0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welcome to Wales Today, tonight's headlines...
0:00:04 > 0:00:08'My name is Lucy Owen, and I'm 45.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11'When I first presented the news more than 20 years ago,
0:00:11 > 0:00:14'there were a few less wrinkles to cover up.'
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Good evening from HTV.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Welsh hospitals are at bursting point tonight.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23'There's no avoiding it, I'm now one in about half a million Welsh women
0:00:23 > 0:00:25'officially stamped middle-aged.'
0:00:25 > 0:00:30I am looking really tired. It's those bags under my eyes!
0:00:30 > 0:00:34'And as more of us work into our 70s and live into our 80s,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36'what counts as midlife is changing.'
0:00:36 > 0:00:39Is it taking much longer to make me up these days?
0:00:39 > 0:00:42'I've got two decades of middle age ahead of me,
0:00:42 > 0:00:46'and there are some things I'm not looking forward to.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51'I hate my grey hairs, the memory lapses and my aching bones.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53'And what about other women my age across Wales?
0:00:53 > 0:00:57'Do they, like me, worry what else middle age might have in store?'
0:01:03 > 0:01:05As I head towards my 50s,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08I'm determined to fight off the signs of getting older for
0:01:08 > 0:01:13as long as possible. But there's one big taboo that affects every woman
0:01:13 > 0:01:16and I'm about to tackle it head on.
0:01:16 > 0:01:22One of the things that is on my mind as I head towards 50 is...
0:01:22 > 0:01:26the menopause. It feels weird even saying it.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Even though lots of my friends are approaching that age,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31it is a bit of a taboo subject.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33I don't know why it should be like that.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Is there something that...? I don't know.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40I honestly don't know what it is about it.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45I mean, it happens to all women, so why should it be...an issue?
0:01:45 > 0:01:46PIANO PLAYING, CHOIR SINGS
0:01:59 > 0:02:02'I'm here in Tonyrefail to meet a group of women
0:02:02 > 0:02:06'I hope can help me get over my fear.'
0:02:06 > 0:02:09I imagine that you've all been through the menopause.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Yes. How old were you when you went through the menopause?
0:02:12 > 0:02:15About 40, 45-ish, yeah.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17That was bang on for me! Yeah.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21I was a bit sort of irritable, night sweats, that sort of thing.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Which I thought, you know, what's happening to me?
0:02:24 > 0:02:28But every woman goes through those sort of things.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31So could you describe to me what those hot flushes were like
0:02:31 > 0:02:33and, like, how often you'd get them?
0:02:33 > 0:02:36At night, it was these sort of sweats you get.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40You know, night sweats, where you'd be soaking wet here.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Running down the back of your neck, down your back. Oh, my gosh!
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Um, and, if you're just sitting there doing something,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47you could feel it....
0:02:47 > 0:02:49From your toes up. Yeah, coming up your body.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52And then you knew it was all going to come down your face.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55You'd be... And you didn't know what to do.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57Anything to cool you down quickly, you know.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Did you all talk about it together when you were going through it?
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Well, I don't think so, Lucy,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04because we were all working.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Um, so really, as far as I'm concerned,
0:03:07 > 0:03:09it was on the back burner.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11I didn't make it a thing. Hmm.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13You know, "I'm on the change!"
0:03:13 > 0:03:18People can make it as awful and hard as they want to. Yes.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20But if you've got a positive outlook,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23I don't think it's a problem at all.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27And good friends and support. Yes. Yes! That's really important.
0:03:27 > 0:03:28Girlfriends!
0:03:28 > 0:03:31And do you mind me asking whether it has an effect
0:03:31 > 0:03:35on your relationship with your partner?
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Because that's one of the things that I suppose I think about.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41I don't think it's made any difference at all. No.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45If you've got a good relationship, you know, that's...
0:03:45 > 0:03:50He should understand, you know, and love you for it or, you know...
0:03:50 > 0:03:52No, I don't think it made a difference.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55And the problem is, then, you can't get pregnant!
0:03:55 > 0:03:56LAUGHTER
0:03:56 > 0:03:59No! So no worries!
0:03:59 > 0:04:02There is that. Every cloud!
0:04:02 > 0:04:06So what's your advice to get through...? ALL: Join a choir!
0:04:06 > 0:04:07LAUGHTER
0:04:07 > 0:04:15# For the beauty of each hour
0:04:15 > 0:04:20# Of the day and of the night... #
0:04:20 > 0:04:25'Oh, my goodness, it was such a massive relief to talk to those...'
0:04:25 > 0:04:29wonderful, warm, gorgeous, fabulous women.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34I don't think I realised how, um... how afraid I was of the menopause,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36which sounds a bit ridiculous, I think,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40but they are so positive about it.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42It's all going to be OK
0:04:42 > 0:04:45and if we could all only talk about it a little bit more,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48I think we'd all be a little bit less worried.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51So now, I just feel - do you know what? - I can take it in my stride.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54I can deal with it. They've dealt with it, I can do it too.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55So, you know, bring it on.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Bring it on!
0:04:57 > 0:05:00# ..This, a joyful hymn
0:05:00 > 0:05:06# A hymn of praise. #
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Yey! LAUGHTER
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Thank you!
0:05:14 > 0:05:19Aw! I was awful! I was terrible! You're just being nice to me!
0:05:21 > 0:05:23'Looking forward to my 50s and 60s,
0:05:23 > 0:05:27'I'm feeling much less confident about how I'll cope with
0:05:27 > 0:05:31'my changing appearance and, when it comes to going grey gracefully,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35'my mum has some very clear ideas.'
0:05:35 > 0:05:36Oh, my gosh, Lucy.
0:05:36 > 0:05:37LUCY LAUGHS
0:05:37 > 0:05:41I can't believe you've got so many grey hairs.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Have I got...? Have I got loads at the top? Yes.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47There's a beauty there. That's really grey there.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Thanks, thanks a lot(!)
0:05:49 > 0:05:52'I get my hair colour straight out of a bottle.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55'But why do I do it? And do I really want
0:05:55 > 0:05:58'to spend the rest of my years fighting the greys?'
0:05:58 > 0:06:01I suppose I think I need to start thinking about
0:06:01 > 0:06:05how long I stay this dark, because I know there's a lot coming through,
0:06:05 > 0:06:06I know there's quite a lot at the top.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09It's quite solid sort of in the front bit.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12And then, just about the back of the ear,
0:06:12 > 0:06:16then it starts sort of, you know, looking a bit more sparse.
0:06:16 > 0:06:17But it always happens.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21You know, it happens. Men have this lovely sort of, um,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25grey at the temples, which makes them look really attractive.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28But unfortunately, it doesn't happen for women.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30I don't think they look as attractive.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Why is that? Why does it seem to be more OK for men
0:06:33 > 0:06:37to be the silver fox than women? It shouldn't be like that.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40They just get away with it, don't they? It's not fair.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44'My mum was in her early 40s when she spotted her first grey hairs.'
0:06:46 > 0:06:50I couldn't face the fact that, if I was grey and pepper and salt,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54I would feel I would give up, I think, and think,
0:06:54 > 0:06:55"Now I'm old now," you know?
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Whereas, I think you have to keep on fighting it
0:06:58 > 0:07:02in whatever way you can, really. Yeah. So keep tinting.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Have I got many in my fringe? No! You'll be pleased to hear.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Ah.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19So would it be weird for you having a grey-haired daughter?
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Oh, really weird. You mean a blonde mother with a grey-haired daughter?
0:07:22 > 0:07:23No, doesn't work, does it?
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Or a mother who's old enough to have a daughter with grey hair!
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Very weird, I think. You think?
0:07:37 > 0:07:39There you go, all done.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Any greys? How's it looking? None at all, all gone.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Yeah, you're on my side now.
0:07:45 > 0:07:46THEY LAUGH
0:07:46 > 0:07:48I'm not blonde!
0:07:48 > 0:07:52'Turning back the clock doesn't stop at our hairline.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53'In the battle to look younger for longer,
0:07:53 > 0:07:58'we have everything from creams to face lifts to choose from.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00'But is this all just plain old vanity?'
0:08:00 > 0:08:02I love it. I hate to admit it,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06but I love it if somebody says to me, "Ooh, you don't look 45!"
0:08:06 > 0:08:10'In recent years, the nonsurgical treatment Botox has become
0:08:10 > 0:08:14'the new elixir of youth for growing numbers of Welsh women.'
0:08:14 > 0:08:18I find it harder to watch than sitting there. Do you? Really? Yeah.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20You feeling OK? Yeah, just about. OK.
0:08:20 > 0:08:21LAUGHTER
0:08:21 > 0:08:24'It works by relaxing the facial muscles,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26'ironing out your lines and wrinkles.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29'It's a business worth billions.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32'But Botox was never designed as an anti-ageing treatment.'
0:08:32 > 0:08:36It is a toxin, but you know, it's been around for decades and decades,
0:08:36 > 0:08:41being used in much higher doses in neurology and ophthalmology.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43So it's not a new drug by any means.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48It's pretty full-on, watching it being done now, I have to say.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51It just brings it home, the kind of treatment it is.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55'Like 47-year-old Nicola, I've tried Botox.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58'Watching her treatment, I wonder whether her reason
0:08:58 > 0:09:01'for resisting the telltale signs of ageing is the same as mine.'
0:09:02 > 0:09:04I've tried it. Yeah.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07I don't particularly like the crow's feet around my eyes. No.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10But I also think, why can't I be more comfortable with it?
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Why should I dislike them? Why do we fight it?
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Well, I just think it's the age we live in, isn't it?
0:09:15 > 0:09:17It's all about the peer pressure.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19And especially for yourself, because you're on TV.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21So you need to look your best.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24With me, it's just not about how other people see me,
0:09:24 > 0:09:26but how I feel within myself.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30So how do you feel now that you've had it done? Great. Do you?
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Looking forward now to the seven to ten days when it's all settled and working.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35So do you feel kind of quite excited now?
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Well, yes, because I look every morning now,
0:09:37 > 0:09:39I look in the mirror to see the change.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43'But why is it that some of us who've tried it,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46'or have it regularly, find it so difficult to admit?'
0:09:46 > 0:09:48There is a huge stigma attached to it.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51A lot of women come in, sometimes they don't tell their husbands.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Sometimes they tell their husbands,
0:09:53 > 0:09:56but they would die if their children knew. Or their mothers!
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Many of them say they want to feel better
0:09:58 > 0:10:00and they feel, when they do this, it makes them feel better.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04We can argue that that's vain, but that's not my stance.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07My stance is, this is what some people need to feel better
0:10:07 > 0:10:10and I'm happy that I can do it appropriately for them.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Do you mind me asking if you have it done? Ha-ha!
0:10:12 > 0:10:15I'm being outed on national TV! LAUGHTER
0:10:15 > 0:10:16Um, yes, I've had it done.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Not many times, but I have had it done
0:10:18 > 0:10:23and I feel it also gives me a better understanding of my patients.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25And I do find it makes me feel a lot happier
0:10:25 > 0:10:28when I do it. How old are you? Now I'm being outed!
0:10:28 > 0:10:31I'm being outed twice! The whole hog! I'm 52 years old.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Oh, my gosh. I mean, you don't look 52.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36You look absolutely amazing! Thank you.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Well, I thought they made a very good case for Botox there
0:10:40 > 0:10:43and I love that it was about making the best of themselves,
0:10:43 > 0:10:48feeling confident, not about looking younger.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50I can relate to that.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Although I really loved Nicola's laughter lines
0:10:54 > 0:10:57that she had before her treatment. I thought she looked beautiful
0:10:57 > 0:11:01and I see lots of older women who look lovely with those lines.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05I just wish that I could get to a place where I love the lines
0:11:05 > 0:11:08that are appearing on my face a little bit more.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11In my heart of hearts,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15I don't believe my age should dictate my appearance.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17But when I cleared out my wardrobe recently,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20I found these little numbers.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22And my heart sank.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25SHE LAUGHS Whee!
0:11:26 > 0:11:31Oh, my gosh. I haven't put this dress on for about ten years!
0:11:31 > 0:11:34It's so low!
0:11:34 > 0:11:36There is no way I would wear this now!
0:11:36 > 0:11:39I interviewed Tom Jones in this dress,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41'so I can't ever throw it away, because he liked it at the time.'
0:11:41 > 0:11:44You look so well. So do you. Gorgeous, as always!
0:11:44 > 0:11:48But I just would not in a million years feel comfortable
0:11:48 > 0:11:49wearing this now.
0:11:49 > 0:11:54I've just got to realise that there are some things in my wardrobe that
0:11:54 > 0:11:55just need to stay there now.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08'As a 45-year-old working mum,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12'I've achieved a lot of my ambitions and I have a pretty good life.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15'So why don't I feel 100% fulfilled?
0:12:15 > 0:12:17'Is this my midlife crisis?
0:12:19 > 0:12:22'To help answer these questions, Dr Phill De Prez -
0:12:22 > 0:12:24'a psychologist from Wrexham Glyndwr University -
0:12:24 > 0:12:28'has bought me along to Wales Ape and Monkey Sanctuary in Swansea.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30'Apparently, we humans
0:12:30 > 0:12:33'have even more in common with primates than I thought.'
0:12:33 > 0:12:36I have no idea why we're in a cage full of lemurs
0:12:36 > 0:12:40to discuss midlife and a midlife crisis.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Can you tell me why you've brought me here?
0:12:42 > 0:12:43THEY LAUGH
0:12:43 > 0:12:47The reason we're here specifically is because there's a lot of research
0:12:47 > 0:12:50into primates and apes and monkeys that looks
0:12:50 > 0:12:54at a similar pattern to their happiness as in humans.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57We go through a U-shape of happiness.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59So, when we're young, we're very happy,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01we don't have any real responsibilities.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05And as we go through life, we tend to have more responsibility,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07whether it's family or career or ageing parents.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12We become less happy until it reaches the bottom at midlife.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15And we tend to get more happy as we grow older,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18because, again, we tend to move away from those responsibilities
0:13:18 > 0:13:21to a certain extent. And there's a lot of research into apes
0:13:21 > 0:13:24and primates that says that they follow a similar U-shaped pattern.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26'Well, they are our closest relatives,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29'so it should be no surprise that, just like us,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32'they also suffer a middle age downturn.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34'Although I'm yet to see a monkey buy a sports car.'
0:13:36 > 0:13:39How old are you, then, Phill? I'm in my mid-50s now.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Are you? Yeah, so... Do you think you had a midlife crisis?
0:13:42 > 0:13:45About every 2? years, so... LAUGHTER
0:13:45 > 0:13:46It's ongoing! It's ongoing.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Yeah, I think I thrive on challenges.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53And for me, in a way, that's what a midlife crisis tends to be.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57It is looking at, "Have you achieved your full ambition?"
0:13:57 > 0:14:00"Have you achieved your full way
0:14:00 > 0:14:02"of doing what you want to do when you want to do it?"
0:14:02 > 0:14:05You see, I still feel like there are things that I want to do, I don't
0:14:05 > 0:14:08feel like it's time to sort of sit back and relax and take stock.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10I still feel like there is stuff I want to do
0:14:10 > 0:14:12and, for me, I feel like time's running out
0:14:12 > 0:14:15and if I want to do stuff, I need to do it now. Yes.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17That's how it's manifesting itself in me, I think.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20It can be a time where we will look back and just try
0:14:20 > 0:14:24and put some context into what we're doing, where we are.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27It could be any personal aspiration that you've had, but sort of
0:14:27 > 0:14:30went that way and you went the other way, it went off on a tangent.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34So now's the time that you have got the time to catch up and maybe
0:14:34 > 0:14:37do the things that you wanted to do, but you never had the time to do.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44'With the prospect of living for another 40 years,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47'is there another career out there for me?'
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Firstly, that wonderful tuning in.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55I'm in Cardiff to meet a group of brave middle-aged men and women
0:14:55 > 0:14:59who are giving up full-time jobs to start their own businesses.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03This is your first day in class, it's all right.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05You see, my gut instinct is to just tickle them!
0:15:05 > 0:15:07LAUGHTER
0:15:07 > 0:15:09OK.
0:15:09 > 0:15:15So you're now on my... chest, lungs, shoulders.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17So shoulders are on the outside of the feet.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19So... Now crossing to my heart area.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23That's amazing! Yeah. And it's not so bad
0:15:23 > 0:15:26touching someone else's feet. It's not so bad, is it?
0:15:26 > 0:15:30'55-year-old Rachel is a specialist in anaesthetics,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33'working in the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36'But all that's about to change.'
0:15:36 > 0:15:39What's made you decide to train as a reflexologist?
0:15:39 > 0:15:42For me, it links in very closely with what I've done most of my life,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45which is science and medicine. I wanted something that would
0:15:45 > 0:15:48give me that same challenge and that same sense of discipline,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52and learning reflexology's given me that challenge and that discipline.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Was it...your age, these middle years, that made you
0:15:56 > 0:16:00start to think about this and made you want to make a change?
0:16:00 > 0:16:03A lot of it has to do with wanting more of my own time
0:16:03 > 0:16:06in my own life - that feeling of getting your life back.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11So I wanted something that would allow me to work, but also to decide
0:16:11 > 0:16:14when I worked and how I worked and with whom I worked.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18For me, I work shifts as well, which I don't know how long
0:16:18 > 0:16:22I'm going to be able to do that for and still, you know,
0:16:22 > 0:16:26not get too tired to be right on the ball
0:16:26 > 0:16:27and do the job as well as I can.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30So I suppose that makes me think, you know,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33"Do I need to make changes at some point?"
0:16:33 > 0:16:35And... That's exactly how I felt.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37And I think it's important, when you do get to middle age,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40that you still feel you've got a future. You know, there's still
0:16:40 > 0:16:43things out there that, actually, I'm going to be really good at
0:16:43 > 0:16:47and that all my life experience can bring something to.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51And that it, um, matters that I'm the age that I am,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54and not an 18-year-old or 23-year-old.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58So you don't feel sad about... losing your former career?
0:16:58 > 0:17:01Yes, I do feel a little bit sad.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03I still feel very attached to it,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07but I feel happy that it's partly what I have been doing
0:17:07 > 0:17:10that's giving me the platform to move onto the next thing.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12It feels like the right time? Absolutely.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20'I really admire the energy and guts of those men and women.'
0:17:20 > 0:17:25But at the same time, for me, it is quite scary, isn't it?
0:17:25 > 0:17:29Going from employment to self-employment.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31I mean, that is a big risk.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35I don't know whether I'd have their courage to do that.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37But at the same time, I love that they've taken control,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40it's their choice, they found something that they love
0:17:40 > 0:17:42and they're having a second chance.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45They've made a second chance for themselves
0:17:45 > 0:17:49to do another career that they love and that is exciting.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55I really enjoy the demands of my job and family life,
0:17:55 > 0:17:59but I am looking forward to the day I might have more time for myself.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03But my ability to pursue other interests or a second career
0:18:03 > 0:18:07will be affected by how physically fit and able I am.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10'And although immobility doesn't strike everyone in old age,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13'it could happen to me and that's a worry.'
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Hello. Hello! Oh, my gosh, this is so strange,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19the fact I've come to university and walked into a hospital.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Welcome to our little pad. Oh, my gosh!
0:18:21 > 0:18:24'Here at the University of South Wales,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27'student nurses and midwives train on a simulated ward.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31'Wearing this ageing kit gives them the first-hand experience
0:18:31 > 0:18:34'of feeling like an elderly patient.'
0:18:34 > 0:18:37It's a fantastic kit that disables your elbows,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39to kind of have them a bit more stiffer.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41It will be a weighted vest,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44to stop you being so agile kind of getting out of chairs and things.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Um, there is an eyesight deficit kit as well. It doesn't make you blind,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50but kind of doesn't allow you to see very clearly.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53'Today, it's my turn to step into the shoes of someone much older
0:18:53 > 0:18:57'and find out what the next 30 years might have in store for me.'
0:18:57 > 0:19:00I'm immediately thinking I don't want any of these things
0:19:00 > 0:19:01to happen to my body! LAUGHTER
0:19:04 > 0:19:07These will just make your hands not...
0:19:07 > 0:19:09totally able to kind of grip and hold.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13I can imagine how it would be difficult to hold something now.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15So if I can put that in the front like that.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18You'll feel dramatically weighted.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21How does that feel? Oh, my goodness.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24So what could be causing me to feel like this?
0:19:24 > 0:19:28Perhaps just age-related immobility. Really?
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Really? Possibly. Cos it's so restricting!
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Restricting. I just feel like I want to sit here, just like this,
0:19:34 > 0:19:35and I do not want to move.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39We're going to finally change now with altering your eyesight.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41So if you want to put them on, then.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43So this would be cataracts in both eyes? Yes.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46How does that look? Oh, gosh.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49It's like looking through really muddy water.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53You know, you're just a blurry blob.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Right, right. I can't really see what's around me.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00At what age can you develop cataracts?
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Possibly, you might see changes in your 50s,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06that maybe cataracts could be developing.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08This is not for every individual, obviously.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11So I wonder, if you were in a strange environment,
0:20:11 > 0:20:13how confident you would feel to get up and walk?
0:20:15 > 0:20:17I would be nervous seeing you there,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19because I can't see whether you're smiling at me
0:20:19 > 0:20:22or whether you're looking angry. So I'm completely reliant
0:20:22 > 0:20:26on what I hear from how you speak... OK. ..and what you say to me.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30'But I wouldn't be able to hear Jane clearly for much longer,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33'as she's about to impair my hearing.'
0:20:33 > 0:20:36It's like a high-pitched...
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Well, it sounds like... chirping, almost.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Chirping sound? Rushing, chirping.
0:20:42 > 0:20:43Oh, OK. Just distracting.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46So a different sound... I'm fighting to hear you a bit more.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48How do you feel now, maybe, if you get up off the chair
0:20:48 > 0:20:50and we go to maybe buy a coffee?
0:20:50 > 0:20:52I feel like that would be a massive effort.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56OK. The tiniest things I'm finding really hard work.
0:20:56 > 0:20:57So, getting up...
0:20:58 > 0:21:02Ooh! Straightening up was really hard then.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Oh, I just feel really uncomfortable.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06I just feel so heavy.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08I feel like I can only shuffle.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11And it's disorientating, this sound, actually.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13I can't really see very well.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16It's really... It's really hard to walk.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20'I can only empathise with elderly people with mobility issues.'
0:21:22 > 0:21:25It's so disorientating, because I can't actually work out...
0:21:25 > 0:21:28where the buildings are. I'm feeling really tired.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32If somebody offered me a chair right now, it would be very welcome.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35'I think, if I felt like this every day,
0:21:35 > 0:21:37'I could easily become isolated.'
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Keep your head forward. I can see that we're in a canteen,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44but I can't see where I go to get my cup of tea.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48I think I can see the teapots.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50No. Not tea pots.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53No, that is the cake.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55SHE LAUGHS I managed to find the cake.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Good to know that some instincts won't change.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01I can't actually read that. I know that's cappuccino.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Is that the hot water?
0:22:03 > 0:22:05No, no, it's nothing, that's just where the teabags are.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Eugh! Even just getting the teabag is hard!
0:22:08 > 0:22:10It's hard to lift my arm up.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17I don't know where I've got to pay.
0:22:18 > 0:22:19Hello?
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Hi. I'm really glad there's nobody behind me at the moment,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25because I think I'd probably feel really agitated if I knew
0:22:25 > 0:22:28there was a big queue, cos I literally can't do this any faster.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35SHE LAUGHS
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Oh, my goodness! That was exhausting!
0:22:39 > 0:22:42I find the thought that...
0:22:42 > 0:22:49my eyes, hearing, mobility is going to degenerate further in my 50s -
0:22:49 > 0:22:54that it's already started, and it's potentially going to get worse and
0:22:54 > 0:22:59leave me like this - you know, it's quite frightening, to be honest.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02And it makes me think I really want to do whatever I can right now
0:23:02 > 0:23:05to try and hold this feeling off as long as I possibly can.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15'The prospect of becoming frail and immobile in my old age
0:23:15 > 0:23:18'is such a scary thought.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22'It makes me re-evaluate all my other concerns.'
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Come on through. Thank you.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27'I've got personal reasons for worrying that
0:23:27 > 0:23:30'I might develop a bone-related disease.'
0:23:30 > 0:23:34It's important, at your age, to start to think about bone density
0:23:34 > 0:23:38and bone health. Also to think about muscle health as well,
0:23:38 > 0:23:42because after the age of 30, when you have your maximum bone density,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45you start to lose about 1% of bone per year.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48And what you don't want is to start having bone fractures.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50So, when you're in your mid-40s,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53start thinking about how you can start to retard some of that loss.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57'My mum and dad both had hip issues, so I'm about to have a scan,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01'which I hope will reassure me about the health of my bones.'
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Are you comfortable? Yes. Are you ready?
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Trying to relax. OK.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Just always a bit nerve-racking, something like this. Yeah.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12You just hope that you don't find anything that's wrong.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14'While I wait for my results,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17'I get a chance to ask David why bone fractures are more common
0:24:17 > 0:24:19'amongst women who've been through the menopause.'
0:24:21 > 0:24:22Women after the age of 50,
0:24:22 > 0:24:26they have a 50% chance of an osteoporotic-related fracture,
0:24:26 > 0:24:31where men have about one in five, so a 20% chance,
0:24:31 > 0:24:33and that's because of the drop-off
0:24:33 > 0:24:37and the protection of the oestrogen hormones
0:24:37 > 0:24:40that eliminates that protective mechanism.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44'My 50s are just around the corner, so I'm more at risk of a fracture,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47'which makes me really anxious about my scan results.'
0:24:47 > 0:24:51And, um, what you're showing is, you're slightly osteopenic...
0:24:53 > 0:24:57..which means that you have slightly low bone density.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Really? Yes. Gosh, that's a bit of a shock. Yeah.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03I didn't want to hear that, David. No, no. I won't mind telling you.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06No, I can understand that.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09But at the same time, it's best that you found this out.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14Osteopenia will transgress into osteoporosis
0:25:14 > 0:25:16if not managed appropriately.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18What can I do about it? That's what I want to know!
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Is there anything that I can do?
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Yeah. If you load the bones,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25if you create strategies to create more stress on the bones,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28they will respond to that and they will lay down more calcium
0:25:28 > 0:25:32to actually strengthen the bone, so you have to put more effort
0:25:32 > 0:25:35into weight-bearing, high impact exercise.
0:25:35 > 0:25:41I think 150 minutes of exercise a week, that's 22 minutes a day,
0:25:41 > 0:25:47of weight-bearing exercise in order to increase the bone deposition
0:25:47 > 0:25:50and increase the actual density and content of your bone.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52I'm so relieved that there is something that at least
0:25:52 > 0:25:56I can do about it, though. Yeah. You have to do something, don't you?
0:25:56 > 0:26:00Yes. Yeah, you have an obligation to do that,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04for a number of reasons. Yeah. Your own health, your longevity, er,
0:26:04 > 0:26:11family... Mm-hm. ..um, and it's appropriate that we suggest to you
0:26:11 > 0:26:14what you need to do to be able to manage it.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18Get the leg out, make sure you're comfortable, you're balanced, OK?
0:26:18 > 0:26:20And then lean forward...
0:26:20 > 0:26:23bring the elbow down.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27That was such a massive shock, I just wasn't expecting it.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29Just feel that tension in the thighs. Yeah.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33'Even though I'm not relishing the prospect of doing those exercises,'
0:26:33 > 0:26:36when David said that I need to, not just for me, but, you know,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39for my family, you know, going forward, well,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41you know, that will be my motivation
0:26:41 > 0:26:45and that will make me do it and fight it and sort myself out.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49SHE GRUNTS, THEY LAUGH
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Oh, that's nice. SHE LAUGHS
0:26:52 > 0:26:57'I feel like I've had a real wake-up call, which makes me care less now
0:26:57 > 0:27:00'about doing battle with my ageing appearance.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02'I'd like to think I might one day
0:27:02 > 0:27:05'even be brave enough to ditch the hair dye.'
0:27:05 > 0:27:09I do have...a nice wig.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Do you? With grey.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Right. Would you like to try that?
0:27:14 > 0:27:18It'd be quite interesting to see what I look like grey.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24Ooh! Ha-ha! It's long as well! OK.
0:27:24 > 0:27:25Oh, my gosh.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Tell me when you think I can open my eyes. Shall I have a look?
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Not yet? Yeah, I think that's about right. Now? Yeah.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Oh, my gosh.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40Oh, my gosh!
0:27:42 > 0:27:45I kind of quite like it.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48But I do feel instantly older.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50It's a statement, isn't it?
0:27:50 > 0:27:53It says I am, you know, in my middle, older years.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57I am a grey-haired woman. I don't necessarily mind that.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02'I'm depending on my friend Anne and my son Gabriel
0:28:02 > 0:28:04'for an honest opinion about my new look.'
0:28:04 > 0:28:08# Hello! #
0:28:08 > 0:28:12Hi! Wow! You look like grandma.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Do you think I look older?
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Way older. Good older?
0:28:16 > 0:28:22Um....ish. Ish? Ish is good, I will take ish!
0:28:22 > 0:28:24So I look more like a granny than a mummy?
0:28:24 > 0:28:30Yeah. That might make me want to take this off, at this stage.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33It looks good. So we can take heart, I think, from this. Do you think?
0:28:33 > 0:28:34Yeah! I kind of quite like it.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40'This has been quite a journey.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43'I've met so many inspirational people
0:28:43 > 0:28:45'and they've given me so much to think about.'
0:28:45 > 0:28:49As I get older, I'm going to have to take action now
0:28:49 > 0:28:53and take my fitness and my mental agility way more seriously.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57I'm determined to make these years the very best they can be.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02'I need to accept that I am getting older
0:29:02 > 0:29:05'and it's not something to be feared.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08'Life is definitely what you make it
0:29:08 > 0:29:11'and the years to come are full of possibilities.'
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Yey! LAUGHTER