100-year-olds share their secrets to long and happy lives -Health

Dr. Gladys McGarry, 102, says she always had a purpose and something to live for. “If you’re not looking for it, you won’t find it,” she says.

In his book, “A Life Well Lived: A 102-Year-Old Doctor’s Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Every Age“Intention is a key theme. His passion lies in what he calls “living medicine,” which focuses on “looking at disease and pain as a teacher.” By understanding what diseases are trying to tell us, we’re able to find the best. Ways to deal with them, she says.

When you’re searching for your own “why,” you often Find your community, McGarry told CNBC’s Make It: “There are people who come and go in your life, but you choose the people who really help support you.”

An 85-year Harvard study found that the key to longevity and happiness is “social well-being,” which means looking objectively at how we pour into our relationships, and improving any imbalances to become better friends and partners.

And in the difficult times of your life, “Just don’t get stuck. Or if you do (get stuck), start looking for the light. It’s always there,” McGarry said. “You just have to look for it.”

“I became a sacristan and I didn’t retire until I was 99,” Margaret Stretton said. guardian.

Although he credits his 100 years to pure luck, Stretton’s many interests led him to a variety of roles that inspired him to continue working in some capacity, particularly fundraising.

Even at the age of 100 his work did not stop; She has spent the past two years making preserves and jams for a charity in her community.

It seems great for the brain to keep doing something as you get older. Working 25 hours or less per week was linked to better cognitive function among people age 40 and older, according to a Study Conducted by researchers at the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research.

Larry Janis lives young at 98 by finding the humor in everything. Asked by CNBC’s Make It about his secret to longevity, he joked: “You have to have good wine and hot women and that takes care of it.”

Janice, who often plays golf with friends and goes out to meet new people, says her family and community keep her going.

As the father of six sons and five daughters, he finds the greatest joy in being surrounded by loved ones, especially during annual family reunions. And when it comes to stress: “If it’s something I don’t know what to do, I call my kids and talk to them about what they think.”

Janice ended the interview with another joke and said, “That’s another thing, you have to laugh in your life.”

A positive outlook is Roslyn Menaker, 103, Highlighted as important for longevity, accordingly guardian. She finds joy in her daily walks and her stylish outfits, she told the publication.

“I love looking at beautiful clothes and eating out,” she said. “I have an amazing caregiver. She gives me manicures and pedicures and colors my hair.”

Walking is Malcolm Idelson’s number one longevity tip, and it’s an exercise he’s done for years.

“I try to walk every day without excuses,” says Idelson, who is 94 “I look forward to it. I’m often a little down and I say, ‘Let me go out and walk,’ and I feel so good,” she said.

Research indicates that walking 10,000 steps a day for 30 minutes at a brisk pace can help you live longer and reduce your risk of serious illness and death.

While Idelson was a resident and fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital, he never used the elevator, he said. “I was a walker, up the steps. (I) used to run up and down. Everybody knew it. It was just in my blood.”

He rarely took taxis in New York and walked wherever he could. Last week, Idelson walked from 73rd St. to 84th St., “I’ll be 95, and I’m doing good right now.”

“Keep your body in good shape and your mind in good shape,” Ruth Swidler, 103, tells CNBC Make It. “So you made it.”

Five exercises in, he and his sister, Shirley Hodes, swear, both lived to be over 100 years old. They walk often, bond with people, and stick to a balanced, low-fat diet.

Just as important is staying positive: “I’m interested in everything, and I’m in the here and now,” Swidler says. “I don’t look back; I look forward.”