9 Tips on Living to 100 From People Who Have Done It
Centenarians share their unique and unexpected wisdom.
If you’re interested in living to 100, several common things can better your odds: Don’t smoke, eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and reduce your alcohol consumption. But, if you talk to centenarians, you might be surprised to learn that the ones who’ve lived the longest lives have followed their own unique set of rules—and many are quite unusual.
Read on for six tips from some of the oldest people in the world on how to make it to 100—and live life to the fullest while you’re at it.
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1
Live in the moment.
Norman Lear worked for decades in the public eye as the television writer and producer behind shows like All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times, and Maude. He lived to be 101.
On the eve of his 100th birthday in July 2022, Lear took to social media to share his advice on a long and happy life. His message? Live in the moment. “The moment between past and present… the hammock in the middle of after and next—the moment. Treasure it. Use it.”
He also penned an op-ed in The New York Times and told USA Today at the time, “I cannot believe a century has passed. I’d rather believe a new century starts. How exciting is that?”
2
Keep exercising.
British-born dancer Henry Danton turned 100 years old in 2019 and marked the occasion by sharing his longevity tips with Today. “It’s not amazing, you have to take care of yourself,” he said. “This body is the only thing you’ve got. You’ve been given this wonderful instrument, you have to look after it.”
He added that he never planned to retire from his work as a ballet instructor, which keeps him mentally and physically active. “I really, absolutely believe exercise is the answer to everything,” he said.
Danton added that spending time doing what you love and remaining optimistic also fuels a long life. “There’s absolutely no point in making your life miserable,” he added. “Your mood affects you physically.”
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3
Have a hobby.
According to Howard Tucker, MD, who will celebrate his 103rd birthday in July 2025, it’s all about living life to the fullest. In 2021, the esteemed neurologist was recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest practicing doctor at the age of 98.
“You have to have some purpose in life and get up in the morning and know what you’re about,” he told Today in 2022.
“I’m going to caution [people]: If they retire from their work, they should at least do something as a hobby, whether it be communal work or self-hobbies…You need a stimulus for the brain daily.”
4
Never get married.
Born in Mexico in 1887, Leandra Becerra Lumbreras lived to be 127 years old, making her the longest living person in recorded history.
After she died in 2015, her family shared the matriarch’s words of wisdom about her record-setting longevity. Lumbreras’ secret to a long life? “Eating well, sleeping for days on end, and never getting married.”
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5
Pray—and eat raisins.
New Jersey resident Lucia DeClerck made headlines in 2021 when she was diagnosed with COVID-19 on her 105th birthday. Having just received her second vaccination, she made a full recovery.
When interviewed by The New York Times, DeClerck shared her tips on living to 100: “Prayer. Prayer. Prayer,” she told the paper. “One step at a time. No junk food.”
Her next piece of advice was more unusual: Eat nine gin-soaked raisins each morning. “Fill a jar,” she said. “Nine raisins a day after it sits for nine days.”
6
Spike your coffee.
Giuseppe “Joe” Silveri, an Italian immigrant living in Vancouver, Canada, turned 100 in 2019. Upon celebrating his centennial birthday, he shared his best advice for living into your hundreds. His strategy? Meeting his neighbor every morning between 9 and 10 am for an espresso spiked with the alcohol of his choice—most often brandy or grappa.
His son, Ernesto, admitted that Giuseppe had healthier habits, too. “What he always says is keep active, work in the garden all the time, and eat well,” he told CTV News. “That’s it.”
7
Eat porridge.
Once the oldest woman in Scotland, Jessie Gallan lived to turn 109 years old in 2015.
“My secret to a long life has been staying away from men. They’re just more trouble than they’re worth,” she told the Daily Mail on her birthday. “I also made sure that I got plenty of exercise, eat a nice warm bowl of porridge every morning, and have never gotten married.”
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8
Eat a clove of garlic every day.
In 2024, 105-year-old Helen Tensley told her local Louisville, Kentucky CBS affiliate WLKY that she had several healthy habits, including never smoking and only drinking alcohol occasionally.
But, she actually credited her long life to eating a clove of garlic each day.
9
Cherish the “magic moments”
Julia Hawkins, a record-breaking runner at the age of 100, lived to be 108 before passing in October 2024.
In 2019, she told the NYT that she always focused on life’s “magic moments.”
“That is something that I have done in my life—think of the things that are magic moments that happen to you, like sunsets and sunrises, rainbows, beautiful birds, music, and people’s lovely comments to you. All of those are magic moments and they are free for all. Be sure to keep your eye open for them.”
