'Live life to the fullest': 106-year-old woman shared her secrets to longevity

Katie McRae from Great Britain celebrated her 106th birthday last month. She doesn't think there is any special secret to her longevity. But she advises people to live life to the fullest - something she has always done, reports Insider.

Photo: IStock

The centenarian was born near London in 1917, while the First World War was still raging, and began working as a secretary after leaving school at 15. She and her husband followed their son to Australia in 1965. She still lives there.

After her husband's death, McRae lived in a retirement village for 18 years.

In August this year she moved into a nursing home run by the non-profit organization Bolton Clarke in Queensland. She is a member of their Centenarians Club, which hosts events for residents over 100 and collects their life stories.

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“My advice to people is to live life to the fullest, smile and just enjoy everything that comes your way,” McRae says about the secret to her longevity.

Katie MacRae is celebrating more than a century of life, spoilt with surprises.

The great grandmother enjoying her 106th birthday - in style.@MakennaBaily #9News pic.twitter.com/EggSf8yz91

— 9News Gold Coast (@9NewsGoldCoast) November 17, 2023

While genetics and the fact that she doesn't smoke likely contribute to her longevity, she revealed four other lifestyle factors that she believes have allowed her to continue smiling at such an advanced age.

Gardening for life

“I love gardening and have always done it since I was a child,” McRae said. — I helped my father when we moved to a new house. There was a gardening competition all over the street and we won a prize when I was 12 or 13.”

She continued to garden throughout her life, including planting "every" plant in her aged care center and winning a "Best in Growing" competition for her English home garden.

Gardening is a pastime for many residents of Okinawa, a region of Japan where people regularly live to be 100 years old. Longevity researcher Dan Buettner said it may be beneficial for longevity because it makes daily exercise easier, exposes people to vitamin D from the sun, and provides the body with fresh vegetables.

Bowling

McRae regularly plays boules, a lawn game similar to boules, and recently competed in a competition with other retirement villages. She said she hopes her current home will soon have a play mat installed so she can interact even more with other residents. “Even people in wheelchairs can play,” she said.

Regular exercise is believed to be the key to prolonging our health. You don't have to go to the gym to stay active. In fact, some of the oldest people in the world don't go to the gym. Instead, they walk a lot, climb stairs, and participate in group sports such as bowling to make exercise more social and enjoyable.

Work and stay busy

McRae worked as a secretary for most of her life in both the UK and Australia before retiring to the land she and her husband owned. This meant that she remained involved in caring for her.

After retiring, she took on the role of organizer at her retirement village. She organized shows, mannequin parades and trips to the theater.

Keeping your brain active is considered key to longevity, similar to exercise and a healthy diet.
Researchers from LongeviQuest, a longevity research organization, said that non-stop work was common among the centenarians and supercentenarians they spoke to.

Keep smiling

“Recently, when I went to the supermarket and someone came up to me, I smiled at them to see what would happen. They smiled back and I did it several times. Suddenly the woman stopped and said to me, “I really enjoyed this little conversation with you,” McRae said.

“Just smile, be happy and enjoy life” is McRae’s main advice.

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Researchers have found that centenarians tend to look on the bright side, be grateful for what they have, and actively nurture their relationships. Therefore, a positive attitude is another key secret to longevity.

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