Dr. Howard Tucker has been practicing medicine and neurology for over 75 years. This 100-year-old doctor shares his top tips for staying happy, healthy, and mentally sharp.
Doctor Howard Tucker is a neurologist and was named “Oldest Practicing Physician” by Guinness World Records. When he was born in 1922, the average life expectancy in the United States was 58 for men and 61 for women. As a 100-year-old doctor, his patients often ask him for advice on staying healthy, happy, and mentally sharp.
Good genes and a bit of luck can give him a head start, but here are a few rules of life he’s stuck to over the past century:
- He does not spend his days in retirement.
He has been working for over 75 years and has even been named the oldest practicing doctor in the world by Guinness World Records. Sara, his wife of 65 years, also practices psychoanalysis and psychiatry at the age of 89.
During the pandemic, he treated patients for five or six days a week. Then he started teaching medical residents up to three days a week. (His hospital just closed, so he’s currently doing forensic examinations while he waits to find another job.)
When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with his four children and ten grandchildren, playing racquet and watching Cleveland sports. If you’re lucky enough to have a career you enjoy and are still able to work, consider delaying your retirement. Many people who retire and become inactive in their daily routine are at increased risk of cognitive decline.
- He doesn’t give up physically.
Swimming, jogging, hiking and skiing into his late 80s kept him fit and healthy.
Although he no longer skis or is as active as he used to be, he tries to put in at least 4 kilometers on his treadmill at a brisk pace most days of the week. Watching classic movies in the background helps ease the boredom a bit.
Studies have shown that something as simple as a 15-minute walk outdoors could reduce your risk of premature death by almost 25%.
- He does not smoke.
When he was in high school in the 1930s, he told his father he wanted to start smoking. His father replied, “I don’t mind. But why would anyone want to put anything but fresh air in their lungs when life is so short in itself?”
It immediately took away the fun and excitement of tobacco for him. He remembers attending medical meetings where doctors, cigarettes in their mouths, told patients to start smoking because it “would take away their appetite and calm their nerves.”
Today we know that cigarette smoking leads to cancer, stroke, peripheral artery disease, coronary artery disease, and other lung and cardiovascular diseases.
- It does not restrict itself.
Moderation allows us to live life to the fullest while avoiding overdoing it and affecting our long-term health. He does happen to have a martini and a steak from New York once in a while, but not every day. Sara is an excellent cook and she helps him maintain a healthy and varied diet. They eat a salad with every meal and enjoy green vegetables such as bok choy, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
The real secret to longevity is that there are no secrets. But we live daily and only die once, so we have to make the most of the time we have.
- He does not leave his knowledge unused.
After practicing neurology for over seven decades, he has witnessed the evolution of medicine, from lobotomies to the latest computerized imaging techniques. He really enjoys teaching his residents and medical students, and he also learns a lot from them.
He is also participating in a documentary in the making about his life. It is a pleasure for him to share stories of his long career with the new generation.