…for the who?? Centenarians are people who are very much alive and are at least 100 years of age or older. During a recent trip in my vehicle, I was listening to a radio talk show and the topic was focused on centenarians. The person being interviewed does research on centenarians and part of his research was completing hundreds of interviews with individuals who were 100 years old or older.
One of the questions asked of each centenarian was “What is your secret to longevity?”. Without hesitation each person said being physically active. Despite their age, daily physical activity was very important. Walking every day, doing chores around the house, vacuuming and the like, and swimming were the most common activities. These hundreds of interviews support what nearly 60 years of research by the American College of Sports Medicine has reported that says physically active individuals are healthier and more productive individuals.
Now maybe you don’t want to live to be 100 or older but certainly you want to be healthy. I have never met an individual who says they want to be unhealthy. So the questions is, why don’t more people lead a physically active lifestyle? Why don’t more people put their health first on their daily “to do” list?
It’s simple. Walk 15-20 minutes two or three times a day. Do daily chores-vacuum, wash dishes, dust or cut the grass.
I have a challenge for you. For one month, reduce the amount of TV you watch by one hour a day and replace that time with some form of physical activity. Notice the difference after one month. If you don’t like how you feel, go back to watching TV and forget physical activity. But if you like the new you then continue with your new lifestyle because the health benefits that you will begin to reap will put you on the road to perhaps becoming a centenarian.
Congratulations to all centenarians and thank you for sharing with us at least one of your secrets to longevity!
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