Wouldn’t it be awesome to live to 100? Just imagine all the amazing experiences you could have over the course of an entire century! I’m 45 now and almost can’t fathom living another 55 years.
What are your chances to live to 100? In 2009, there were 455,000 centenarians in the world. By 2050, the number of 100-year olds is expected to reach 4.1 million. So you’ve got a good shot!
To illustrate what’s possible with longevity, let’s take a look at record-holder Jeanne Calment. She was born in France in 1875 and died in 1997 at the ripe old age of 122 years old (and 164 days)!
And Jeanne wasn’t some frail old woman rotting away in a nursing home for decades. She was active and sharp to the very end. From her Wikipedia page:
At age 85, she took up fencing, and continued to ride her bicycle up until her 100th birthday. Calment lived on her own until shortly before her 110th birthday.
Calment ascribed her longevity and relatively youthful appearance for her age to a diet rich in olive oil (which she also rubbed onto her skin), as well as port wine, and nearly one kilogram (2.2 lb) of chocolate every week. She also credited her calmness, saying, "That's why they call me Calment."
What are some of the factors that go into longevity, and how can you increase your chances of living to 100? It won’t come easy, but there are a lot of ways you can improve your chances.
To celebrate my 45 years on the planet, here are 45 ways to help you live to 100...
Body
1. Sleep In -- Get at least 6 hours of quality sleep each night (8 hours is ideal). Sleeping less than 5 hours per night can increase your mortality rate.
2. Have sex -- Who doesn’t want to have more sex? This amazing activity is great for your heart, relieves stress, and releases feel-good hormones like oxytocin. Try for at least once per week, but 2-3 times per week is even better!
3. Get your heart pumping -- Do whatever you can to get moving and break a little sweat: jog, run, hike, swim, row, climb, or bike.
4. Stay slim -- One thing you’ll rarely ever see is an obese or overweight centenarian. If you want to live long, keep those extra pounds off.
5. Stand up straight -- Having poor posture interferes with healthy functioning of your heart and lungs, and can lead to musculoskeletal problems and endocrine diseases.
6. Maintain a healthy cholesterol level -- Get your cholesterol checked regularly, and work to keep the LDL (or bad) cholesterol level low with proper diet. High LDL levels could cause heart disease.
7. Keep your blood pressure low -- High blood pressure leads to some of the main killers on the planet: heart disease and stroke.
8. Walk regularly -- Park farther away, take lots of walking breaks throughout the day, and climb the stairs instead of taking the elevator. You can even make it fun by using an app like Pokemon Go.
9. Strength train -- Keeping your muscles and ligaments strong is imperative for living a long healthy life. Aim for a regimen of weight lifting, pilates, or martial arts at least twice per week.
10. Avoid unnecessary pills & surgeries -- People tend to look for shortcuts for their health, whether it’s with a drug or a procedure. But you can and should look for natural remedies whenever possible.
11. Get enough calcium & vitamin D -- These are two important nutrients for your health that many people get too little of. Don’t be afraid to get 15 minutes of sun per day for a good dose of D.
12. Practice yoga -- Yoga helps you with balance, focus, flexibility, strength, and stress-relief. Just take it from Tao Porchon-Lynch, the world’s oldest yoga instructor, who will turn 98 in August of 2016.
13. Slow your resting heart rate -- Your heart rate can be a good indicator of your fitness level and can help you gauge your health. A healthy resting heart rate is typically between 60-100 beats per minute.
Mind
14. Cut down on stress -- Stress is one of the biggest killers we know. It’s inevitable but there are many ways to reduce it: meditation, prayer, exercise, therapy, and breathing exercises all help.
15. Keep your mind active -- Play games, read books, write (blogs, letters, books, poems), create art, or work on projects.
16. Have a sense of purpose -- It’s helpful to have meaning or a calling in life. It might be for your family, social work, a business, your faith, a charity, or any other cause that’s important to you.
17, Stay cheerful -- Being angry, sad, or fearful takes a toll on a person. Try to stay uplifted and happy as much as you can.
18. Develop positive coping strategies -- This goes hand in hand with reducing stress. When bad times arise, it’s helpful to know how to deal with it in a healthy way.
19. Meditate -- A daily meditation practice will keep you focused, relaxed, positive, and confident.
20. Find reasons to laugh -- Watch comedies, tell jokes (even bad ones), and don’t take life too seriously.
21. Be optimistic -- Pessimists usually don’t get very far in life. Most centenarians are outgoing, optimistic, and easygoing. Try to look on the bright side, see your cup half full, and make lemonade with your lemons.
22. Don’t dread getting older -- Remember and embrace the old adage “Do not regret getting older, it’s a privilege denied to many.”
23. Be creative -- You don’t have to be a Picasso or Beethoven to practice creativity. Just play around with art, music, writing, photography, web design, or whatever gets your juices flowing.
Diet
24. Load up on fruits & veggies -- Try to have at least one serving with every meal. You can add them in soups, smoothies, salads, side dishes, or even desserts.
25. Drink coffee but not too much -- Coffee provides antioxidants and can help keep your mind focused. Just keep it to less than 4 cups per day, so you don’t get too jittery or stressed.
26. Cut down on sugar, salt, and fat -- These are all ok in moderation, but overdoing them can lead to weight gain, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
27. Limit your red meat intake -- You don’t have to be a vegan to live to 100, but you’ll be healthier if you only eat red meat occasionally.
28. Keep alcohol to a minimum -- You may have heard that red wine can be good for you. While it’s true that it does offer some benefits, you don’t want to overdo it. Try to stay at or below 1 glass for women or 2 glasses for men per day.
29. Eat nuts -- These little dietary nuggets provide vitamins, nutrients, and protein. And they’re great snacks!
30. Prepare your own meals -- When you cook your own food, you know exactly what’s in it. By using whole foods and spices, you will enjoy a much healthier diet.
31. Eat a Mediterranean diet -- Some of the highest life expectancies in the world are in Mediterranean countries. Their diets consist of healthy olive oils, seafood, nuts, vegetables, spices, and wine.
32. Get enough fiber -- Fiber intake has been shown to reduce heart disease, infections, respiratory illness, and even cancer.
33. Consume omega-3 fatty acids -- These compounds, which are mainly found in fish and nuts, improve heart health by lowering triglyceride levels. They also can help with ADHD, depression, and Alzheimer’s.
Lifestyle
34. Get a hobby -- It could be anything: gardening, fishing, collecting, photography, hiking, or anything that you enjoy and engages you.
35. Floss daily -- Flossing removes harmful bacteria that can cause inflammation leading to heart disease and stroke. Healthy gums will also ensure you keep your teeth into old age.
36. Take a vacation -- You don’t even have to go very far, but you do need to take some time off and enjoy yourself. Do this twice a year if possible.
37. Don’t smoke -- This should go without saying, but smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your health. If you’re a smoker, do whatever you can to find a way to quit.
38. Volunteer or contribute to society -- It just feels good to give of your time, effort, or resources to worthy causes.
39. Don’t overdo the sun -- While we mentioned the importance of getting enough Vitamin D, keep your sun exposure in moderation. Make sure to use SPF, a hat, and long sleeves when being out in the sun for long periods.
40. Stay updated on screenings & immunizations -- As you age, it’s important not to skimp on cancer screenings like colorectal and breast exams, as well as immunizations for pneumonia and other deadly ailments.
41. Get a pet -- Your little Fido or Fluffy can help keep you happy and healthy. Adopt from your local animal shelter if possible.
42. Wash your hands -- One of the easiest ways to avoid infections and illnesses is to keep your hands clean. Make sure to wash up after using the restroom, before and after handling food, or after touching garbage.
43. Be spiritual -- Whether it’s through religion, meditation, or just being one with nature, tapping into your spirituality can help you live a longer and happier life.
44. Keep connected -- Maintaining social bonds with friends and family helps you stay young. One study found that having strong social connections increased life span an average of 7.5 years.
45. Stay up to date -- Centenarians that keep up with the latest technologies stay engaged and keep their minds sharp through curiosity and creativity.
Conclusion
Of course you could do all 45 of these things and still get run over by a bus or struck by lightning. But if you live a healthy lifestyle and do everything in your power to stay physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy, then you give yourself a chance. Especially as medicine and technology improve.
It’s been said that the first person to live to 150, 200, or even longer is alive right now. While I’m not so sure about living to 150+, I would be excited to live to 100.
I’ll see you in 2071!