The AARP's Vitality Project- WANT TO LIVE TO BE 100?

A researcher spent months traveling all over the world studying centurions (people 100 years of age or more). He found four common elements amongst these centurions that transcended geographic location, ethnicity, gender and socio-economic status. The four factors are as follows:

1. Be more active (walking, biking as transit, not joining a gym).

2. Eat mostly plants. And eat less.

3. Socialize and volunteer with others.

4. Find your purpose in life.

Four simple lifestyle changes to start not only integrating into your adult life, but your children's as well.

1. All kids should be active every single day for AT LEAST 30 minutes. This can be as simple as putting on some music and letting them dance around the living room! Get creative! Set the timer and make them run around picking-up their toys.

2. Eating mostly plants is something to work towards. Portion control is key even when introducing solids. This habit starts early. And avoid the "clear your plate" rule. This just leads to obesity later....

3. Make sure your kids are well-socialized. They find self-worth and value when amongst friends. They also need to learn to navigate through complicated social avenues as well! There are so many age-appropriate ways to volunteer with your child, even as early as the age of two. Teach them compassion and empathy now and it will last a lifetime. You'll have the child that turns out to be the adult who thinks outside themselves and sees their role in the greater world around them.

4. While we shouldn't expect our children to find their purpose in life at this young age, teaching them to have faith in themselves and their talents now goes a long way. Be a daily confidence builder to them. Also, if you see things that your child shows an above average talent in, verbalize that to them constantly! If you want them to find their purpose in life, they need a solid support system that believes in them! Start now!

For more information, visit the AARP's website: http://www.aarpmagazine.org/health/vitality_national/