If You Want to Live to 100, Being Stubborn Helps

Want to up your odds of living to 100?

Stay active and eat a diet full of whole foods and vegetables. Have strong connections with family and friends. Work hard. But the most underappreciated quality may be a spry and determined mind-set.

These are the findings of the Cilento Initiative on Aging Outcomes on nonagenarians and centenarians conducted by the University of California San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine and University of Rome La Sapienza. The team of researchers interviewed 29 individuals 90 and over and their family members living in the Cilento region of Italy, among the places with the highest number of 100-year-olds in the world.

About 200 centenarians open their eyes each morning to the stunning beauty of the Lucan Apennines hills in southwestern Italy. They spend their days playing with their great-grandchildren, and going on slow-paced strolls while making visits to longtime friends along the route. But it’s more than their idyllic environment that’s leading to their long lives.

They have an accepting attitude toward life’s challenges, determination to move forward, and a positive outlook on life. In other words, a healthy mind-set matters just like eating right and exercising.

One participant told the study: “There is always a solution in life. This is what my father had taught me: To always face difficulties and hope for the best.” This particular person had had surgery to fix a heart problem but never gave up.

The wisdom of the old takes on growing importance in an aging world. Currently, 722,000 people are centenarians globally. That figure is estimated to reach almost four million by 2054, says the United Nations. The number of American centenarians, currently 108,000, is expected to more than quadruple.

Scientists believe genetics accounts for at most 25% in how long we live. Mental outlook and  lifestyle  are more important, though genetics play a growing role in those living extremely long lives.

“It’s never too late to adopt a positive mental attitude and this will have benefits,” says Nicholas Schork, professor of psychiatry and biostatistics at UCSD School of Medicine, who co-wrote the Cilento study. Schork, 62 himself, notes that even someone his age or older who adopts a healthy mind-frame can extend his or her life. 

Here are four things you can do to increase your chances of a long, healthy life.

Accept Setbacks

Bad things can happen to anyone. But people who made it to the 90-year-old mark demonstrated grit to work through it and accept the worst—even the loss of a spouse.

The same participant in the Cilento study who had heart surgery said: “I lost my beloved wife and I am very sad for this. We were married for 70 years. I was close to her during all her illness and I have felt very empty after her loss. But thanks to my sons I am recovering and feeling much better.”

In a 20-year-long study published by professors at Yale University and the National University of Singapore, they found acceptance of oneself, positive attributes and imperfections alike, decreased mortality risk by 19% and added three years of life. Whereas before this study, experts considered several factors as part of long-term well-being, this research drilled deep to point out the most relevant one for longevity: acceptance.

The bottom line is we need to stay resilient and keep remaking our lives, even when fate deals us a tough hand.

Don’t Give Up

Interestingly, there was a sense of stubbornness common among the folks in the Cilento study.

“They are telling me not to go to the land anymore. The land is my life.” said one participant in the study. “They say I am ill but they don’t know that I become ill if they do not allow me to work my land.”

Another participant told how her mother-in-law, while pleasant, always insisted on doing things her way. Stubbornness isn’t always viewed kindly, but it can be a life extender for the elderly.

Work Hard

Most of the participants in the Cilento study had a robust work ethic during their life and continued to help out in old age. One family member in the Cilento study exclaims about an older participant, “I am always careful about [her] because she is so active that if you do not pay attention, she does things she mustn’t do like hanging linen!”

In Okinawa, the elderly women weave delicate clothing made up of banana trees, which is then sold in the marketplace. Likewise, in other Blue Zones, town elders keep busy, whether that means going to a family gathering or taking care of their great-grandchildren. All that gives them a sense of purpose.

In the industrial West, studies have found that people who  retire later  have lower rates of dementia. Spending retirement kicking back might seem appealing, but it isn’t the best approach when it comes to longevity.

Maintain Strong Connections

The participants in the Cilento study had ties to their family, their religion and to the region where they live. “We were a close family of five children,” said one participant. “We loved each other a lot and helped each other.” This fosters a sense of belonging and purpose.

Having strong relationships increases the likelihood of living longer by up to 50%, according to a study at Brigham Young University involving over 300,000 individuals. Dr. Brenda Matti-Orozco, chief of palliative medicine at Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey, says social connections can serve as a buffer against stress, reducing the body’s production of stress hormones like cortisol, which are linked to health problems and inflammation.

The same connection with family and faith holds true for Loma Linda, Calif. where members of the Seventh-Day-Adventist Church live long lives. Or Okinawa, Japan. Both areas are so-called “Blue Zones” with a high number of centenarians.

Most of us, of course, won’t get to spend our entire lives in such tight communities. But we can still do our best to maintain connections with friends and family; we can participate in religious organizations or social groups; we can volunteer in our communities.

A study by the University of Glasgow analyzing nearly half a million people found visits with family and friends at least monthly can help you live longer. The stronger the social connection, like an endearing friend or a loving family member, the better the health outcomes, they found. 

For folks with a youthful spirit, the chances of making it across the 100-line look better than ever.