Living beyond 70 or even 80 isn’t unusual these days, but there are reasons some people live longer, and you need to do a few things.

Are you prepared to live to be 100 or older, and if that should happen, are you planning for it? Some would say it’s a dream, and others see it as a financial or medical impossibility. But we have some control over ageing, and it’s not too late to start planning now. In fact, we have a little-known word for those between 90–99 now, and it’s nonagenarian.

Have you noticed how many famous entertainers in film and music are living over the age of 80? Here’s a short list of some of them:
Dick Van Dyke — 99
Tom Selleck -80

Willie Nelson — 91
Jane Fonda — 87
Deborah Harry — 80
Gene Hackman — 95
Mick Jagger — 81
Tom Jones — 84

Al Pacino — 84

Carol Burnett — 91

Jack Nicholson — 87

Eva Marie Saint — 100

Francis Ford Coppola — 85

The list is quite impressive, and we might say these individuals are living longer because they have access to excellent healthcare. But they also have the ability to maintain lifestyles that allow them to engage in exercise, meaningful work and involvement in learning new career activities.

The famous "Nun Study" of older nuns in an American Midwest convent showed that both earlier education and learning new challenging activities benefit cognitive and physical health. The study resulted in a book, Aging with Grace.

All of this means that those in entertainment and religious activities have something psychologists call "a sense of purpose." But it's not limited to them. I've written about this sense of purpose on Medium.com, and you can pull that up if you would like to read it.

According to the United Nations, about 722,000 individuals were 100 years old or older in 2024. Compared to the projected number of centenarians in 2020, this is a rise, and advances in medicine and artificial intelligence may push that number even higher.

With an estimated 108,000, slightly higher than the Census Bureau’s estimate, the United States of America has the world’s second-largest centenarian population. Japan has the highest population of 100-plus-year-olds (146,000). The top five are completed by Thailand (38,000), India (48,000), and China (60,000).

Less than one percent of the total population in each of these nations is 100 years old or older, yet when added together, they constitute over half (55%) of the global total. People are mainly concerned about their physical health when discussing longevity. However, there are other factors. There is now an unacceptable disparity between health and average longevity. We now have a higher probability of living than remaining healthy for a specific amount of time. If we want to reap the benefits of longer lives, we must narrow this disparity.

That being said, you are capable of a great deal. Our actions and surroundings determine the rate of aging by about 80%. No amount of advertising can replace a healthy diet, enough of sleep, regular exercise, and listening to your doctor when they tell you what to do. Even while that advice is getting a scientific upgrade, the important change is that you now have the expectation of becoming older (the old-old as it’s known), which is a strong incentive to follow it.

Stem Cells May Be One Key

Research over the previous decades, have discovered depositories of what are known as pluripotent stem cells that can be encouraged to become whatever cells we need. The discovery of this type of cell in centurions has sparked new research into harvesting and managing these cells in treatments for neurodegenerative disorders.

While most of us may be familiar with the term stem cell, we have generally been taught to believe that most of ours were used during our body's development, but there are reservoirs in specific areas of our body. We know that an area just above the roof of the mouth and the bottom of the brain is rich in these cells that could be harvested to treat a patient with their own biological material.

Neural stem cells have an eternal home in the brain’s hippocampus and are capable of differentiating into neurons and glial cells. We are now on the horizon of what is known as regenerative medicine, which is still in its infancy.

It is unclear whether the cataloging of all the areas of stem cells has been achieved, and there may yet be new ones to be discovered. Are stem cells the answer to positive hyper-aging? Perhaps they might be, but does that mean that only those with a specific type of stem cell will live to be 100 years old? That would mean that the rest of us who do not have this genetic predisposition must turn to other forms of life enhancement as we wait for medical advances. Where might those opportunities for increased age maintenance be?

DIY Life Lengthening

Artificial intelligence may speed up scientific breakthroughs in longevity and stem cell use, but while we wait, there are things we can do now that are under our control. What are several things we may begin to utilize now? Here is a selection for your choice and your inclusion in your life.

Tips for a healthy lifestyle in 2025 that promote positive aging include: getting plenty of exercise, eating a plant-based diet, not smoking, getting a good night’s sleep, dealing with stress, making friends, challenging yourself intellectually, finding meaning in life, and having an optimistic outlook on getting older.

When you consider exercise, don't think of it as merely a way to maintain your balance, your strength, and your ability to move easily. Exercise has been found to have important input in your body's release of mood-enhancing hormones and maintaining neural connections.

It doesn't matter what type of exercise you choose, as long as you do it perhaps three times a week, if that's possible, or once a week. Get little 1 pound dumbbells and sit in a chair and do arm exercises for 5 to 10 minutes. That's fine.

I always recommend that people go to YouTube to two guys who are rehab specialists. Bob and Brad will give you all the simple exercises that you need and you can do with little to no equipment in your home. A large can of tomatoes can serve as a weight for tricep development. Look it up. No need to go to the gym or pay any fees for a trainer. Look at their videos.

Work up to whatever makes you comfortable, and don't think what someone else does is appropriate for you. Everybody's body makeup is individual, and it will let you know when you are pushing it too far or too hard. Never exercise to the point of pain because that means you've done too much and could cause damage. Enthusiasm is fine, but curb it. Start slowly and maintain your pace. This race is one for the tortoise, not the hare.

Social connections are also highly important and during these interactions, laugh as much as possible. Believe it or not, laughing is a great exercise and a mood elevator. I've seen it suggested by some therapists that people have a small book with a joke of the day that will make them laugh. Great advice.

One exercise routine that is very much intended for older adults include tai chi, a wonderful form of slow-motion moves that allows you to gradually achieve more physical stability. In the process, it also encourages mindfulness that relieves stress. We know that relieving stress helps your immune system, and you can ward off illnesses with a healthy immune system working for you. Remember those centenarians? They were able to make it through the COVID-19 epidemic and other illnesses because they had healthier immune systems.

Considering everything, we do have a great deal at our disposal, even if we don't have those special stem cells that the centenarians seem to possess. Work with what you have and you can be healthier and happier and maintain your cognition in the process.