Time was, you'd kiss goodbye to your youth at 30 . . . but the baby boomers are now rewriting the rules .

It seems we can all knock 10 years off our ages and we have the Canadians to thank for it. It's now official -- 50 is the new 40, and 40 is the new 30. That can only mean good things for the thirtysomethings. A recent national survey in Canada said that 61pc of baby boomers felt 10 years younger than their true age.

More importantly, they don't want plastic surgery, liposuction and they've thrown out the anti-wrinkle cream.

So, what keeps them young? Around 76pc said regular exercise, 71pc watch what they eat, and 40pc take vitamins on a regular basis.

"This new generation is more informed in many ways than their parents, and this gives them a sense of control and empowers them," says Dr Miroslava Lhotsky, family doctor and co-author of The Healthy Boomer.

"They pride themselves on doing things their own way and, in doing so, they are trying to rewrite the book on ageing.

"This is particularly true when it comes to their approach to healthy living. They are striving to stay fit by exercising and eating well, in order to stay young. They want to be involved in all aspects of their health."

Basically, the way forward for the Canadians is to follow a simpler life.

It's a trend the Irish fiftysomethings are following in their droves.

According to Beth Fitzpatrick (55), Dublin life coach with Access Counselling, life after 50 is mostly stress-free, and that makes us look and feel younger. And it sloughs off those unwanted years.

Yuppie style

"I find people who come to us are more conscious of what they eat and drink. I think a lot is to do with the media highlighting dangers of certain types of lifestyles," says Beth.

"My own diet would be very different than what it was 10 years ago. The new fiftysomethings don't seem to be in to takeaways. They would rather have a sit-down meal with a glass of wine. It's a kind of yuppie style".

She adds: "I notice 50 is a very relaxed age to be. The pressure is not on to perform like you did in your forties, where you might have thought: 'If I don't do it now, I will never do it'. When you get to your fifties you are usually through that stage, and everything you do is a bonus.

"You don't have to worry about the children as much because they will worry about you. They become the adult".

Beth is mother to four grown-up children, Louise (35), Andrew (32), Joanne (28) and Thomas (27). She is also granny to eight, the eldest aged 11 and the youngest 11 months.

Her husband, Thomas is 57. At the age of 50, he left his job in the building trade and went back to college to study counselling.

Beth started her own counselling service 10 years back at the age of 45, and recently opened her new counselling centre in Crumlin.

"I don't feel 55," she adds. "I believe the more you do in life, the younger you stay. I still run seven miles most days."

When she was 20, she started studying. "I was interested in childcare. I ran my own playgroup and then I got involved in community development," she says. "Then, once the children went to school, I said to myself that I would go back to study."

So, at 43, she picked up the books again.

"I decided to do a course, and I thought I had walked into a relaxation class, but it was about counselling. That got me hooked."

She adds: "I didn't even know how to open a computer, and I had to overcome dyslexia. But it never stopped me.

"Some women are at that gap where they have their children reared and they don't know what their role is in life any more.

"Many men and women can be a little bit lost, but still have lots of energy. Many develop low self-esteem. I would encourage them to change and maybe go back to college. Are they going to spend the next 30 years retired? Remember, people are living longer."

So, how do you knock 10 years off your age? One suggestion is that you should see yourself as a "work in progress".

"Many fiftysomethings are working on themselves. If you don't believe in yourself, who is going to do it for you? It's important to bring up your self-esteem," says Beth.

"Don't avoid the issues," she says. "I would tell people not to be hiding behind 'I'm too old for this' and 'I can't do that'. What have you got to lose?"

- Brenda Woods