Tips to Living a Long Life

What does it take to live until you're 100 years old? That's a question many researchers have been trying to answer.

According to Jonathan D. Rich, D.O., a primary care doctor with Mercy Personal Physicians Downtown in Baltimore, there are some simple things you can do to promote longevity.

He often recommends patients be social: Find your network and be engaged with others. Also, clean up what you're eating and think of it as a lifestyle by focusing on foods like the Mediterranean diet. Finally, get moving—even if it's just 10 to 20 minutes every day.

"A wonderful thing would be if you had a garden: You're growing your own vegetables, you're getting your vegetables and plant-based diet. And you're doing something physical as well because you have to tend to that garden properly, pretty regularly, maybe every day or several times a week with some physical activity. Keeping that in mind is something that you want to be doing forever," Dr. Rich said.

Dr. Rich noted that another tip for prolonging life is to prioritize a purpose and lifelong learning.

View Mercy primary care physician Dr. Jonathan Rich’s interview regarding the keys to long life and longevity.