A centenarian who played golf until she was 86 gives her tips for living to 100, including walking lots and having younger friends

• Janet Gibbs, a centenarian, told Insider her tips for longevity.
• They include keeping your mind and body active, socializing with friends, and eating well.

Janet Gibbs is 102 and says she has no regrets. She says this positive attitude is one of several reasons she's managed to live such a long life.

Gibbs, who has spent most of her life in Australia, doesn't live in one of the world's Blue Zones — places with the highest concentrations of centenarians. But she shares many habits with members of those communities, who tend to eat healthily, build exercise into their daily routines, and spend plenty of time with friends and family instead of worrying about work.

Gibbs was born in New Zealand in November 1921, a few days before the country's first-ever radio program was broadcast, before moving to Australia at the age of 3. In the past century, she has played golf for about 50 years, worked as a nurse, raised three sons, and moved across the world to the UK and back to Australia again. Now, she lives in a residential care home run by the nonprofit Bolton Clarke and is a member of their Centenarian Club, which holds events and records the stories of their 100-plus-year-old residents.

She told Insider her main advice for people who want to live long, healthy lives was to "just be happy." Although this sounds simple, research suggests things that tend to make us happy, such as having fulfilling relationships, can be beneficial for health and longevity.

Dan Buettner, who helped to pioneer research into Blue Zones, said in his recent Netflix series on the regions that boosting longevity didn't have to be a chore and could, in fact, be enjoyable. People in Blue Zones are known to enjoy wine and desserts in moderation, not scrimp on carbohydrates, and prioritize fun.

Aside from her genetics, here are five things Gibbs says she believes have helped her be happy and contributed to her longevity.

Playing sports

Gibbs says that "exercise is important" and that she thinks everyone should do some kind of sport.

It's no secret that exercising regularly is healthy — Insider previously reported on a study that found participants who did between 150 and 300 minutes of cardio exercise a week were 32% less likely to die from any cause during the 10 years of the study.

And it's never too late to take up a new sport. Gibbs started golfing in her 30s after her first child was born and kept playing until she was 86 years old. She also plays lawn bowls and used to enjoy basketball, hockey, and tennis.

Spending time with friends

Gibbs also spends a lot of time with friends, especially one who is 10 years her junior, who she says helps to keep her young. She says her favorite birthday celebration was a dinner spent with friends and family. She says it wasn't fancy, but she appreciated spending time with her loved ones.

Having strong relationships is thought to be important for longevity. Insider previously reported that Professor Rose Anne Kenny, who's the founding principal investigator for The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing at Trinity College Dublin, said social interaction was thought to be just as important as exercise for longevity.

Kenny recommended people do their hobbies in group settings, just like Gibbs does with lawn bowls, to combine the benefits of exercise with socializing.

Eating healthy food

Gibbs says she has always been careful to eat food that's good for her, and research shows a healthy diet is key to longevity.

In most Blue Zones, people eat high-fiber, high-carb diets full of vegetables and whole foods, and Insider previously reported that Pearl Taylor, a centenarian, credited her longevity in part to never eating packaged foods.

The Mediterranean diet, which consists of lots of whole foods, including vegetables and olive oil, is considered one of the healthiest ways to eat, and research suggests that following a similar diet can add up to 10 years to a person's lifespan.

The similar DASH diet, usually prescribed to people with high blood pressure, has been associated with a reduction in women's chances of cognitive problems after the age of 70 and beyond.

Keep your mind and body active

"Keep active, that's the main thing," Gibbs said, referring to both her mind and body.

She says she has always loved to read to keep her brain active, switching to audiobooks on her iPad in her older age.

Similarly, the 100-year-old social-media influencer Jack Van Nordheim, who posts under the name Ask Uncle Jack, previously told Insider he believed having passions helped him to reach the milestone age.

For physical activity, Gibbs says she aims to walk around the garden six times each day on top of her daily afternoon walk around the block.

Heidi Tissenbaum, a professor in molecular, cell, and cancer biology at the University of Massachusetts medical school, previously told Insider that keeping both mind and body active were the basics of longevity and that it was important to get a variety of movements and stimuli into our daily lives.