People often look to centenarians (people who are 100 years or older) for the secret to healthy aging. While there’s no magic bullet for longevity, there is some wisdom to be learned from this group—which is why UnitedHealthcare recently surveyed 100 of these older adults. Here are the six things they do every week to stay healthy.
Eating well isn’t just a suggestion for better living—it’s a must for healthy aging, according to 67% of centenarians. While the survey didn’t mention any specific foods, increasing research has discovered the long-term risks of diets high in ultra-processed foods, including higher rates of heart disease, stroke, cognitive decline, and mortality.
On the other hand, whole foods—like fruits, vegetables, and nuts—“support cardiovascular and brain health by lowering inflammation, improving glucose regulation, and supplying nutrients that protect cells from oxidative stress,” Jordan Weiss, PhD, an assistant professor in the Division of Precision Medicine and Optimal Aging Institute at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told Health.
Weiss also noted that eating for longevity isn’t about having more “superfoods” but about maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.
The survey also found that 46% of centenarians exercised to build muscle. “Staying active keeps my heart strong, mind sharp, body moving, spirit high, and health steady every day,” said one centenarian in the survey.
Muscle mass and strength decrease with age, reducing mobility and increasing the risk of falls. But strength training can help offset those declines and boost longevity. For instance, a 2022 study found that people over 65 who strength-trained at least twice a week had a lower risk of death than those who didn’t train as much.
Each week, 42% of surveyed centenarians walk or hike, which has well-known longevity benefits. A recent research review linked 7,000 daily steps to a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and even death. “Walking is the way most people in my community keep physically active,” said one of the survey respondents. “We have long hallways and nice areas outside to walk.”
Weiss said walking outside—hiking, especially—adds another benefit: nature. “Exposure to natural environments is associated with lower stress hormones, better mood, and even improved immune function,” he said. “Nature also encourages longer, more enjoyable bouts of movement, and varied terrain improves balance and joint health.”
De-stressing practices like meditation were a weekly priority for 36% of centenarians surveyed. “Chronic stress accelerates biological aging,” Weiss explained, adding that stress raises cortisol, promotes inflammation, impairs sleep, and affects cardiovascular health.
Meditating, or even just breathing slowly for a short amount of time, can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing heart rate and calming stress circuits, Weiss said.
Among the survey respondents, 29% said they worked in a garden every week. Gardening can support longevity because it links movement, nature, routine, purpose, and sunlight exposure. Your body soaks up the vitamin D, you can burn as many calories as a gym session, and you’ll likely get some social interaction—which may even protect against dementia, research has found.
Indoor cardiovascular exercise was a weekly habit for 28% of surveyed centenarians. Cardio exercises—such as running, swimming, or cycling—are vital for improving blood flow, oxygen delivery, and overall endurance, Weiss said, and they have a connection to longevity.
Research has found that having a higher VO2max, a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness, was linked to a lower risk of death from any cause, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. “I think the key to staying healthy is keeping active,” noted one centenarian in the survey.
While genetics play a key role in longevity, your lifestyle still matters, experts said. Healthy habits, like those in the centenarian survey, can bolster longevity by reducing the forces that age us, such as chronic inflammation, blood vessel damage, mitochondrial decline, muscle loss, and stress, Weiss said. A healthy lifestyle also builds resilience in systems that protect independence: mood, cognition, mobility, balance, and social engagement, Weiss added.
Essentially, stable physical health allows centenarians to “wake up each day with goals and activities they want to pursue, and these, in turn, help keep them healthy,” Stacy L. Andersen, PhD, an associate professor of medicine at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and codirector of the New England Centenarian Study, told Health.
If you’d like to adopt some of the healthy practices from the survey, Weiss recommends starting small and building habits that are doable for you. “When a habit fits your personality, your schedule, and your values, it stops feeling like work and starts feeling like part of your identity,” he said. “That is the real engine of long-term change.”
