Longevity Fitness Guide: How to Live to 100

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Tanner Garrity

Below is our longevity fitness guide, which features the first 30 keys to living to 100. The guide is broken down by how you optimize your lifespan through diet, fitness, good choices and some truly wild cards. Before diving in, understand that you can’t do all of them; some are likely incompatible. But the idea is to cherrypick those that work for your life. Ultimately, if nothing else, know this: making the call right now to act in the name of longevity — whether your “right now” is 35 or 65 — won’t just add life to your ledger. It’ll enrich and lighten every year along the way.

61. Don’t doomscroll

The new phrase for you? Doomscrolling is “excessively scrolling through news or social

media feeds looking for negative updates.” It’s at the intersection of smartphone

addictions, a terrible news cycle and our primordial need to anticipate danger. But this

sort of behaviour wreaks havoc on your mental health and (unsurprisingly) never solves

anything.

62. Don’t binge-watch Netflix

A full eight years ago, 61% of Netflix users admitted to binge-watching content on the

platform. We’ve added five major streaming services since then; each has a revolving

door of content, and most employ hyped full-season releases. While cranking through

episodes feels like a reward, it causes eye strain, backaches, weight gain and sleep

deprivation.

63. Don’t binge on screentime

American adults spend up to six hours on their phones each day. Some of those hours

are spent doomscrolling, others pushing back sleep (66% of adults bring their phones to

bed), and far too much of it involves poring over the airbrushed life updates of others.

Little wonder Instagram has been likened to addictive painkillers by reputable

researchers.

64. Don’t ignore air quality

Dirty air kills more people than all transportation accidents and shootings combined,

accounting for the premature deaths of one in every 25 Americans. Train yourself to

check the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the weather app on your iPhone. Anything over 100

means the air “is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.” Your run can wait until

tomorrow.

65. Check your household products

We knew we hated shampoo. Chemicals called phthalates are found in shampoos,

fragrances, cleansers and plastics. When they get into the body, they reduce the body’s

stress hormone cortisol, meddle with metabolism, negatively affect the reproductive

system, and can lead to extremely preventable premature deaths.

66. Live with a purpose

The Okinawans say ikigai, the Nicoyans in Costa Rica say plan de vida. Each phrase

translates to “why I wake up in the morning.” Finding that “why” can feel random and

frustrating, but it often brings people to pursuits and causes outside of themselves. And

— science backs this up — once you believe your life matters, you get to live more of it.

67. Manage negative thought loops

Negative thought loops trick us into thinking we’re being productive (we psychoanalyze

uncomfortable memories, prepare for imaginary dangers, relitigate life decisions), but in

reality, we’re just willingly drowning ourselves in a puddle of anxiety, activating a hormone-fueled “fight or flight” response that can’t be addressed in the given moment.

68. Have a plan after retirement

Not necessarily a financial plan, though that’s also a good idea. One surprising study

displayed that working longer can help people live longer. Remember, jobs can be real-

world lifelines for many — they offer social engagement, days out of the house, and challenging projects. It’s important to have goals and communities for filling your time

after retiring, too.

69. Pick up “forest bathing”

In Japan, shinrin-yoku refers to “forest bathing,” or the act of taking in nature using all of

your senses. Recent studies show adults spend 93% of their time indoors, which takes a

toll on mental health (“stir crazy” is scientific). But the exact opposite is true for spending

time outdoors. A single forest “bath” decreases scores for depression, fatigue, and anxiety.

70. Settle down near a body of water

Take a look at a map of the world’s Blue Zones. Each is concentrated along a coastline.

Settling down by the sea — in a so-called “blue space” — has been linked to a 17%

reduction in mortality rate. One study suggested that living within 250 meters of a seaside

environment helps reduce stress levels, with the smell and sounds offering a “wonderful

tonic.”

71. Play board games

People who regularly play non-digital games are more likely to score well on memory and

thinking tests in their 70s, a study determined in 2019. Games like cards, chess and

crosswords aren’t just stress-relievers; they aid in cognitive function and slow down

cognitive decline. Fortunately, that holds true if you come to them later in life, too.

72. Join a team

Team sports are a longevity motherlode. They combine consistent social interaction,

vigorous exercise and play, all of which convey dynamite benefits for your physical and

mental health. One study even discovered that making an adult soccer league your

primary mode of exercise (over solo activities like jogging) could add five years to your

life.

73. Tell the truth

Another reason not to get into politics is that lying takes years off your life. The emotional

stress that comes from telling mistruths often manifests as physical stress. Whatever the

momentary reward, lying increases your risk of anxiety and depression, can sabotage

relationships over time and shatters your self-esteem.

74. Listen to live music twice a month

Take the fortnight frequency with a grain of salt (it comes from a study commissioned by

British entertainment operator O2), but we do know that live concerts are mindful, socially

rich experiences. Assuming you don’t need to binge drink or trip on acid every time you

attend one, plugging concerts into the calendar each month is a great idea.

75. Take colder showers

Make like Ian Fleming’s James Bond and finish your showers with an ice-cold “Scottish”

rinse. Up to a minute (after a morning workout) is best if you can handle it. The ritual will

lower blood pressure, stimulate your immune system and can even hack your mood,

releasing happy neurotransmitters like dopamine, adrenaline, norepinephrine and

serotonin.

76. Read before bed

According to one study from the Yale University School of Public Health, “people who

read books for at least 30 minutes a day and live nearly two years longer than non-readers.” Reading lowers heart rate, eases muscle tension, fosters empathy (especially

if you’re reading fiction) and helps defeat insomnia. Start with a chapter a day.

77. Keep a journal

Personal journal-keeping can predict an astonishing 53% reduction in all-cause dementia

risk. The action boosts your “cognitive reserve” in the long term while sharpening your memory in the short term. Oh, and taking notes with pen and paper is crucial; it makes it easier to summarize and retain information than taking notes with computers.

78. Embrace behavioural activation

The phrase refers to performing an activity that necessitates the presence of mind. Think:

cooking, gardening, walking the dog. While these sound like chores, they’re actually back

doors to positive thinking and productivity. It’s an effective treatment for depression and

other mood disorders, whereas languishing only worsens symptoms.

79. Avoid social jetlag

Social jet lag occurs when the body’s sleep-wake cycle is suddenly thrown out of whack.

When you choose to stay up late on a Saturday, you’re pushing the “midpoint” of your

sleep forward. You then have to scramble back to your usual internal clock in time for

Monday morning, which affects everything from body temperature to metabolism.

80. Learn a language

Similar to “eat a bowl of almonds,” we’ve all heard this one. But it’s also absolutely true.

Bilingual brains age slower than monolingual brains, delaying neurological diseases like

dementia and Alzheimer’s. It’s never too late, and don’t stress if fluency feels out of reach

— the simple act of learning and studying a second language positively impacts

the brain.

81. Show up to events

Researchers are convinced: “Social connections are probably the single-most important

feature of living a long, healthy, happy life.” Showing up to functions with family and

friends (as opposed to stressing out and skipping them) proves you can be a light,

reliable presence in other people’s lives. The invites will keep coming, and you’ll be better

off for it.

82. Maintain friendships

Swimming in centenarians, Sardinia was the first Blue Zone region ever identified. The

island’s men habitually finish each day at a local bar to talk with lifelong friends.

In America, where 15% of middle-aged men report having no close friends, that sort of

dynamic everyday interaction (whether at a bar or book club) could prove revelatory.

83. Make time to travel

Make time for vacation, first off — overworked Americans leave hundreds of millions of

vacation days on the table each year in fear of looking replaceable to employers. Then

use that time to actually go and see the world you’ve read so much about; taking just two

trips a year raises feelings of contentment while lowering your risk of heart disease.

84. Visit museums

Or visit the ballet. Or visit some experimental art show that your friend’s friend is putting

on (even if you have no interest). Those who afford themselves a regular “culture fix”

have a 14% lower risk of passing away earlier than a typical lifespan. There is a

correlation-over-causation argument to be made, but taking in art is always beneficial.

85. Find your spiritual side

You may want nothing to do with religion. But the findings are indisputable. People of faith

people live longer, and in some cases, by up to four years. Congregations show up at the

same time each week; they tell stories, and they volunteer in their communities. From a

longevity perspective, these rituals are extremely potent. It’s worth finding your

equivalent.

86. Change your mind

Never in the history of the internet has anyone said, “My bad, I’ve changed my mind.”

Perhaps people should start. Challenging yourself to look past your imperfect point of

view is a next-level stress reliever that unshackles your entire mindset. Stop arguing in

circles. Embrace that other people know things. Then, live longer for it.

87. Have a family

It’s a good idea to grow old around younger people. Adults with at least one child tend to

have more social interactions and lower mortality rates. On a somewhat less wholesome

note, men who end up with younger partners also live longer, too. Younger spouses are a

positive psychological influence and more capable caretakers in the twilight years.

88. Summon some empathy

The whole of society is in an “empathy crisis” right now, so it’s okay if thinking of others

takes a little extra effort. But monitoring and augmenting your empathic capacity isn’t just

beneficial for your friends, family and colleagues — it’s associated with life satisfaction

and positive “interaction profiles” (how you relate to others), regardless of age.

89. Celebrate aging

Not just in the birthday cake sense. Those who approach aging with a positive outlook

end up aging more easily than others. Proactively acknowledge what’s to come instead of

fretting about the wrinkles under your eyes. Maybe you’ll make it to 100. Maybe you

won’t. But your absolute best chance comes from living your best life along the way.

90. Read Tips about living longer.

I made that one up as I ran out at 89.

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