Have you ever wondered why some Hollywood legends and cultural icons manage to celebrate their 100th birthdays, often well beyond 100 years? Well, of course, good genes and a little bit of luck are factors, but that’s just a small part of the picture. A lot of Oscar-winning actors, to the audience’s most loved entertainers, have shared their secrets, and science is confirming it. Here are 10 incredible life lessons from the longest-living celebrities, advice that can inspire anyone wanting to live longer with more candles on their cake.
10. Get Your Body Moving
Bob Hope, one of the funniest men on earth, who lived to be 100, was never out of his mind thinking about the benefits of a walk. Even when he was in his late 70s, he used to walk two miles a day, a habit he got from his grandfather, who also lived a very long and healthy life. A new study confirms Bob’s motto: walking regularly is a great life extender. In a 2024 study, researchers found that those who walk for about 160 minutes a week can live five years longer than the sedentary. It is completely your choice how you want to do your walk; it will still be your long-term health.
9. Remain Passionate About Life and Work
Norman Lear, TV mastermind of All in the Family and others, continued working until his death at 101. His key? Always having something worthwhile to anticipate. “When I go to bed, I’m already thinking about tomorrow,” he once stated. Researchers indicate that keeping one’s mind active through work or leisure activities keeps us healthy and long-lived, and that can partly account for individuals who wait longer to retire living longer, healthier lives.
8. Laugh Like Your Life Depends On It
George Burns, who was alive for a century, always said that one of the most important things for his longevity was laughter. He used to joke about his cigars and drinks, but insisted that he never allowed stress to stay in his soul. According to Bob Hope’s daughter, laughter was the common ground that kept her parents from becoming old and falling apart. Science confirms the same: laughter relieves stress, stimulates the immune system, and makes life more pleasurable. One laugh along the day can be considered as one of the best medicines.
7. Foster Relationships and Community
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who reached 100 years of a, often said that his wife Rosalynn was largely responsible for his good health and inner peace. “Marriage is the best spouse,” he declared, “someone who challenges you and makes you interested in life.” It is not only about love, but strong friendships and social connections are also linked with a longer life span. In places such as Acciaroli, Italy, the centenarians spend their days visiting with friends, playing games, and talking—thus showing that being social is indeed a way of keeping one’s heart young.
6. Prioritize Quality Sleep
Sleep is not a luxury but a necessity for one to live a long life. Napping might be included in the daily routine of centenarians in order to make up for the eight hours of sleep they are likely to have. However, the number of hours is not the main factor; good and even deep sleep is needed to protect the brain from aging and to keep one’s energy level high. It is worth mentioning that quality sleep is related to getting a longer lifespan, better memory, ads higher levels of.
5. Exercise Your Mind Daily
The legendary Olivia de Havilland was able to live up to the age of 104 and claimed that her longevity was due to “love, laughter, and light”, but she also made sure to keep her mind active through her daily crossword puzzles. The scientific community corroborates that engaging in mentally demanding activities such as puzzles, reading, or learning new things can maintain the brain’s plasticity and postpone cognitive decline. It can be either chess, painting, or the learning of a favorite pastime, but the stimulation of the brain is as important as the training of the body.
4. Enjoy Life—In Moderation
Mother of the Queen, who survived up to 101 years, had a simplistic and somewhat cynical way: enjoy yourself because you do not have a tomorrow. She was a lover of food, drinks, and the thrills of life, but only with moderation. Once, she sarcastically referred to it as a tragedy of life if a person passes through life doing everything the “right” way and thus depriving themselves of the pleasures. Her saying? Enjoy whatever you can, with the condition of not going overboard.
3. Stay Resilient and Adaptable
People who did and do live very long lives normally have one feature in common: they are resilient. They have experienced a lot of troubles, but have not given up. Health writer Nadzeya Sankovich swings to the side of her great-grandmother Nina, still strong and active in her 90s, who went through a war, sickness, and personal loss, but kept her cheerful mood. Celebrities who make it to 100 or even further often bring up this point again, though the rough patches in life are inevitable; dealing with them gracefully is what really matters.
2. Invest in Family and Love
The actor Kirk Douglas lived to 103 and was surely one of the richest people who loved the most. There were over 100 friends and relatives who came to witness Douglas’ 100th birthday, a living proof of the connections that he had made. Douglas thought that love giving and taking was an excellent medicine against loneliness and depression. For Douglas, love was not a feeling but a weapon for a long life.
1. Redefine What Aging Means
If not the most significant secret, then it has to be the point of view. Actress Glynis Johns, who was able to live for 100 years, dismissed age, saying that she had always looked good, which was the case when she was young. At 101, Norman Lear playfully said that he was entering his “second childhood.” The thing common to both was that they refused to allow age to be a cage. The happiest centenarians are those who regard aging as an additional opportunity for development, rather than surrendering to decay.
Want to be a member of the centenarian club? Follow the lead of these Hollywood legends: walk, laugh, love hard, sleep tight, and never lose your joy for life. Long life is not only for living longer but also for living better with passion, tenacity, and a sense of humor, which never, ever fails.