--- title: 10 Ways to Live to 100 description: No one really wants to think about aging, but let's face it: the habits you practice now can play a role in how long you'll... canonical: https://time.com/2873185/ways-to-live-100/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-06-14T17:12:46.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T08:24:55.147Z article:section: Health og:title: 10 Ways to Live to 100 og:description: These habits will help you live longer and have more energy og:url: https://time.com/2873185/ways-to-live-100/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9a769e0445f4019b/698697981eebf7411737172b/women-exercising-laughing.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5122 og:image:height: 2881 og:image:alt: Women exercising and laughing og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 10 Ways to Live to 100 twitter:description: These habits will help you live longer and have more energy twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9a769e0445f4019b/698697981eebf7411737172b/women-exercising-laughing.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 10 Ways to Live to 100 by [Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Health.com Contributor Jun 14, 2014 5:12 PM UTC  Senior women laughing in sportswear Senior women laughing in sportswearSam Edwards—Getty Images/Caiaimage by [Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Health.com Contributor Jun 14, 2014 5:12 PM UTC No one _really_ wants to think about aging, but let’s face it: the habits you practice now can play a role in how long you’ll live, and how much life you’ll have in your years. The world’s oldest man, Polish immigrant Alexander Imich, passed away on Sunday in New York City at the age of 111\. That’s way longer than the average American male life expectancy of 76, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. **Health.com:** [**13 Everyday Habits That Age You**](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20788790,00.html?xid=Time-100-061014) While Imich told _The New York Times_ that he chalked up his longevity to good genes, there are healthy habits you can pick up to help you live a longer, happier life. Here are some ideas: **Find a hobby**Doing something you find truly fulfilling will give you a sense of accomplishment, and can help reduce stress. **Floss!** Flossing does more than clean your teeth: Getting all that inflammation-causing bacteria off your gums can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. **Health.com:** [**14 Reasons Why You’re Always Tired**](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20818045,00.html?xid=Time-100-061014) **Plan a vacay** Taking a break from work can lower your risk of heart disease and add 1 to 2 years to your life. **Rest up** Your body repairs cells during sleep, so skimping on it doesn’t do your body any favors. Plus, adequate sleep also affects your quality of life. Aim for 7 to 8 hours of shut-eye per night. **Get busy** Having sex releases the feel-good hormone oxytocin, another stress reliever. Plus, a study from the University of Quebec found that women burn 3 calories per minute of sex while men burn 4. **Health.com:** [**7 Foods for Better Sex**](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20307213,00.html?xid=Time-100-061014) **Be social** People with stronger friendships were 50% more likely to live longer than those with weaker connections, a 2010 analysis found. That makes the impact of friendlessness comparable to that of smoking (more on that below). **Eat right** You need to fuel your body with healthy foods to live a long life. Limit your intake of foods high in fat, salt, and added sugar (which can increase your risk of heart disease, obesity, and other chronic diseases) and look for superfoods rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein. **Health.com:** [**Best Superfoods for Weight Loss**](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20475957,00.html?xid=Time-100-061014) **Hit the gym** Not only is exercise good for the heart, but working out can trigger the release of endorphins, pain-relieving chemicals known to boost your mood. Shoot for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, per the CDC. **Beat stress** A study published in the _Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism_ found that high levels of the stress hormone cortisol are associated with an increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. That’s even more reason to take up calming activities, like meditation and yoga. **Stop smoking and limit drinking** Imich, a former smoker, swore off both cigarettes and alcohol and you should follow his lead-at lease when it comes to the cigs. Smoking causes one out of 5 deaths in the U.S. each year, according to the CDC. Moderate alcohol consumption is good for you, but experts recommend that women have no more than one drink per day (or up to 7 per week); for men it’s 1 to 2 drinks per day, or a max of 14 per week. [**This article originally appeared on Health.com.**](http://news.health.com/2014/06/09/10-ways-to-live-to-100/?xid=Time-100-061014) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/2873185/ways-to-live-100/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/2873185/ways-to-live-100/"},"headline":"10 Ways to Live to 100","datePublished":"2014-06-14T17:12:46.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T08:24:55.147Z","description":"No one really wants to think about aging, but let's face it: the habits you practice now can play a role in how long you'll...","url":"https://time.com/2873185/ways-to-live-100/","keywords":["Aging","fitness","Stress","Longevity","Exercise & Fitness"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9a769e0445f4019b/698697981eebf7411737172b/women-exercising-laughing.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Health.com","jobTitle":"Contributor","url":"https://time.com/author/health-com/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9a769e0445f4019b/698697981eebf7411737172b/women-exercising-laughing.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Women exercising and laughing","caption":"Women exercising and laughing","creditText":"Sam Edwards—Getty Images/Caiaimage","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/aging/","name":"Aging"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/2873185/ways-to-live-100/","name":"10 Ways to Live to 100"}}]}] ```