Three generations of women share their secrets to a healthy life

Louise Proddow and her family are living proof that a generation gap or two means nothing when it comes to sharing a zest for life.

The brilliant Rejuvage founder, 55, has inspired woman across the world to #AgeAmazing with her brilliant website that insists that age is currency and getting older can be a privilege with all the right wellness tools at your fingertips. Her two daughters, Megan, 18 and Alex, 29, and her 74-year-old mother, Chris, don’t just have a family tree in common, they have built a bond through their passion for health and happiness.

Whether they’re hitting the beach in Majorca, racing down the slopes of Méribel in the French Alps or even indulging in rooftop yoga this is a family who insists age is irrelevant when it comes to having fun and being healthy. 

“We are lucky that we have always been close,” Louise tells Lumity, “But I believe we’ve also helped achieve that by making sure we do so much together.”

Do Things You Love Together

Louise isn’t just talking about adventures in faraway countries - although they’ve had their fair share - she’s talking about a love of the outdoors and finding adventure on her doorstep too.

“An active outdoor lifestyle is so important. I spent my childhood walking up mountains, around lakes and with horses and I passed this onto my children who I brought up on a farm in the countryside. Now we all love walking, hiking and skiing. Rain or shine we enjoy being outside in the fresh air."

 

Give Each Other Space

Just because they “talk on the phone all the time” and love family vacations Louise admits giving each other space has helped them maintain a healthy relationship.

“We are close, but not geographically and we give each other space to breath. We live in different locations but go on holidays together and have our own careers and lives too. We don’t live in each other’s pockets because I believe this is where tension can build. We do nice things together and then separate.”

 

Live Your Life and Forget Your Age

There might be 56-years between teenager Megan and her septuagenarian grandmother, Chris but that doesn’t matter to them.

“It’s about being around people who share similar interests, not about how old they are,” says Chris who has just returned from a nine-week skiing holiday in France during which she hit the ski slopes every day - weather permitting.

“There was a big group of us there, the youngest was 41 and the oldest 79 and yet we would ski together and would socialise at the bar in the evening too. Age didn’t come into it.”

Louise agrees: “I’ve always been into health and fitness but the older I got the more I was finding that all the images and everything that was being written was about younger women in their 20s. It was as if I should be invisible.

“But you don’t change. If you’ve always been out there and a bit quirky, you’re still like that in your 50s so why try to hide it.”

 

Stay Active Because It's Fun 

It’s no wonder Alex and Megan like to stay active since their mother and grandmother certainly have more than just a spring in their step. 

Although each morning can’t entail a ski slope, they all ensure they do something active every single day.

“We all share our Fitbit scores and most of time we can’t keep up with mum,” says Louise. 

Although Chris is quick to chime in and point out: “That’s because I’m retired!”

Louise insists being active doesn’t just have a positive impact on your health, it goes deeper than that.

“I often find people who are energetic in sport are energetic in other aspects of their life too,” she says. “That’s happening more and more. People are realising it’s about balance, physical, mental and spiritual. Intrinsically that’s how we were bought up even though it wasn’t trendy then.”

 

Keep Being Inspired

They all inspire each other, whether that’s with their careers in marketing or modelling or Chris’ no-nonsense approach to ageing, but they love to be inspired by the world and what is has to offer too.

It’s not just health and wellness where they get their kicks Louise says they’re always trying to keep their minds active by trying new things as well.

“We love to mix up lots of socialising,” she says. “We go to gigs and art galleries. One day we could be in London at the latest bar and the next we could be in the countryside walking the dogs. We have a holistic approach to keeping mind and body active.”

 

Share Your Beauty Tips

As a family who spends an extended amount of time in the outdoors their skin definitely battles the elements but Louise says Lumity Nutrients Skin Facial Oil helps to combat some of the environmental effects which take their toll on her complexion.

And as a family they’ll often share their new and old beauty secrets. 

“Alex and my mum use the same moisturiser,” explains Louise. “And Meg and I both love the same makeup brand, so we do borrow each other’s products from time to time.”

Make Time for Experiences

For Louise and her family, a gift isn’t really something that comes in a box, it’s about having experiences and making memories together.

“Instead of buying birthday presents, we buy experiences,” Louise explains.  “Last year we all did roof top yoga at the Berkley Hotel in London and then had a champagne treat and spent the night in Knightsbridge.”

Something Chris was overjoyed with: "I had never experienced anything like that before,” she adds.

Last year Louise and her youngest daughter went backpacking in Nepal, Alex is soon off to India for an adventure and Chris is “always off travelling”.

“New experiences keep you young,” adds Louise.

 

Support Each Other’s Healthy Goals

It’s clear these are three generations of women living life to the full and they have to be healthy to keep up with their active lifestyles, but they’re also all about moderation too. 

“Having a healthy family encourages us all to have healthy, balanced habits,” says Louise. “But that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy a little indulgence too.

“We all love food and sharing a meal together, but we try to keep it fresh and colourful with plenty of fish and vegetables. We are all drinking less alcohol, so we feel more energised. But just remember something as simple as a meal is a shared experience too.”