A new survey finds the nation's centenarians are just as active – physically and socially – as boomers half their age. More than half of the 100 centenarians polled in UnitedHealthcare's seventh annual 100@100 survey say they exercise almost every day.
Nearly 45 percent cite walking as their favorite physical activity, yet nearly as many (40 percent) do exercises to strengthen their muscles. The survey finds that 100-year-olds also get creative with their workouts:
- 11 percent practice yoga, Tai Chi or another form of mind/body/spirit activity
- 8 percent ride a bike regularly
- 5 percent jog
- 2 percent engage in sports like baseball, basketball, soccer or tennis.
This year's UnitedHealthcare 100@100 survey polled baby boomers in their early 50s in addition to centenarians to forecast the future of America's rapidly expanding senior population and to determine how today's oldest Americans can guide boomers' strategies for successful aging. UnitedHealthcare serves nearly 12,000 of the estimated 72,000 centenarians nationwide through its portfolio of Medicare plans. The U.S. Census bureau projects the centenarian population will swell more than eight-fold to more than 600,000 by 2050.
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