Sauna and good vibes ‘all before the school drop off’: Shelley Craft’s routines for healthy ageing

“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen and dinner like a pauper,” says Aussie TV icon Shelley Craft. She shares the non-negotiables in her routine - and her anti-ageing rules to live by.

Byron based Shelley Craft shares her "non-negotiable" routines for longevity in the Healthy Ageing Roadshow touring the north coast of NSW.

Australian TV personality and co-host of popular lifestyle show The Block Shelley Craft is taking care of herself as she ages and wants you too as well.

She’s currently hosting the Healthy Ageing Roadshow on the north coast, at four Country Women’s Association branches — Wauchope, Coffs Harbour, Maclean and Kyogle.

“I should swap seats, sit in the crowd and let them tell me what they’ve done for the last 30 years to look as good as they do ,” Ms Craft said.

Coffs Harbour Country Women's Association President Jodie Williams and TV personality Shelley Craft at the Coffs Harbour CWA for the Healthy Ageing Roadshow on July 31, 2024.

Ms Craft has been sharing her “very strict” morning and evening routine” and learning some things or two along the way.

“I’m finding it wonderful to have non negotiables, and I guess those boundaries that I’m not now prepared to cross for my own health’s sake,” she said.

“When I wake up in the morning, before I really even open my eyes, I have a little chat to myself about how lucky I am to be alive.”

Then it’s a glass of warm water with sea salts to rehydrate followed by a stretch flow or gym workout and an ice bath and sauna “thrown into the mix”.

Add on a bit of tongue scraping to remove the toxins gathered overnight and that’s the morning routine done.

“I’ve taken it absolutely next level,” Ms Craft said.

“And it’s all done before school drop off”.

Shelley Craft has never felt better and is joining other women to share tips during the Ageing Healthy Roadshow on the north coast of NSW.

She also swears by 10 mls of apple cider vinegar before each meal for digestion and recommends a Mediterranean diet and a huge breakfast.

“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen, and dinner like a pauper,” she said.

As for her night time routine the family finish eating by seven so there’s time to digest the meal.

Then it’s all about “encouraging the brain” to wind down and get a good night’s sleep — one of the vital elements to ageing well.

This includes dimming lights, using lamps instead of overhead lighting, and no devices from 7pm onwards.

“You really have to make your bedroom your sanctuary, and that means no devices,” Ms Craft said.

Finally she does some reading sitting in a chair so that when she lies down for bed her brain knows it’s time to sleep.

Dr Lisa Beecham takes out her sail boat once a week for body strength and connections.

Dr Lisa Beecham is a specialist general practitioner joining Ms Craft on the tour.

She is focused on sharing the importance of proactive health literacy.

“The more health informed people are, the better they can take care of themselves, which really improves patient outcomes for reducing complications from chronic disease, and unnecessary hospital presentations for things like vaccine preventable diseases,” she said.

As for her own health Dr Beecham loves nothing more than sailing once a week for both fitness and social connectedness.

Coffs Harbour CWA President Jodie Williams said the tour is bringing an awareness of other services available in the regions if they can’t get in to their GP.

“Now in Coffs, we’ve got the health line 1800 Healthy North Coast which people can call and access a registered nurse,” Ms Williams said.

The Healthy Ageing Roadshow, presented by Glaxo Smith Kline and the Country Women’s Association of NSW, finishes up at Kyogle on Thursday August 1, 2024.

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