Readers Offer Lessons on the Way to 100

This article is part of our Longevity special section on living longer and healthier.

Perhaps these days more than ever, living a long life — even to 100 or beyond — is a compelling notion. But questions still abound. What does science say about how long humans can live? And depending on the answer, what are the secrets to staying healthy into old age? What are the steps to staying joyful, engaged and mentally sharp? Where can people get reliable advice? And, if you could, what would you tell your younger self?

The New York Times asked readers about longevity, and several hundred responded to our questionnaire. We wanted to better understand aging and what it really means from the people who are living through it now. And, if living to 100 is the goal, we wanted to know their plan for getting there.

Below is a sample of what some readers shared; the responses have been lightly condensed and edited.

Surprising Similarities

Jodi Bornstein, 71
Boca Raton, Fla.

My parents are both 96. I’ve gotten involved in their health care recently. A cardiologist said to my mother, “I want to be just like you when I’m your age.” When she examined my father recently she called him a “rock star.” My mother has strict ideas about nutrition. I was skeptical most of my life, but now I have to admit she was right. I’m 71 and our 25-year age gap feels like it’s shrinking. In 2024, I broke my ankle and I was in a wheelchair then a walker, and when I was finally allowed to walk, I was moving around slower than they were. My mother has never had surgery. I was hoping to have the same record.

I would tell myself that I would feel closer to my parents as we aged. I used to think we had nothing in common, but now I see we have a lot in common. I see personality traits in my three adult children that come directly from my parents. Unfortunately, my in-laws both died young at 72 and 78. Now that my husband and I are in our 70s, it shocks me to think about everything they have missed. We don’t have any grandchildren yet, and I hope we get to experience that in the not-too-distant future.