Gerd Wirtz: How do you actually live to be 100 in good health?

Longevity expert Dr. Gerd Wirtz explains which factors actually determine how healthily we age and why small, consistent habits are more important than elaborate health routines.

The question of how to live to 100 in good health initially sounds more like an advertising slogan. However, the short, honest answer is: not with miracle cures, not with anti-ageing hacks and certainly not with individual ‘superfoods’. What matters are our daily habits. Specifically, those that have been proven to influence our biological age.

Why ageing is about more than just years

In longevity research, we distinguish between two terms: lifespan and healthspan. Lifespan describes how old we can theoretically become. Healthspan, on the other hand, determines how many of those years we spend healthy, productive and independent.

And this is precisely where the real problem of modern societies lies. We are investing more and more money in healthcare systems – but at the same time, we are actively losing lifetime through our lifestyle. Not at the end of life, but often decades earlier.

An evaluation by the German Cancer Research Centre shows that unhealthy lifestyle factors such as smoking, lack of exercise, severe obesity or high alcohol consumption can shorten the life expectancy of men by more than 20 years in extreme cases.

That is why the question of maximum longevity falls short. The crucial question is rather: How can we prevent people from failing to reach their biological potential and not even reaching the age of 80?

Longevity does not mean artificially prolonging life. It means maintaining performance, mental clarity and resilience for as long as possible.

Longevity is not a matter of chance

The state of research here is clear. Our genes play a role in health and life expectancy, but they are not the main factor. Studies show that lifestyle factors such as exercise, nutrition, sleep and stress management have a significantly greater impact on health and lifespan than our genetic makeup.

In other words, we are not at the mercy of our genes. We influence how strongly they work on a daily basis.

It’s not about perfection. It’s about regularity. People who exercise moderately but consistently, get enough sleep and actively regulate periods of stress age measurably slower, regardless of their genetic starting point.

What we can learn from the Blue Zones

Time and again, reference is made to so-called Blue Zones – regions of the world where people live to a healthy old age at an above-average rate. However, the underlying principles also work outside these regions.

Community, social integration and a clear sense of purpose in life have been proven to prolong life. Added to this are simple routines: daily exercise, manageable meals, regular sleep times. No complicated programmes, no biohacking, just structures that can be maintained in the long term.

Prevention instead of repair medicine

Another key aspect of modern longevity strategies is the change in perspective in medicine. Instead of only reacting when symptoms appear, the focus is now on prevention. Those who know their relevant biomarkers, i.e. blood sugar, inflammation levels, lipid profiles or hormonal markers, can identify risks early on and take targeted countermeasures.

This is not a vision of the future, but is already possible today. And it fundamentally changes the way we think about health: away from short-term symptom treatment and towards long-term functionality.

Why small changes make a difference

Many people fail not because of a lack of knowledge, but because of excessive resolutions. Radical diets, extreme training plans or rigid routines rarely work in the long term.

Research clearly shows that small, realistic changes that are implemented consistently have the greatest effect on biological age.

Ten minutes of exercise a day is better than none at all. Regular sleep is more effective than occasional ‘optimisation’. Consistency is the underestimated factor that many ignore.

Conclusion

Reaching the age of 100 in good health is not a promise, but a realistic goal. It is not about stopping ageing, but actively shaping it.

Longevity means gaining as many years as possible with physical, mental and emotional capacity and making conscious use of these years.

Book Dr Gerd Wirtz as a keynote speaker for a lecture on longevity, digital health and future medicine: gerd.wirtz@premium-speakers.com or 1 (704) 804 1054