Smith outlines steps to combat the effects of aging in his new guide, Eat Your Age, including weightlifting to avoiding salt. Photo: instagram.com/doctoriansmith

Published: 5:45pm, 29 Jan 2025Updated: 4:45pm, 2 Feb 2025

When Dr Ian K. Smith is not writing books about healthy living, or penning novels, you might find him walking around his favourite city, Paris.

He loves the French capital because, among its many charms, he says it is one of the easiest places in the world to meet one’s daily step count.

“Walking is a way of life in Paris,” Smith says. “But even if you live in a rural area where things are spread apart and you have to drive, making a concerted effort to go for a walk or a hike in your local park is essential.”

His new book, Eat Your Age, provides a toolkit for defying the effects of ageing by implementing simple fitness, diet, and lifestyle changes every decade.

To defy the effects of ageing, Smith recommends regularly walking or hiking to combat the effects of ageing. Photo: Shutterstock

The thesis of the book is pretty simple: exercise and a focus on mental health and purpose in life are as critical as eating properly. He provides a step-by-step diet guide to keeping healthy in one’s thirties, forties, fifties and beyond to increase longevity and stave off illnesses.