Centenarians share their longevity formula: ‘Staying busy gives you purpose’

JoCleta Wilson’s alarm goes off at 4 a.m. She jumps out of bed, makes a pot of coffee and puts on her makeup. Then she drives herself to Home Depot for work.

Wilson is 100 years old.

She believes maintaining a busy schedule — which includes working at Home Depot two to three mornings per week — is a big contributor to her longevity.

“That’s what keeps me sharp,” Wilson said from her home in Louisville, where she lives on her own.

A growing body of scientific research supports Wilson’s idea about aging well: Staying active with work, hobbies, socializing or volunteering can be a key factor in longevity.

“There’s lots of evidence showing that keeping busy is good for older adults,” said Deborah Carr, director of the Center for Innovation in Social Science and a professor of sociology at Boston University. “It helps your mental health, your physical health. It really does have a lot of positive effects.”

Some studies suggest extending working life — especially in a job or occupation that gives a person meaning — may contribute to greater longevity. Volunteering, too, may lead to slowed biological aging, according to a recent study, and socializing regularly has been linked to a significantly lower risk of premature death.

All these activities lead to a heightened sense of purpose, and research has shown that having a strong sense of purpose can reduce the risk of all-cause mortality.

Wilson started working at Home Depot in July 2021. As a self-proclaimed “morning person,” her shifts are from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. She is the company’s oldest employee.

Wilson said she does the job not for the paycheck, but for her health — both mental and physical.

“I do it to get up and start moving, and feel important,” she said.

Wilson works the cash register, and she doesn’t sit down for the full four hours of her shift.

“I’m on my feet the entire time,” she said, explaining that this helps to keep her physically fit.

Just as important is the human connection she gets at the store. Talking with customers supports her cognitive function, she said, and also helps to fulfill her emotionally.

“To make people smile and be a light in their day — that’s very important to me,” Wilson said. “I feel terrific.”

In her spare time, Wilson dances. (She was a professional dancer in her youth and continued performing up until a few years ago.) She also taught herself piano and enjoys painting and cooking. She writes a daily to-do list while drinking her morning coffee.

Keeping busy and interacting with people offers protective benefits particularly for older adults who live alone — as more people tend to look out for them and notice if they’re missing or unwell.

“It means more eyes and ears,” Carr said, adding that being busy can stave off loneliness — a condition that puts people at a greater risk of depression, anxiety, dementia and even heart disease.

She said people should only engage in the activities they have the cognitive and physical capacity to do.

“The important thing is that people find something to keep busy with that allows them to shine,” Carr said. “There’s almost always an adaptation that they can do, where they take it down a little bit.”

For example, if someone can’t get on the floor for yoga, that person could try chair yoga.

Across the country, many older adults are thriving by staying active. There’s Virginia Oliver — otherwise known as the “Lobster Lady” — who, at 104, is still hauling lobster traps in Maine. Hilda Jaffe, 102, walks 3,000 steps a day, belongs to a book club and volunteers at the New York Public Library. Doug Turner, 87, throws an annual winter party for his neighborhood in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and delivers handwritten invites door-to-door.

Deborah Szekely, 102, is a wellness guru, and she still works two days a week at Rancho La Puerta, the fitness and spa retreat she founded in 1940 in Mexico. She hosts regular dinners and lunches, and she holds a weekly Q&A session for around 100 to 150 guests at the resort. She is also working on a memoir.

“To have longevity, you must have purpose,” she said. “Staying busy gives you purpose.”

For older adults looking to get busy but don’t know where to start, Szekely has some advice. For one, “set a routine,” she said, and follow it every day.

“Make a list of key friends, invite them to lunch, and find out your common interests and what they do to keep busy,” Szekely said.

If someone is more of a homebody and prefers to spend time in solitude, they can take up a new hobby.

“I read, read, read,” said Szekely, who finishes a book a week.

Bill Youman, 83, credits his volunteer work with keeping him healthy. He’s not a centenarian but said he hopes to continue volunteering if he’s lucky enough to reach 100, and he’s laying the groundwork now.

“Everybody feels better when they help other people,” said Youman, who volunteers five days a week with Meals on Wheels in Terre Haute, Indiana, and is also a bell ringer for the Salvation Army during the Christmas season. “I have good health for many reasons, but that certainly is a factor. … I’m the one that benefits when I do this.”

Monday through Friday, Youman — a retired high school teacher — spends his mornings delivering meals to people in need.

“Every place I go, when they come to the door, there are smiles,” Youman said. “It’s rewarding for me. … You meet a lot of good people.”

Karl Pillemer, a professor of human development at Cornell University, said engaging in volunteer work “reduces mortality risk by surprisingly high amounts.”

“It seems to provide unique benefits to people’s well-being,” he said, adding that “people who are doing volunteer work are more likely to meet physical activity guidelines.”

But being an active participant in society, Pillemer said, isn’t always simple for older adults. Age discrimination can make it difficult to get (or keep) a job, join a social group or even make new friends. Other factors can get in the way, too.

“There is vast inequality on the basis of economic resources and race and ethnicity,” Carr said. “Older people can stay engaged, but they have to be allowed in.”

Wilson recognizes that not everyone can — or wants to — work at 100, but she believes all people can find a way to connect with others as they age.

“There is something everyone can find and do,” she said. “Keep pushing yourself.”