24 September 2023 , 17:28
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The lifestyle you choose to lead is the key to reaching one hundred and some centenarians have shared their tips on how they made it where they are.
As US life expectancy declines, it has been revealed that genetics play a much smaller party than habits, diet and exercise in living well and long. Andrew Steele, author of the book “Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old” told Today.com that genetics account for 20% of how people age healthily but 80% comes down to lifestyle and luck.
Vivian Levy told Today that she been swimming for almost 100 years. At 104, she heads to a New York City gym every morning to swim laps in the pool for 45 minutes. Research has found that swimming is one of best exercises for a long and healthy life, and in general, excercise may prevent brain shrinkage.
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Dr. Gladys McGarey stayed positive through her divorce at almost 70 years old (Instagram/begladmd)Vivian has also enjoyed walking, running and cycling since she was a young girl. She added: “(Exercise) makes me happy, and it’s good for my body. You meet people through exercise, too. Where I go swimming, I’ve made friends.”
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100-year-old Shirley Goodman loves dancing as a way to stay healthy. Shirley, known as “The Dancing Nana” on Instagram, lives alone in Sarasota, Florida, and still goes out to tap dance and line dance at parties. She said: “I would advise people, if they like music at all, to keep it in their lives and don’t just sit home in a rocking chair.”
Houston, Texas, resident Elizabeth Francis is the second oldest person living in the US at age 114. The green-fingered supercentenarian has always gardened and loves growing greens and okra. Granddaughter Ethel Harrison said of Elizabeth: “She always cooked at home. … I just think she enjoyed cooking. I don’t ever remember her going to a fast food (restaurant).” Cardiologists agree with Elizabeth and say home-cooked meals can keep the heart healthy.
Vincent Dransfield can still be seen whipping around town in his Hyundai (ericalista/Instagram)However, for Vivian and others, there is always room for a sweet dessert and othe treats not necessarily known as being the healthiest. She likes blintzes, dark chocolate, and coffee-flavored ice cream and makes sure to have ice cream every night. Shirley said she loves “anything that’s cooked in batter” — plus chocolate and any kind of sweets. She likes to have at least one piece of chocolate after each meal.
Mildred Kirschenbaum thinks staying adventurous is how she’s reached 100. She owned a travel agency for 35 years and still loves to explore the world. Living in Boca Raton, Florida, she went on a transatlantic cruise to celebrate her 100th birthday in August 2023. She said people that stop having fun when they retire are getting it wrong, adding, “they just make up their mind when they reach that age, ‘I won’t go anywhere or do anything.'" At home, she lives on her own, still drives a car, works out in a gym and trades stocks and options on her computer.
Vincent Dransfield, 109, expressed it was important to spend time doing things you enjoy. He spent more than 80 years serving as a member of the local volunteer fire department. He said this is what brought him happiness over the years as he “met so many friends.”Vincent, who lives in Little Falls, New Jersey, and still drives, also loved his professional career as an auto parts manager and only reluctantly retired in his late 70s.
Jayne Burns , 101, is still on the job decades after most people retire. She’s been cutting fabric at a Joann store in Mason, Ohio, for 25 years. She added: “I just like working and I like working with people.” Dr. Gladys McGarey , 102, is a cancer survivor and thinks that staying resilient is an important thing to learn. She sadly lost her daughter and went through a divorce when she was almost 70, when her husband left her for another woman.
When asked how she gets past push backs she said: “You just don’t get stuck in them. It’s a matter of choice: What do I choose? I chose not to be stuck in the pain and suffering. It hurt and I didn’t like it,” McGarey says. There comes a point where it’s just not worth my energy to spend any more time on that.”
Most of these centenarians also said they’re optimists and expect good things to happen. Having a high level of optimism was associated with a longer lifespan past age 90, studies have found.