“We know now that prevention and lifestyle are the most important issues in keeping us healthy. In my view, integrative health and wellness is the way forward, and whether you call it spa, wellness, wellbeing, longevity, health span or something else, it always comes back to the core principles of good nutrition, exercise, good sleep, mindfulness and meditation.”<\/p>\n
![\"woman](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/7c0062ce5d79-sueharmsworth-v2-6-of-36.jpg\")
\u00a9 Hester Barnes Photography & FilmSue works hard on her health<\/p>\n
That said, Sue isn’t immune to the perils of ageing, sharing: “My weakness is joints, so I have to look after my knees and shoulders. That aside, I do think that exercise is a massive part of the reason I feel so good at my age \u2013 if I don\u2019t do something active every day, that\u2019s when I feel an ache or pain.”<\/p>\n
Here, Sue shares her rigorous wellness routine \u2013 as well as the habits she actively avoids. Take notes!<\/p>\n
1. Morning stretches<\/p>\n
“I start every day with 15 minutes of stretching – bridges, cat cow, child pose, knee rolling, tabletop and so on.”<\/p>\n
2. \u00a0Pool time<\/p>\n
“My beloved pool routine includes 40 minutes in the pool – running, jumping, doing weights, squats and lunges, and riding on my aqua bike.”<\/p>\n
![\"older](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/8fbde46006c6-sue-harmsworth-v2-13-of-36.jpg\")
\u00a9 Hester Barnes Photography & FilmSue does a daily exercise routine in her pool
\n3. \u00a0Two personal training sessions per week<\/p>\n
“Where possible, I do two PT sessions a week. I am also lucky to have a Technogym Kinesis (an all-in-one machine with built-in elastic bands, dumbbells,\u00a0and more) in my gym at home, and I do rope exercises for my shoulders most days.”<\/p>\n
![\"Sue](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/9c0d03d8690e-sue-harmsworth-v2-4-of-36.jpg\")
\u00a9 Hester Barnes Photography & FilmSue Harmsworth does her workout routine on her Kinesis machine
\n4. Water therapy<\/p>\n
“I tend to take cool showers and warm baths and use them as therapy. I rely on the shower in the morning for circulation and energy, while the bath (with Epsom salts and oils) helps my sleep process of winding down, because I have no tech in there.”<\/p>\n
5. Contrast therapy<\/p>\n
“I believe in contrast thermal therapy<\/a> – always ending with cold. The practice has been around for centuries but is claimed as “new”. I sauna twice a week – hot, cold, hot, cold – always finishing with cold!”<\/p>\n “I have\u00a0skin brushed<\/a> for decade. It’s a form of exfoliation but also helps with circulation, always towards the heart.”<\/p>\n 7. Microbiome care<\/p>\n “I have always been aware of the importance of the three microbiomes – oral microbiome, gut health and the microbiome and the skin microbiome. To support mine, I see a hygienist every four months, do swishing with coconut oil, use my electric toothbrush<\/a> to clean my tongue as well as gums and teeth, and use a water pick as well.”<\/p>\n 8. One main meal \u2013 and no snacking<\/p>\n “In my eighties, I have to be careful with food. I try to only have one main meal a day, and I try to follow the Original Mayr Clinic principles of no raw after 4, no snacking at all, two fasting days, 16\/8, and two vegetarian days.<\/p>\n “The quality of the ingredients and nutrient value is more important now and I avoid processed foods and try to cook from scratch and source high-quality produce.”<\/p>\n 9. Minimal alcohol<\/p>\n “For the last three years have come off alcohol other than for really important celebrations and then one glass of a great pink Champagne is enough!”<\/p>\n 10. \u00a0Avoiding surgery<\/p>\n “As we age, we want to avoid surgeries as it gets harder to recover, but it’s so important that stay mobile. One issue that has blighted my health is a series of problems with my joints, leading to a hip resurfacing procedure in my mid-50s, followed by joint replacement surgery in both shoulders five years ago which required a lengthy recovery period.\u00a0<\/p>\n “A few years ago, in my late seventies, I began experiencing pain and discomfort in my knees. I’ve followed a wide-ranging exercise regime my whole life and suddenly I wasn’t able to lift weights to support my muscle strength or do my daily exercises in the swimming pool.<\/p>\n “I was struggling to even get up from a chair. It all happened very suddenly and as I was approaching 80, for the first time ever, I started to wonder how I was going to do everything. I felt really panicked.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"woman](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/a9cf835833ef-sueharmsworth-v2-2of-36.jpg\")
\u00a9 Hester Barnes Photography & FilmSue likes to sauna daily
\n6. Body brushing<\/p>\n![\"woman](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cd24afe9ef53-sue-harmsworth-v2-36-of-36.jpg\")
\u00a9 Hester Barnes Photography & FilmSue follows a strict diet – and doesn’t drink<\/p>\n![\"woman](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/a6cb380be552-sue-harmsworth-v2-7-of-36.jpg\")
\u00a9 Hester Barnes Photography & FilmSue Harmsworth tries to do two personal training sessions per week<\/p>\n