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Living to 100 is one thing, but staying healthy, active and happy enough to enjoy those extra years is another. Broadcaster and author Gyles Brandreth, 78, believes seven simple habits could help people live longer and feel better as they age, from eating more colourful food to making time for friends and getting enough sleep.
The former Conservative MP, who regularly appears on Channel 4’s Countdown and ITV’s This Morning, has teamed up with his physiotherapist, Finola Burrell, to write The 7 Secrets of the Hundred-Year Life. Rather than promising a magic formula for longevity, the book explores everyday changes that could help people protect their health and make the most of later life.
“I think of myself as still quite young (bless me) and I am hoping to have snap in my celery for at least another 20 years,” Brandreth writes. “That’s why I have written this book. It’s a self-help book and it’s myself I am hoping to help!”
YOUR HEALTH
Speaking to the Press Association, he said he had known many people who reached 100 and wanted to bring together the lessons he had learnt from them. “But actually how to have good living, because they want us to be 100 and just be sitting in a corner looking sad,” he said. “You want to live well to 100.”
Brandreth points to figures suggesting the number of centenarians worldwide has risen from around 23,000 a century ago to nearly 722,000 today, with that figure expected to reach four million by 2054. For anyone hoping to enjoy a longer, healthier life, he recommends seven habits.
1. Look on the bright side
Brandreth believes a positive outlook, a sense of purpose and something to look forward to can help people enjoy life for longer. He encourages people to stay curious, embrace change and find a passion that gives them a reason to get up in the morning.
“You need to look up and out rather than down and in. Busy people are happy people, and that’s why one of the golden rules is to cultivate a passion, have something you love doing, that makes you want to get up in the morning,” he says.
For Brandreth, that purpose is his work, but it could be a hobby, volunteering or learning a new skill. He also warns against becoming too set in your ways with age.
“Change is the salt and the soup of life,” he says. “As people get older, they find change difficult. People say don’t rock the boat, but in fact, a little gentle rocking does you good.”
BLUE ZONES: Brandreth points to areas including Okinawa in Japan, where people are known for living long, healthy lives (Image: Alamy/ PA)2. Eat a colourful diet and drink enough water
What you eat and drink can have a major impact on your health. Brandreth points to so-called Blue Zones – including Okinawa in Japan, Nicoya in Costa Rica and Sardinia in Italy – where people are known for living long, healthy lives.
Their diets feature plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruit, legumes and wholegrains, reflecting his recommendation to follow a Mediterranean-style diet with olive oil, moderate dairy and less red meat. “Getting the diet right is vital, and the essence of that is lots of colour on your plate,” he explains.
Research links plant-rich diets with better health outcomes, while regular consumption of processed and red meat is associated with a higher risk of early death. The book cites studies suggesting that replacing one daily serving of red meat with legumes, fish or chicken may reduce this risk by 7% to 19%.
Brandreth also stresses hydration, saying he has become more conscious of drinking water as he has got older. Daily fluid intake guidelines are around 2.7 litres for women and 3.7 litres for men, including fluids from food and other drinks, although needs vary.
“Just drink lots of water. It’s as simple as that,” he says. “Drinking water never interested me – now I’m a waterholic.”
3. Make time to breathe properly
Breathing happens automatically, but Brandreth believes paying attention to it can be a useful way to relax and manage stress. He highlights techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing, box breathing and nasal breathing as ways to help people slow down and focus on the present.
While they cannot guarantee a longer life, these simple exercises can be incorporated into daily routines without special equipment or a gym membership.
MEET THE AUTHOR: Gyles Brandreth shares seven habits that could help you live well to 100 (Image: Alamy/PA)4. Stay connected with other people
Brandreth says staying connected with friends, family and the wider community is vital to healthy ageing, as loneliness and social isolation are linked to poorer health and earlier death. His book cites a Chinese study associating isolation and loneliness with a four-to-five-year reduction in life expectancy for men, while isolation alone was linked to a three-year reduction for women.
“To live to 100, staying socially engaged is as essential as exercise, nutrition, sleep and purpose,” he says. “Communicating is vital – you won’t live to be 100 if you’re on your own.” Meeting friends, joining clubs and making regular phone calls can all help maintain social connections.
5. Give sleep the attention it deserves
Brandreth says good-quality sleep is vital for healthy ageing, with poor sleep linked to a range of health problems. He recommends getting natural daylight within an hour of waking, limiting bright light and digital devices before bed, and keeping sleep, wake and meal times consistent.
He explains that inadequate sleep can affect the body at a cellular level and says a regular lifestyle can make a difference. “Sleep is key – you can’t survive without sleep. Getting into a way of life that’s regular and ordered is good,” he says.
6. Keep moving – even in short bursts
Brandreth admits he has never enjoyed traditional exercise, but says staying active is important as people get older. Rather than following an intense fitness routine, he recommends finding simple ways to move more throughout the day.
“I don’t like exercise. I am not interested in exercise. But you do need to keep moving, and it needn’t be depressing,” he says. His ‘exercise snacks’ include short bursts of activity, such as walking, taking the stairs or moving between tasks. Brandreth has also started working with a personal trainer and trying boxing, which he says has helped him lose a stone.
“I am now doing the exercise, so I’ve lost a stone. I’m topping the exercise snacks up with a personal trainer, so I’m knocking 80 and I’ve started boxing, which is quite fun,” he says.
His message is that staying active need not mean spending hours exercising or following a demanding fitness plan.
7. Keep it simple and consistent
Brandreth’s final tip is not to get overwhelmed by longevity advice, but to focus on small, sustainable habits that can be repeated every day. “Longevity isn’t achieved through extreme diets or sporadic bursts of intense exercise that are not sustainable throughout the decades, but rather through the cumulative, positive effects of simple repeated actions,” he explains.
“So keeping busy, looking up, looking out, staying happy, staying hydrated, eating colourful food, and taking exercise snacks is all you need, and you’ll live to be 100,” Brandreth says.
The 7 Secrets of the Hundred-Year Life by Gyles Brandreth and Finola Burrell is published by Short Books and is priced at £16.99.
🌿 Books to help you live a longer, healthier life
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Want to make the most of the years ahead? From the everyday habits of the world’s longest-living communities to the science of healthy ageing, these books offer ideas and practical advice on living well for longer.
🌍 Best for discovering the secrets of longevity: The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer by Dan Buettner National Geographic explorer Dan Buettner investigates communities where people tend to live longer, healthier lives. Drawing on his research into places including Okinawa in Japan and Sardinia in Italy, the book explores the role of natural movement, plant-based eating, purpose and strong social connections. Price: £25.99
🥗 Best for exploring the link between food and ageing: The Longevity Diet by Dr Valter Longo This guide examines how eating habits may affect health as we age, drawing on research into nutrition, fasting and age-related disease. It offers a food-focused approach for readers interested in making longer-term changes to support their health. Price: £16.14
❤️ Best for understanding why relationships matter: The Good Life by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz Based on the Harvard Study of Adult Development, this book explores what decades of research can tell us about happiness and wellbeing. It puts relationships, connection and the quality of our everyday lives at the heart of the discussion, making it a good choice for anyone looking beyond diet and exercise. Price: £14.24
🧠 Best for a fresh perspective on a longer life: The 100-Year Life by Lynda Gratton and Andrew J Scott What happens when living to 100 becomes more common? This book considers how longer lives could change the way we approach work, money, education and relationships, helping readers think about how to make different stages of life more fulfilling. Price: £11.69
Prices correct at time of checking and may change.
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