It is often said that a person’s genetic makeup is the greatest determinant of lifespan, but new research suggests that actionable steps may hold more influence than previously thought.
A 96-year-old man has become a TikTok sensation after his granddaughter shared his secrets to living a long, healthy life.
It turns out that staying active might matter more than your genes when it comes to reaching your nineties and beyond.
The nonagenarian's advice challenges what many believe about ageing. While genetics has traditionally been seen as the main factor in how long we live, emerging evidence points to lifestyle choices playing a bigger role than we thought.
The nonagenarian's commitment to movement that sets him apart from his peers
|TIKTOK / IZZIFRIEDMAN
His granddaughter posted the video asking him to reveal what's kept him going strong for nearly a century.
The grandfather's observations about his contemporaries paint a stark picture. "When you're 96, you look around and everyone you knew is dead.
"They're dead or with a walker, they don't go on a treadmill anymore, they don't do anything, waiting to die," he explained in the video.
His Florida community perfectly illustrates this divide. Friends often ask where he's been, surprised they don't spot him in the card room or lunch room. "The problem is I'm still active in exercising, I'm still active in playing golf," he told them.
It's this commitment to movement that sets him apart from peers who've given up on staying active.
His daily schedule reveals a surprisingly simple formula. The 96-year-old gets nine hours of sleep each night plus another two and a half hours in the afternoon. "When you do that, you only have 11 hours left," he calculated.
Those remaining hours aren't wasted on sedentary activities. He dedicates an hour to exercise four or five days a week, insisting "you don't need a lot of exercise".
His philosophy is refreshingly direct: "I'm not here to die, I'm here to live." He warns against the alternative path of overeating at every lunch, avoiding exercise, and spending days playing cards.
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This approach stands in stark contrast to what he sees as the typical retirement lifestyle. Rather than settling into passive routines, he's chosen to stay intellectually engaged alongside his physical activities.
The grandfather's wisdom boils down to avoiding the sedentary trap that claims so many of his generation.
By combining regular exercise, ample rest, and continuous learning, he's found a formula that's kept him thriving while others have resigned themselves to simply existing.