Category: Lifestyle

Ropho — Purpose, Courage & Still Showing Up

“Search for a hero inside yourself.”

Heather Small sang it years ago, and like many good lyrics, it quietly hangs around in your head until one day it suddenly makes sense.

As I approach 64 and prepare to launch this website and blog, I had a conversation today — one I’ve had more than once recently.

It went something like this:

“Shouldn’t you be slowing down now?”

It wasn’t meant unkindly.
It was said with concern, maybe even affection (maybe?)
But it stopped me in my tracks.

Slowing down… or tuning out?

I tried to explain that what I want to do isn’t about chasing success, money, or proving anything.

I want to build something that gives people over 60:

• a place to think
• a place to talk
• a sounding board
• a sense they’re not alone
• A space where personal, lifestyle, business, confidence, health and purpose can be talked about honestly.
• Where ideas can be shared.
• Where people are reminded that dreaming doesn’t have an expiry date.

The response?

A smile.
A pause.
And then…

“You’re mad.”

That was the fourth time in two weeks I’d been told that.

Instead of putting me off, it convinced me I might be on to something.

When “mad” really means “uncomfortable”

Here’s what I’ve learned over the years:

When people say “you’re mad”, what they often mean is:

That wouldn’t work for me.

I’d be too scared to do that.

I thought life was supposed to get smaller now.

Society quietly teaches us that later life should be about less:

less ambition

less risk

less curiosity

less energy

less contribution

But what if that’s wrong?

What if later life is actually about more, just differently?

More meaning.
More honesty.
More choice.
More freedom to say, “this matters to me.”

The hero isn’t loud or flashy

The hero Heather Small was singing about isn’t wearing a cape.

It’s not about reinvention for the sake of it.
It’s not about hustle culture or grinding until exhaustion.

The hero inside yourself is quieter than that.

It’s the voice that says:

I’m not done yet.

I still care.

I still want to contribute.

I want to use what I’ve learned.

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do after 60 is to start something new when the world expects you to stop.

Why Ropho exists

ROPHO isn’t about pretending ageing doesn’t exist.
It’s about engaging with it honestly.

With humour.
With realism.
With kindness.

It’s about pleasure and responsibility.
Dreams and discipline.
Hope and practicality.

And above all, it’s about reminding people — myself included — that:

You don’t age out of purpose.
You age into it.

If this resonates with you…

If you’ve been told to slow down when you feel like you’re only just understanding what matters…
If you’ve been quietly thinking “there’s more I want to do”…
If you’ve been labelled mad for still having ideas…

Welcome.

You’re in the right place.

Final thought

Maybe the real madness isn’t starting something new at 64.

Maybe it’s believing that curiosity, creativity, and contribution have a sell-by date.

So yes — I’ll keep searching for the hero inside myself.

And if this website helps others find theirs too,
then being “mad” seems like a pretty good place to be.

Ropho — Health, Pleasure & Balance in Your Sixties, can you eat healthily in a restaurant, one of the great questions?

One of the greatest pleasures in life, at least for me, is eating out.

Not Michelin-star, dress-code, remortgage-the-house gastronomy.

I’m talking about a good local restaurant or a proper food pub.

Fresh produce, friendly service, and somewhere comfortable, where you can taste the food and still hear the person sitting opposite you.

We’re lucky here in the UK, despite what people say, there are fantastic eateries everywhere.

Whether you love traditional British dishes, a cracking curry, or, like me… Italian.

Beautiful pasta. A decent steak. Real coffee. Warm bread you swear you won’t touch… then touch.

But here’s the challenge:

How do we enjoy eating out without, expanding our waistbands further?

“Just eat a salad!” someone will shout.

Yes, but Mr. Calorie is often hiding in the dressing, the cheese, the creamy sauce poured politely by a smiling waiter.

So the answer isn’t restriction as is often the case it’s all about balance.

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Preparation (The Healthy Halo Day)

Today I’ve been very good, preparing for tonight like a man entering a marathon:

• Walked an insane number of steps
• Low-fat Greek yoghurt with blueberries for breakfast
• Tuna & cucumber wholemeal sandwich for lunch
• Drank enough water to irrigate a small garden
• Did 45 minutes of resistance training
• Then sat at my laptop for six hours (balance, right?)
• Dog walked. Steps topped up. Feeling righteous.

Healthy body? Check.
Calorie budget? Saved.
Smugness level? High.

Which means…
Perfect evening for an Italian restaurant.

Did we plan ahead? Of course not.
Last-minute booking, quick taxi (raining, no driving excuse!).
We arrive. Found a table. Menus appear.

Then the first difficult question:

“What would you like to drink?”

This is where intentions and real life wrestle against each other.

We’d planned to be sensible.
Maybe a glass of wine each.

But the waiter says they have a special Merlot, hand-picked by the owner.
You know the one, described in poetic detail.
Black cherries. Velvet finish. Oak barrels. Irresistible.

Sharon looks at me.
I look at Sharon.

“This particular Merlot is sold by the bottle.”

Of course it is, It would be rude not to indulge wouldn’t it!

• MyFitnessPal
• Bottle of Merlot: approx. 640 calories.
• Half for me (I promise). 320.
• Today’s calories so far: 897.
• Left: 1475.
• Wine fits.
• So far, so good.

Starter: Yes please.

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So… can you eat healthily in a restaurant?

Absolutely — if you make small choices that balance enjoyment with awareness.

Some realistic tips (realistic meaning “still fun”):

Starters

• Choose tomato-based soups, prawns, bruschetta, cured meats, olives
• Avoid deep-fried everything unless worth it
• Share starters — more variety, fewer calories

Mains

• Grilled or baked over deep-fried
• Swap chips for salad or half-and-half
• Tomato sauces instead of cream
• Add extra greens — volume without guilt
• Portion too big? Take half home for lunch tomorrow

Dessert

• Share one
• Or skip and enjoy another glass of wine
• Or skip nothing and enjoy your life — your choice

Wine

• Alternate with water
• Slow pace, savour it
• Good wine, oh well more wine

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Health without punishment

After the meal:

• Short walk aids digestion & blood sugar
• Water before bed
• No guilt, one meal doesn’t ruin everything
• Consistency beats perfection

Health is built over months, not meals.

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Why this matters to me

Since my pacemaker, I’m conscious of balance,
health, happiness, food, movement, pleasure.

I don’t want to live a life of “No.”
I want a life of “Yes — sensibly.”

Because joy matters.
Connection matters.
Good food with someone you love matters.

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Final thought

You can eat out, enjoy wine, and stay healthy.
It isn’t about restriction. It’s about awareness, habit & balance.

Not diet. Not punishment.
Just living well but with pleasure.

Don’t forget to email me your stories of eating out healthily.

Body Image in Later Life: Does It Still Matter?

As we get older, many of us like to say, “I don’t care what people think anymore.” We tell ourselves that body image is a young person’s game.

We wear what we want, we stop chasing passing fashion trends, and we claim to be completely comfortable in our own skin.

But if we are being completely honest with ourselves… is that always true?

Does how we see our bodies still secretly affect how we experience our lives?

Or do we genuinely judge success by confidence and contentment, rather than the appearances, comparisons, and expectations we pretend no longer matter?

When Body Image Never Really Left Me

My own relationship with body image started very early.

I was born with a structural condition called Pectus Excavatum (a sunken chest), where the breastbone sits inward rather than outward.

From as far back as I can remember, taking my shirt off felt incredibly uncomfortable.

School PE, swimming pools, trips to the beach, moments that should have been carefree instead became exercises in intense self-consciousness.

As a talented young footballer (That’s what I tell everyone), I loved the game, but I absolutely dreaded the changing rooms.

I took a massive amount of stick from the other lads. In that environment, looking different made you a target.

I learned early just how powerful body awareness can be, and how long those psychological scars stay with you.

This is something we simply don’t talk about enough: body image doesn’t magically disappear with age. It evolves.

Even in our sixties and beyond, we still live in bodies that change, reflect our health, carry our past, and interact with the world.

The mirror may hold less power over us than it did in our twenties, but it never completely loses its grip.

Changing Bodies, Changing Priorities

Ageing brings changes we can’t negotiate with.

Hair thins or greys, skin softens, muscles naturally weaken, and posture shifts.

Joints tend to complain a bit more loudly on a rainy Tuesday morning than they used to.

Illness, injury, or surgery can accelerate these changes, sometimes forcing us to confront parts of ourselves we weren’t ready to look at.

Yet, ageing also offers us something incredibly valuable: perspective.

Now in my mid-sixties (although I rarely act it), I care far less about how my body looks to a stranger, and far more about what it allows me to do.

• Can I still move comfortably?
• Can I travel the world with my wife?
• Can I work, laugh, think clearly, and actively enjoy my life?

When you shift your perspective, wrinkles and old scars stop looking like flaws. They start feeling like hard-earned evidence of survival.

The Social Mirror We Still Live With

Our self-image doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

We live in a culture that worships youth and quietly sidelines ageing bodies. Anti-ageing marketing pushes the narrative that getting older is a disease to be cured, rather than a privilege to be experienced.

But that narrative is slowly shifting. More older voices are pushing back, showing real faces, and saying: this is what a life well-lived actually looks like.

In later life, health and body image are tightly connected.

Chronic conditions, mobility issues, or weight changes can reshape how we see ourselves.

Sometimes, true body positivity simply means redefining what “healthy” looks like. It isn’t about aesthetic perfection anymore; it’s about capability, independence, and presence.

Nurturing a Healthier Body Image After 60

A positive relationship with your body doesn’t mean you have to love every single line or sag. It means respecting the physical vessel that carried you this far.

Here are a few gentle reminders I use to keep my own perspective in check:

• Focus on function, not flaws: Value what your body does, your movement, your energy, your independence.
• Practice self-compassion: Notice your frustrations about ageing without judging yourself for having them.
• Stay active in your own way: Targeted resistance training doesn’t just build muscle; it rebuilds structural posture and floods your brain with confidence.
• Challenge the stereotypes: Ageing is not a default slide into decline. It is an opportunity to re-engineer how you live.
• Express yourself: Wear what feels right, do what brings you joy, and ignore the imaginary rulebook.

Embracing the Body That Got You Here

Body image doesn’t expire when you turn 60. It grows, it shifts, and occasionally, it challenges us all over again. But later life offers us a gift that our youth rarely did: the maturity to choose acceptance over criticism.

If sharing my own journey with a caved chest and changing-room anxiety helps even one person feel a little less alone in their skin today, then opening up was worth it.

Rebuilding Your Physical Frame

If you struggle with your posture, rounded shoulders, or structural chest issues like Pectus Excavatum, you don’t have to just accept the slouch. I have put together a permanent, practical training guide outlining the exact alternative movements I use to straighten my spine and open my chest. Read the companion guide here: [Overcoming the Cage: How I Rebuilt My Posture and Confidence After Pectus Excavatum — Link to the new article].

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