Keep moving, keep learning, live fully: Lessons from actor Tay Ping Hui and a ‘granfluencer’ 

[SINGAPORE] Growing older is often associated with slowing down.

But for actor Tay Ping Hui, 56, and fitness instructor Vicsland Poh, 60, ageing has meant something quite different: embracing new challenges, pursuing fresh interests and making more deliberate choices about how they spend their time.

Speaking about what it means to live fully, at a panel at The Business Times Longevity Forum presented by HSBC Life, the pair reflected on how their priorities have evolved with age as they embraced new pursuits while placing greater emphasis on health, relationships and personal fulfilment. 

For Poh, that has also meant not postponing the things she wants to do until life feels settled.

“Don’t wait until everything is perfect; everything is taken care of,” said Poh, who has been dubbed on social media as a “granfluencer”, a term used for older content creators with a sizeable online following.

People often assume they will have more time later in life, but that is never guaranteed, she noted.

An individual could have all the money in the world, she added, but if they were suddenly struck by a serious illness, there might be little they could do.

“Don’t wait until then (or) you will regret that you have not done it, especially when you are lying in bed thinking, ‘Why didn’t I take that step? Why didn’t I actually try?’

“So I urge everyone: Do whatever you want to do. Don’t wait, just do it,” she said, adding that this can be done in pockets of free time.

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Poh said that she has begun embracing interests that had taken a back seat while she was raising her children.

Now that they are grown up, she spends more time pursuing activities ranging from pole dancing and skateboarding to courses on artificial intelligence.

She added that learning new things keeps her mentally engaged, while the activities and courses she takes have also introduced her to new communities and opportunities to pursue shared interests.

“Use it or lose it” mantra

Tay, meanwhile, emphasised the importance of staying active, although his focus is more on consistency rather than intensity.

He described himself as a firm believer in the “use it or lose it” mantra. But he cautioned against becoming a “weekend warrior” who exercises intensely only on weekends after remaining sedentary throughout the week, noting that doing so increases the risk of injury.

“The key (to) ageing properly is really about not getting injured, because once you get injured, then you have to stop entirely.”

Instead, his advice is to incorporate small amounts of movement into daily routines rather than relying on sporadic bursts of exercise. Even something as simple as doing one squat from a chair each day could become a habit over time, he said.

Tay added that growing older has also prompted him to become more intentional about how he spends his time.

While work had once been his main focus, he now places greater emphasis on spending time with family, particularly his ageing parents.

“I don’t want to have regrets,” said Tay, adding that he has turned down work and social engagements in order to spend more time with his mother, whom he disclosed was not well.

He also underscored the importance of planning ahead, saying financial preparedness was ultimately about preserving the ability to make choices when life takes an unexpected turn.

“At this point, it’s really about perhaps identifying the five most important things in your life… and focusing on those. Nothing else matters.”

Summing up his philosophy, Tay said: “Live like you’re going to die tomorrow, but plan like you are going to live forever.”