• Centenarian Janet Gibbs told Insider her tips for longevity.
• They include keeping your mind and body active, socializing with friends, and eating well.
• Gibbs’ tips are similar to the healthy habits of the superager residents of the world’s Blue Zones.

Janet Gibbs is 102 and has no regrets. She thinks this positive attitude is one of several reasons she’s managed to live such a long life.

Gibbs, who has spent most of her life in Australia, doesn’t live in one of the world’s Blue Zones: places with the highest concentrations of centenarians. But she shares many habits with members of those communities, who eat healthily, build exercise into their daily routines, and spend plenty of time with friends and family instead of worrying about work.

Gibbs was born in New Zealand in November 1921, a few days before the country’s first ever radio programme was broadcast, before moving to Australia at the age of three. In the last century, she played golf for around 50 years, worked as a nurse, raised three sons, and moved across the world to the UK and back to Australia again. Now, she lives in a residential care home run by non-profit Bolton Clarke, and is a member of their Centenarian Club, which holds events and records the stories of their 100-plus-year-old residents.

She told Insider her main advice for people who want to live long, healthy lives is to “just be happy.” Although this sounds simple, research suggests that things that tend to make us happy, such as having fulfilling relationships, could be beneficial for health and longevity.

Dan Buettner, who helped to pioneer research into Blue Zones, said in his recent Netflix series on these regions that boosting longevity doesn’t have to be a chore, and can in fact be enjoyable. People in Blue Zones enjoy wine and dessert in moderation, don’t scrimp on carbohydrates, and prioritize fun.

Aside from her genetics, here are five things that Gibbs believes have helped her be happy and contributed to her longevity.

Playing sports

Gibbs said that “exercise is important,” and thinks that everyone should do some kind of sport.

It’s no secret that exercising regularly is healthy — Insider previously reported on a study that found participants who did between 150 and 300 minutes of cardio exercise per week were 32% less likely to die from any cause during the 10 years of the study.

And it’s never too late to take up a new sport. Gibbs started golfing in her 30s after her first child was born and kept playing until she was 86 years old. She also plays lawn bowls, and used to enjoy basketball, hockey and tennis.

Spending time with friends

Gibbs also spends a lot of time with friends, especially one who is 10 years her junior who she believes helps to keeps her young. Her favorite birthday celebration was a dinner spent with friends and family. It wasn’t fancy, but that she appreciated spending time with her loved ones.

Having strong relationships is thought to be important for longevity. Insider previously reported that Professor Rose Anne Kenny, who is the founding principal investigator for The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, said that social interaction is thought to be just as important as exercise for longevity.

Kenny recommended people do their hobbies in group settings, just like Gibbs does with lawn bowls, to combine the benefits of exercise with socializing.

Eating healthy food

Gibbs said that she has always been careful to eat food that’s good for her, and research shows that a healthy diet is key to longevity.

In most Blue Zones, people eat high-fiber, high carb diets full of vegetables and whole foods, and Insider previously reported centenarian Pearl Taylor credits her longevity in part to never eating packaged foods.

The Mediterranean diet, which consists of lots of whole foods including vegetables and olive oil, is considered one of the healthiest ways to eat, and research suggests that following a similar diet can add up to 10 years to a person’s lifespan.

And the similar DASH diet, usually prescribed to people with high blood pressure, has been associated with a reduction in women’s chances of cognitive problems after the age of 70 and beyond.

Keep your mind and body active

“Keep active, that’s the main thing,” Gibbs said, referring to both her mind and body.

She has always loved to read to keep her brain active, switching to audiobooks on her iPad in older age.

Similarly, 100-year-old social media influencer Ask Uncle Jack previously told Insider that he believes having passions helped him to reach the milestone age.

For physical activity, Gibbs said she aims to walk around the garden six times each day on top of her daily afternoon walk around the block.

Dr. Heidi Tissenbaum, a professor in molecular, cell, and cancer biology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, previously told Insider that keeping both mind and body active are the basics of longevity, and that it’s important to get a variety of movements and stimuli into our daily lives.