Living Beyond 100

The recent Evercare survey “100@100” provided some insight into what centenarians have learned in their 100 or so years on this earth as well as what we might learn as more and more of us can reasonably expect to live to (and beyond) our 100th birthdays.

 
 
Some of the most interesting responses relate to health and wellness:

 
74% felt prepared to reach the age of 100 years old
47% say that lifestyle choices are the key to longevity
76% believe it is more important to maintain a healthy attitude than a healthy weight
32% regularly eat organic food
62% pray, meditate or engage in a “spiritual” activity daily
17% currently do some type of volunteer work
72% laugh or giggle every day
82% talk to/communicate with a friend or family member

Most baby boomers can nod along with the above list, for they are already on track with these same attitudes and practices. As more and more boomers are online compared with the over-100 group, the above list is even easier to maintain.

But how many of us can say that the following about ourselves?

More than 75% of people over 100 eat nutritiously balanced meals and get 8 hours or more of sleep.

These two practices seem so simple, yet studies show that only about half of boomers can say the same about sleep, and they even lag behind in eating balanced meals. How many of us are taking time to focus on these most basic ways to care for ourselves? And what if the secret to living to 100 lies in the simple things?

If the above were a Checklist for Living to 100, would you be able to check off the list?

 
image credit:stock.xchng, photograph by Lost in contemplation.