Who doesn’t? Actually, according to a USA Today snapshot poll, 67% of us say yes. The rest say poor health or being a burden to loved ones keeps them from wishing for the best.
Party poopers! Have I got news for you…
Centenarians are the fastest growing segment of our population. We do a better job today with detecting and treating disease and with strong public health efforts such as clean water and air, than ever before. But with that alone, our chances of reaching to 100 are still slim.
We do know that the road to 100 is paved with healthy behaviors such as walking, not smoking, eating lots of fresh foods, building up your physical strength, and bolstering your resiliency. All healthy progress, especially the slow but certain kind, compound your chances of living a long, full life.
And a full life is really what we’re seeking. Dr. Robert Kane of the Center on Aging at the University of Minnesota in Dan Buettner’s book The Blue Zones says our question ought to be “How well do you want to live” rather than how long.
So, stand up (no, literally, get up right now) and see how you are doing on your journey toward 100. Try the following:
Standing firmly on one leg (a little bend in the knee), lift the other leg off the floor and straight out in front of you about one foot high. Once you’re steady, close your eyes.
Dr. Mehmet Oz tells us if you can hold that pose for 5 seconds or more you’re doing better than most 50-year-olds in America today. The number one cause of death in the aging population is falls. Balance, both literally and figuratively, is the simple answer.
Here are the more detailed points we’ve heard resoundingly clear from scientists such as Beuttner, Oz, et. al.:
- Develop a strong social network – feel cared about and care for others
- Do something that is interesting and worthwhile
- Feel appreciated or needed – volunteer!
- Strength train for balance
- Eat lots of fresh food
- Walk every day, as much as you possible
- Savor what you enjoy and who you love!
These are lifespan bullet points people! The more you do, the more likely you are to make it to 100 worry-free. Regardless, you’ll have a great time getting there.
If you need proof, let’s take a look at the life of the oldest person to live on this planet:
Jeanne Calment of Arles, France; Born February 21, 1875, died August 4, 1997 at age 122 years, 164 days.
A 1997 New York Times article said that the French felt it was her “unflappability” that gave her such staying power. She was quoted saying, “If you can’t do anything about it, you can’t worry about it.”
A longitudinal stats researcher, Jane-Lin Wang of UC Davis, said, “She was well known and liked for her tart wit.” Here are some great examples:
- When asked what kind of future she expected at 120 years, she replied, “A very short one.”
- Getting used to growing media attention, she once quipped, “I wait for death… and journalists.”
- She rebuked an interviewer by saying, “When you’re 117, you see if you remember everything!”
- At one of her birthday parties, somebody took leave by telling her, “Until next year, perhaps.” She retorted: “I don’t see why not! You don’t look so bad to me.”
- Finally, the pièce de résistance… “I’ve never had but one wrinkle, and I’m sitting on it.”
Besides her immunity to stress and her silly sarcasm, here’s the rest of Jeanne’s longevity checklist:
- She took up fencing at age 85
- She rode a bicycle until she was 100.
- She lived in her own house until 110.
- She walked all over town until she broke her femur at 114.
- She fought off the flu at 116.
- She consumed prodigious quantities of olive oil, cooking with and even drinking it (she also rubbed it on her skin).
- She drank port wine daily.
- She ate about 2 lbs of chocolate per week.
- She had no regrets.
And that, my friends, is the French Paradox. Balance personified.
Let’s all shoot for 100 quality years in the spirit of Jeanne. Enjoy life, laugh a lot, be kind, be a part of things, be patient, be yourself.
See you on the LONG PATH Ahead.