I spent years postponing my own joy. Here’s how I learned to say yes to the juicy bits of life

Society tells us there is one way to live a life, and joy is a byproduct on the path there. But you don’t need a reason to enjoy the act of being alive

The generation raised on sugar rations – and what their health reveals 70 years later

From blood pressure to ageing, research suggests the first 1,000 days of sugar exposure could leave a decades-long mark on health

As my husband’s carer, I sometimes need a break – finding respite care in Australia shouldn’t be this difficult

Arranging a short stay for my husband in an aged care facility shouldn’t take dozens of calls, emails and an interstate operation involving friends

Take good care of your tailbone. I didn’t – and my derriere has never been the same since

My coccyx still hurts from an extreme cycling challenge almost two decades ago. Is there anything it’s good for, asks Adrian Chiles

‘I spent a week crying. I’ve never had an injury in my life!’ Why do so many fitness fans end up needing surgery?

From the 47-year-old runner who needs a double hip replacement to the 27-year-old CrossFitter with a ruptured ACL, those who push their bodies too hard often regret it. What are the lessons for the rest of us?

Fit with just five minutes’ exercise a day? I don’t believe it

Everyone these days wants to optimise their workouts, but when a study seems too good to be true, it usually is, says public health expert Devi Sridhar

Forget makeup and tweakments: this is how we should be ageing gracefully

We over-50s should worry less about our crepe necks and sunspots and more about our listening skills – and the pettiness we bring to social media, says Zoe Williams

There are two kinds of people: those who enjoyed school PE lessons – and the rest of us

The horror of sports lessons put three in 10 of British 50 to 65-year-olds off exercise for life. I wish I’d known sooner that movement can feel so good, writes Emma Beddington

Food for thought: Is your diet ageing you?

From cooking at too high temperatures to consuming too little fat, what and how we eat can have a big impact on the way we age. Here’s what you might be doing wrong – and how to fix it

Positive thinking helps you age better? That’s the worst thing I’ve heard all month

If you’re the glass-half-full type, you should be overjoyed at the news coming out of Yale School of Public Health. But pessimists like me? We’re stuffed, writes Emma Beddington