The steps are small. The results are real.

The Physio Co’s new book – Moving is Living:Simple steps to stay active, confident and full of life in your 70s, 80s and beyond – is out now.

Dr John Tickell wrote the foreword to the book. He is an Australian medical doctor, international health and longevity researcher, bestselling author and speaker who has spent decades studying the health, wellbeing and lifestyle patterns of people around the world, including in more than 100 countries. A former general practitioner and sports medicine practitioner, Dr Tickell has built a career around preventative health and the practical habits that can help people live longer, healthier and more active lives.

Here is his foreword:

“I’ve spent decades researching and travelling the world in search of the secret to a long and healthy life. I’ve visited the famous Blue Zones — the islands of Okinawa in Japan, Ikaria in Greece, Sardinia, parts of Costa Rica — places where people routinely live well into their 80s, 90s and beyond. Energetic, connected, purposeful people who haven’t stopped moving.

“You know what they all have in common? They rarely sat still for more than a few minutes.

“Sixteen years ago I was diagnosed with malignant brain cancer. In fact, there were five brain cancers in all. I’m still here. And one of the things I know with absolute certainty — as a doctor, as a researcher, and as someone who has had to fight hard to stay in the game — is that movement is medicine. Not the scary, sweaty kind. Just the everyday, keep-the-engine-running kind.

“Think of yourself like a vintage car. Beautiful, capable, built to last. But a car that sits in the garage doesn’t stay reliable. It needs to be started regularly, taken around the block, given the right fuel. You are no different. Your roughly 600 muscles and 300 or so joints are waiting to be used. They respond remarkably well when you give them the chance.