Do You Want To Be a Super Centenarian?

Photo from AnimalSpot

What's more important, that you live long or you live well? Unlike some species of animal, humans have an unfortunate tendency to fall apart as they get older. If the Bowhead Whale, with its average life span of 200 years, felt how we inevitably would at that age, it would sink. Instead it keeps on swimming without the need of a stick, reading glasses or a fin massage. But though the longevity of their life might appeal, the thought of swimming for more than an hour makes me want to put my feet up and have a snooze.

       

What about being a Giant Tortoise? They can live to well over 100 years. The downside is that they're born already looking old and decrepit, and they don't move all that much faster than your average ancient human.

The Tuatara lizard seems a happy medium, again with an average life expectancy of a 100 years, which they live fully and actively till the end, centenarian lizards being perfectly capable of baring children.

Personally I don't want the option of having kids when I'm a hundred. I just don't want to be stuck in my armchair for the last ten years of my life.

My vision is of pottering around in my sun lit terrace at the ripe old age of 104. I'm still active, still writing novels (with decent sex scenes in them, at last). I'm growing mint for my mojitos and I've got a little dog called TinTin. My husband, 108, is in the living room designing an even more flashy and complicated way of turning on the television than we had in 2013.

 

Fauja Singh - Photo from PravasiToday

 

I know I need to put some effort in now if I intend to arrive at 104 in great shape. My hero of the month is Fauja Singh, a 101 year old marathon runner. Unfortunately marathon running is a bit extreme for me. I'm thinking more along the lines of stretching.  

Not long ago I discovered this video which simultaneously teaches you yoga and takes you to Costa Rica.  At the moment, every single muscle aches when I do the exercises. If I put it off till I'm any older it will be like flexing a chicken with rigor mortis. Where I'm the chicken.

 

            


Obviously keeping physically fit is only half the battle, an intact mind is also vital.

Now I'm wondering what those Bowhead Whales have been thinking about for the last two centuries. How sane are they? Because I know for a fact, there's no Sudoku in the deep blue sea.