This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with dermatologist Dr. Jessica Wu. It has been edited for length and clarity.
My dad has never tracked his sleep, and wouldn't know what a macro is. He has never set foot in a gym, and doesn't own sneakers (he prefers loafers). And yet, at 93, he continues to live a healthy, fulfilling life.
His habits are small and simple. But over 93 years, they've compounded to make a huge difference in his health. They've changed how I talk with my patients and how I think about my own health and well-being at 58.
My dad prioritizes movement, not exercise
My dad was an engineer, but he's never been afraid of physical work. In Taiwan, he repaired air conditioning units at a time when air conditioning was rare. Later, in California, he quit his "good" job as an engineer to start flipping houses.
He has never exercised in a gym, but physical movement is part of his everyday life. At work, he was laying tile, landscaping, and fixing plumbing, while teaching my sisters and me to do the same. He would always jog up stairs and never take an escalator.
Even once he had the money to hire people to do physical labor around his properties, he continued to do the work himself.
He hasn't stopped working
My dad has always been incredibly driven. When I was young and wanted to sleep in, he would throw open the shades at 7 a.m. and clap to wake my sisters and me. There were things to do and people to see — he wasn't going to have us sleeping the day away.
He still has that drive at 93. He owns six apartment buildings and drives by them most days. He's slowed down some and is no longer up on a ladder or using power tools, but he's still involved with the operations of his properties. At home, if there's a chip of paint, he'll go to Home Depot and fix it himself.
My dad enjoys feeling needed and useful. He can't slow down too much, because there are still walls to paint and weeds to pull. He doesn't want an easy life — he wants to do things that are challenging and fulfilling, because that keeps him young.
He prioritizes companionship and social connection
When my dad was in his 60s, he and my mom started taking ballroom dance lessons. As a family, we never danced. But they wanted to try something new, and they loved it. Today, they still take weekly lessons and love taking cruises that offer them the opportunity to dance.
Dancing not only keeps them connected after 59 years of marriage. It has also introduced them to a whole social network of people that they enjoy seeing weekly.
He skips the supplements, but eats plenty of vegetables
My dad has probably never taken a supplement. Yet, he eats very lightly and healthily. Dinner is typically stir-fried vegetables with chicken, tofu, or occasionally pork. He'll eat that on top of a few tablespoons of rice. If he's still hungry, he'll have a bowl of soup before going back for seconds.
He's always eaten this way. Even if I was going out for pizza with friends as a kid, I would need to have dinner with the family first.
I don't follow all my dad's ways
As a doctor trained in Western medicine, I was taught to isolate diseases and conditions. My dad's lifestyle has taught me to take a more holistic view of health. I now ask patients about their diet, sleep, and lifestyle, in addition to questions about their skin.
I try to follow my dad's example while also taking modern approaches to longevity. I wear an Aura ring and track my sleep and movement. I take a vitamin D supplement, and have done a full-body scan. There's room for both approaches.
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Kelly Burch has been writing about personal finance for more than a decade.She's particularly interested in how finances impact the most intimate parts of a person’s life, from educational and reproductive choices to love, immigration, or estate planning. Kelly has written about these topics personally and explored them with experts, including entrepreneurs, multi-millionaires, financial planners, and more.Kelly is a first-generation college graduate and homeowner who integrates her personal experience creating financial stability into her reporting. She’s a career journalist, with work appearing in “The Washington Post,” “The Chicago Tribune,” “Boston Magazine” and more.Kelly lives in rural New Hampshire with her husband, two children, and two dogs. When she’s not behind her desk, she can be found getting lost in the mountains and lakes around her home.Follow her on Facebook or Twitter, or learn more here.
