We know that prioritizing sleep, diet, and mental health can help us live longer. “We’ve made huge gains in lifespan over the past century,” says the deputy director of the National Institute on Aging. Marie BernardM.D., National Institutes of Health (NIH) Newsletter. “If you can live to age 65, there’s a very good chance you’ll live to age 85. And if you can live to age 85, there’s a very good chance you’ll live to age 92.”
But to join the centenarian club, healthy lifespan is just as important as longevity. Molly MalkovAt 110 years old, he became the oldest living American man.
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Born in 1914, Markov lived through two world wars, the Great Depression, a global pandemic and the terms of 19 presidents. The centenarian, who made headlines last year when he hosted a belly dancer for his birthday, passed away earlier this month. Now, his daughter has Judith Hansenhas revealed his dad’s fitness secrets that helped him reach birthday milestones that many of us can only dream about.
Hansen’s mother also lived to be 103. Now 83, she attributes her parents’ longevity to a simple exercise: walking.
Hansen recalls that Markoff and his wife, Betty, would walk a three-mile loop around a reservoir near their home every day like clockwork. Business Insider InterviewThey continued to take daily walks even into their 90s.
“Unless you’re sick, don’t spend your whole life in bed,” Markoff says. He previously told Business Insider.
Even as walking became more difficult, Markov stuck to his exercise regimen and found ways to increase his steps indoors.
“My dad was walking around the dining room table with his caregiver,” Hansen recalls, “and the joke was, let’s put another leaf on the table to make it bigger, because the table was his race track.”
“He was always saying, ‘You need to work out,'” she added.
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According to the American Heart Association (AHA), 150 minutes of brisk walking per week is Reduces the risk of heart diseaseIt also helps prevent health problems like heart disease, stroke and diabetes. This simple exercise can also improve your blood pressure and blood sugar levels, increase your energy levels, boost your bone strength and improve your mental health.
The report released in 2023 European Journal of Preventive Cardiology Walking 500 steps per day was associated with a 7% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, while walking 1,000 steps per day was associated with a 15% lower risk of all-cause mortality.
In addition to his daily walks, Markov avoided processed foods and made sure he never stopped learning. Toward the end of his life, Markov had a strong interest in photography, sculpting and writing, Hansen said.
Though Markov has passed away, his memory lives on: he posthumously set the record for being the oldest healthy brain donated through the Brain Donor Project.
“He would have been so happy,” Hansen said. “This is the most amazing legacy.”
