William is 101 years old and still exercises every day.Sinai Health Foundation
- William, a 101-year-old man, is active and lives independently.
- He has shared what he thinks are some of his secrets to becoming a centenarian.
- They include having a varied career, lifting weights, and eating sardines.
A 101-year-old man who worked until he was 85 shared his secrets for living a long, healthy life.
Born in 1922 in the UK, William (who didn’t share his last name) is older than Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, where he’s a patient. There, doctors from the geriatrics department treat any healthcare issues that come up and provide support to help him stay healthy and live independently at home.
William is one of a small but growing group: centenarians. In 2024, 0.03% of the US population was 100 years old or older. But the Pew Research Center, using data from the US Census Bureau, estimates this will grow to 0.1% by 2054.
Dr. Samir Sinha, William’s doctor at Mount Sinai Hospital, told Business Insider he hoped to live as long as William and mirror his optimism and curiosity.
Though a team of doctors helps William stay healthy, lifestyle factors can also play a huge role in a person living past 100. (Their genetics most likely helps, too.)
Sinai Health, the parent company of the Mount Sinai Hospital, shared what William thinks has helped him live so long.
Keeping active
William would swim four or five times a week when he was younger. Now, he walks and lifts 15-pound weights daily.
“Beware of inactivity,” he said. “I don’t allow myself to become immobile.”
Sinha said William’s daily mix of resistance and aerobic exercise was “ideal” to “maintain his vascular and brain health as well as to keep his muscles and bones strong.”
Research suggests that just 20 minutes of walking a day or 30 minutes of exercise that strengthens muscles a week could help you live longer.
Eating home-cooked meals — and lots of sardines
William said he was still preparing all his meals. Home cooking can make it easier to eat fewer ultra-processed foods, which were linked to a higher risk of 32 health issues, including type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, in a study published in The BMJ earlier this year.
William has also eaten sardines since the age of 6, “before they discovered omega 3s,” he said.
Sardines contain lots of nutrients necessary for our bodies to function, such as potassium, iron, and calcium, and were linked to better cardiovascular health and lowered blood pressure in a 2023 study published in Frontiers in Nutrition.
Having a long and varied career
William has had various jobs and didn’t retire until he was 85.
He started as a primary-care physician, then moved into public health and workers’ compensation, and was a psychotherapist by the time he retired.
“Change in careers is good for anybody,” he said, adding, “You can’t sleep through life. You have to stay interested.”
Sinha said a long and varied career allowed William to stay engaged and maintain a purpose, but it’s also beneficial to volunteer, have hobbies, and experience social stimulation.
The healthy-aging expert Heidi Tissenbaum, a professor of molecular, cell, and cancer biology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, previously told BI that keeping your mind busy is a basic tenet of longevity.
