A centenarian who celebrated her 102nd birthday this month says staying active and having younger friends are the key to longevity.
Janet Gibbs lives on Allity Claremont Terrace in Bolton Clark, a retirement community in Australia.
Centenarians are people who live at least 100 years, and their habits broadly include healthy eating, exercise as part of their daily routine, and spending time with friends and family.
Gibbs follows all these customs and shares an interview with Bolton Clark that she has always loved athletics.
‘I’ve always been hyperactive. “I enjoyed sports such as golf, bocce, tennis, hockey and riding my bikes around St. Kilda with my friends,” she said.
Janet Gibbs, 102, celebrated her birthday earlier this month at her home on Allity Claremont Terrace in the Bolton Clark retirement community in Australia
Gibbs was born in New Zealand in November 1921 and moved to Australia at the age of three.
She eventually became a nurse at 17, started night school at 28 and lived for a while in Britain with her husband and three sons.
She eventually took up golf in her 30s and continued to do so until she was 86 years old.
Gibbs stated in her interview with Bolton Clark, “I played golf at Patterson River Golf Club until I was 86, then I started competing in the lawn bowls. I think you need a sport.”
Apart from a positive attitude, Gibbs said Insider that the most important advice for people who want to live a long life is: ‘just be happy’.
Gibbs believes that things other than happiness are essential to longevity.
The former golfer believes that everyone should participate in sports and says that ‘exercise is important’ when it comes to living longer.
“Even today, at my age, my goal is to walk around the garden six times every morning and afternoon, a walk with lifestyle associates around the corner,” she said during her interview with Bolton Clark.
One birthday she remembers was when her late husband, friends and family all went out for dinner together in what she described as “quite exciting.”
According to statistics published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine on February 28, researchers also believe this to be true.
They found that people who exercised at least 75 minutes a week had a lower risk of death, heart disease, stroke and several forms of cancer.
Spending time with friends and family also contributes to Gibbs’ longevity, especially the ten years younger than her who help her stay young.
One of those times was a non-luxurious birthday dinner with her husband, friends and family.
“I remember when my husband was still alive, our family had a birthday dinner with family and friends and me, which was quite exciting,” she recalled in her interview with Bolton Clark.
She continues to socialize with residents of her community in her spare time by bowling, which also keeps her active and on her feet.
Gibbs believes that spending time with friends and family is important for longevity, and stays active in her community through bowling.
In addition to being active and spending time with friends or family, Gibbs follows a healthy diet, but she doesn’t specify what type of diet that is.
Many centenarians eat a high-fiber, high-carb diet with vegetables and whole foods.
One of the healthiest diets that can give someone a longer lifespan is the Mediterranean diet, which includes whole foods, vegetables and olive oil.
According to Gibbs, an important thing that people should also do is make sure their bodies and minds are active.
She told Insider that she keeps her brain active by reading audiobooks on her iPad.