I'm a doctor who tracks my health. My 93-year-old dad does none of that.

This as-told-to effort is based connected a speech pinch dermatologist Dr. Jessica Wu. It has been edited for magnitude and clarity.

My dada has never tracked his sleep, and wouldn't cognize what a macro is. He has ne'er group ft successful a gym, and doesn't ain sneakers (he prefers loafers). And yet, astatine 93, he continues to unrecorded a healthy, fulfilling life.

His habits are mini and simple. But complete 93 years, they've compounded to make a immense quality successful his health. They've changed really I talk pinch my patients and really I deliberation astir my ain health and well-being astatine 58.

My dada prioritizes movement, not exercise

My dada was an engineer, but he's ne'er been acrophobic of physical work. In Taiwan, he repaired aerial conditioning units astatine a clip erstwhile aerial conditioning was rare. Later, successful California, he discontinue his "good" occupation arsenic an technologist to commencement flipping houses.

He has ne'er exercised successful a gym, but beingness activity is portion of his mundane life. At work, he was laying tile, landscaping, and fixing plumbing, while school my sisters and maine to do the same. He would ever jog up stairs and ne'er return an escalator.

Even erstwhile he had the money to prosecute group to do beingness labour astir his properties, he continued to do the activity himself.

He hasn't stopped working

My dada has ever been incredibly driven. When I was young and wanted to slumber in, he would propulsion unfastened the shades astatine 7 a.m. and clap to aftermath my sisters and me. There were things to do and group to spot — he wasn't going to person america sleeping the time away.

He still has that thrust astatine 93. He owns six flat buildings and drives by them astir days. He's slowed down immoderate and is nary longer up connected a ladder aliases utilizing power tools, but he's still progressive pinch the operations of his properties. At home, if there's a spot of paint, he'll spell to Home Depot and hole it himself.

My dada enjoys emotion needed and useful. He can't slow down excessively much, because location are still walls to overgarment and weeds to pull. He doesn't want an easy life — he wants to do things that are challenging and fulfilling, because that keeps him young.

He prioritizes companionship and societal connection

When my dada was successful his 60s, he and my mom started taking ballroom creation lessons. As a family, we ne'er danced. But they wanted to effort thing new, and they loved it. Today, they still return play lessons and emotion taking cruises that connection them the opportunity to dance.

Dancing not only keeps them connected aft 59 years of marriage. It has besides introduced them to a full societal web of group that they bask seeing weekly.

He skips the supplements, but eats plentifulness of vegetables

My dada has astir apt ne'er taken a supplement. Yet, he eats very lightly and healthily. Dinner is typically stir-fried vegetables pinch chicken, tofu, aliases occasionally pork. He'll eat that connected apical of a fewer tablespoons of rice. If he's still hungry, he'll person a vessel of crockery earlier going backmost for seconds.

He's ever eaten this way. Even if I was going retired for pizza pinch friends arsenic a kid, I would request to person meal pinch the family first.

I don't travel each my dad's ways

As a expert trained successful Western medicine, I was taught to isolate diseases and conditions. My dad's manner has taught maine to return a much holistic position of health. I now inquire patients astir their diet, sleep, and lifestyle, successful summation to questions astir their skin.

I effort to travel my dad's illustration while besides taking modern approaches to longevity. I deterioration an Aura ringing and way my slumber and movement. I return a vitamin D supplement, and person done a full-body scan. There's room for some approaches.