Woman, 100, Still Lifts Weights at the Gym. Her Simple Tips for a Long Life

Pumping iron at 100 years old, Mary Coroneos is lifting weights, exercising with dumbbells and pulling resistance bands at the gym, where she’s a regular.

She works out three times a week with her trainers at The Edge Fitness Club in Norwalk, Connecticut. The full-body resistance program is designed to strengthen her arms, legs and core, and improve her balance.

Why does she like lifting weights?

“Because it’s a challenge,” Coroneos tells TODAY.com about her exercises.

“They make you feel tired, but then you feel good afterwards.”

She lives with her daughter, who says the centenarian feels energized by the sessions and describes her health as “phenomenal.”

“I told the trainers to push her because I want her core to be strong and her legs to be strong because that's how she gets up and out,” Athena Coroneos, 65, tells TODAY.com.

“If your core is strong and your legs are strong, the probability of falling — which is high in her age group — reduces dramatically.”

Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist and longevity researcher, recommends strength training at least three times a week for healthy aging. It’s a routine he follows to ensure his own longevity.

“If I’m going to be old, I’d rather be strong and old,” Topol, 70, previously told TODAY.com.

Mary Coroneos turned 100 in June. She spent decades working as a teacher, with some of her former students attending her birthday celebration.

Divorced as a young woman, she was a single mom who worked four jobs to support her children, including waitressing on the weekends, her daughter says.

Here are some of her tips for a healthy, long life:

Move Your Body

Coroneos has been physically active for as long as the family can remember, up and moving all the time.

She grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania in “very, very humble, almost impoverished beginnings,” her daughter says.

An athlete in college, she played volleyball and basketball while studying at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and went on to earn a master’s degree in education from Temple University.

Coroneos was born in June 1925. She graduated from high school at 17 and college at 21. (Courtesy Athena Coroneos)

“My mom is very competitive. She likes to win, even to this day,” Athena Coroneos says, noting exercise has been a huge factor is her longevity.

“The body is meant to be in motion and once you stop that motion, you rust.”

The centenarian’s current workout involves light resistance bands, 2-pound weights and machines. She does seated rows, reverse flies, front pulldowns and leg extensions.

Depending on how she feels that day, the routine also includes sit-to-stands, low-weight leg presses, hip adduction and abduction, and seated leg curls. Coroneos also rides a recumbent bike.

Coroneos does a full-body resistance training program designed to strengthen her arms, legs and core. (Courtesy The Edge Fitness Club)

“She loves a challenge,” Stephanie DiNoi, one of her trainers, told The Norwalk Hour. “She can sustain a nice workout, and her memory is as sharp as a tack.”

Eat Nutritious Food

Home-cooked meals were a staple in the Coroneos household. The family ate a lot of vegetables and a little meat. Athena Coroneos remembers her mom baking bread for the family. Junk food was non-existent.

“She was really interested in health care because two of her brothers were chiropractors who believed fiercely that the body needs to be fueled with good food,” she says.

“That was what she ate when she was growing up. She never liked junk food.”

The centenarian has also never been a big eater — she stops when she's full, her daughter notes. Fish is off the menu because she doesn’t care for it.

These days, Coroneos likes soup because it's nutritious, easier to eat for the centenarian, and it keeps her hydrated. Healthy soup can be a longevity staple: The longest-living family in the world eats a three-bean minestrone soup made with a variety of garden vegetables every day.

Coroneos enjoys good food. (Courtesy Athena Coroneos)

Enjoy Food Favorites

“She does like chocolate. Anything that's creamy — ice cream, root beer floats with whipped cream. Loves them,” Athena Coroneos says.

Her creamy favorites list also includes cream of potatoes, cream of mushrooms and New England clam chowder.

When it comes to alcohol, Coroneos likes a little sip of prosecco once in a while, but has always been a very light drinker. Alcohol was only served for special occasions in the family, her daughter notes.

Challenge Your Brain

“Keep active mentally and physically,” Mary Coroneos says.

The centenarian is a “voracious reader” and uses her smartphone to look up news and information, her daughter notes.

Athena Coroneos also calls her mom fiercely independent: She didn’t retire until she was in her 70s and continued to be a substitute teacher into her 90s. She drove a car until she was 95.

“She has an insatiable curiosity about life,” her daughter says. “Her mind is constantly at work.”

Coroneos celebrates her 100th birthday with one of her trainers at the gym. ( Courtesy Athena Coroneos)

Be With Friends and Family

When asked what has helped her live a long healthy life, Mary Coroneos cites her faith and social connections.

“I would say being around people would be the answer,” she says.

“That's crucial because a big deterrent to longevity is the isolation, the depression and lack of purpose,” her daughter adds. “She enjoys being around young people because it's vitality.”