World’s oldest practicing doctor says staying active is the secret to longevity
/He hasn’t done a scientific study about it, but Dr. Howard Tucker firmly believes the secret to a long life is simple: Don’t retire!
Tucker should know, the 100-year-old neurologist only recently stopped seeing patients, but still teaches medical residents at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
“I look upon retirement as the enemy of longevity,” Tucker told the TODAY Show after his July 10th birthday. “I think that to retire, one can face potential shriveling up and ending in a nursing home. It’s fun staying alive and working … It’s delightful work. Every day I learn something new.”
In 2021, the Guinness Book of World Records named him the world’s oldest practicing doctor. He has recently decided to slow down, cutting back to two days a week of working with residents.
“I’m going to caution (people): If they retire from their work, they should at least do something as a hobby, whether it be communal work or self-hobbies,” he told the TODAY Show. “You need a stimulus for the brain daily.”
And, don’t talk to him about just going off to play golf.
Photo of Doctor Tucker in snowshoes
“I don’t understand it,” he said. “I don’t understand golfing three days a week.”
That’s why, when he was in his 60’s, Tucker decided to get a law degree. So he attended law school at night, after seeing patients during the day. He doesn’t practice law, but said he was pursuing an interest.
Right now, Tucker is learning about social media and computers because he recognizes that medical consultations are going online. He said many colleagues retired because they didn’t want to learn how to use the new technology, but he said he’s determined to keep up.
“The whole world is full of computers and they live by computers. If I want to stay in this world, I’m going to do it,” he said.
Tucker comes from a long-lived family. His mother lived to 84 and his father to 96. He and his wife, Sara – who is a practicing psychiatrist who still sees patients – have been married 65 years.She’s a kid: Just 89. They have four children and 10 grandchildren.
As for the future, Tucker is an optimist.
"Live each day as if you were to die tomorrow," he told WKYC. "Don't dwell on your age. Just keep moving, keep enjoying life. You die once, but you live daily."
Tucker is living one of Methuselah Foundation’s strategies: “Lust for Life.”
He recognizes the need to have purpose each day and to remain engaged in life. Many people lose their lust for life because they become more isolated as they age. Often, they become less active, which creates a fear of injury. Social isolation and physical disability lead to feelings of uselessness and hopelessness. This endangers the elderly and limits their ability to savor the little things in life that add up to happiness.
Tucker intuitively understands the importance of being active. He continues to work with medical residents, is learning how to use computers and he still hikes around on snowshoes.
Methuselah Foundation understands that good genes can help people live longer, but what they do with the extra years makes all the difference in the world.
Dr. Tucker is doing it right. Happy birthday … and congratulations!