EXCERCISING AT 100

By Charlene Sakoda

 

100-year-old Sarah Stenberg’s exercise regimen puts many younger folks’ to shame. The Bethany Saint Joseph senior housing resident in Holmen, Wisconsin says she stays active with a three to four hour walk around the complex. Normally covering about four miles, the centenarian told WXOW News 19, "This is what I do every day." Not just that, Stenberg takes no breaks.

Sarah Stenberg on an indoor walk (WXOW)

Ms. Stenberg navigates the indoor corridors of her building around breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and when the weather warms up she will take her walks outdoors. Linda Larson, coordinator of the 6-week Minutes in Motion exercise challenge encouraging residents to stay active for at least 30-minutes a day said, "We really are at our best when we're moving. And it doesn't have to be hard and it doesn't have to be fast." 

Sarah Stenberg (WXOW)

The senior giggled, "Everybody sleeps about this time of day. They're great nappers." But Stenberg still tries to encourage her fellow residents to get moving, extolling the benefits of stronger muscles and lessening of aches and pains. "I enjoy very much doing it and I know it's for my own benefit," Stenberg said.

Misao Okawa (Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)

Walking is just one way to land a three-digit age. Fellow centenarians have shared their words of wisdom about how they made it to the 100-year mark. 116-year-old Misao Okawa of Japan is Guinness World Records’ oldest living woman. She recently celebrated her 116th birthday at her nursing home commenting about her age, “It’s quite a long time.” A nursing home employee told the press, “She always says the secret to living a long time is to eat a good meal and relax.”

Dr. Ephraim Engleman (YouTube/Aldo Panattoni)

102-year-old San Mateo, California whippersnapper, Dr. Ephraim Engleman, who still sees patients said, "You got to be happy and you got to be lucky. And you got to keep young, that’s important. And the way to do that, take my word for it, you just got to keep breathing. That is critical to longevity."

Evelyn Kottman (Twitter/GrannyVegas)

103-year-old newly tattooed Evelyn Kottman dolled out her advice during a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything). Dubbed the “Bad Ass Mother Figure” by Redditors, when asked her secret to a long life, Ms. Kottman answered, “I have no secrets. Some people joke that it must be the pickles because I eat so many of them. But my family does a lot to keep me vital.” She also said, “I have no idea how I've lived this long…I think I got lucky.”