Former President Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, passed away at the age of 100, leaving behind a legacy of service, resilience, and a commitment to healthy living. Carter's life provides valuable insights into the habits and characteristics that contribute to longevity and well-being.
A Life of Activity and Purpose
Jimmy Carter's life was defined by a dedication to both physical activity and a strong sense of purpose. Active until his late 90s, Carter maintained a routine exercise regimen throughout his life. According to his grandson, Jason Carter, the former president used to play tennis every day and jogged everywhere he went, especially while traveling. “If he got to a new city that he had never been to before, whether there was Secret Service or not, he would say, ‘Hey, is there a bike?’” Jason Carter told Time. Even after knee problems forced him to give up running at age 80, he switched to swimming and walking, as he told The Washington Post in 2013 and 2018. He and his wife also enjoyed bike rides in their hometown and on trips across the country and abroad. The former president also enjoyed fly-fishing and woodworking, according to his biography.
Beyond exercise, Carter found purpose in serving others. After leaving the White House, the former president and his wife founded the Carter Center in Atlanta to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering. He traveled all over the world as part of that mission, wrote books, and volunteered. Carter and his wife were famously involved in the community, helping to build, renovate and repair more than 4,300 homes in 14 countries while volunteering for Habitat for Humanity since 1984. The work gave him joy, the former president wrote in one of his books.
The Importance of Regular Exercise
Regular exercise is key to healthy aging, especially as older adults lose muscle mass. It helps reduce the risk of chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, and it can also relieve stress and improve mental health outcomes. A pattern of physical activity across long time periods that keeps a person moving about is important for longevity, Friedman notes. It doesn't necessarily have to be formal exercise, but could be activities like farming, construction projects and being on the go, he adds. At least 30 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity is one of five habits that can help people live longer, a study in Circulation found. The other habits were never smoking, staying at a healthy weight, moderate alcohol intake and a healthy diet.
Carter's dedication to exercise extended to his time in office. From early in 1978, his daily runs around the drive behind the White House progressively increased to seven miles. “I start looking forward to it from the moment I get up. If I don’t run, I don’t feel exactly right…I can click off a mile in six and a half minutes when I really turn it on,” he told the New York Times, sentiments familiar to runners but less common among presidents. His weight dropped eight pounds. His medical adviser, Dr. Willam Lukash, said that the president “probably read and absorbed every popular book on the subject.” In 1979, Carter enhanced his knowledge by inviting the recent Boston Marathon winners Joan Benoit and Bill Rodgers to a state dinner at the White House and cornered them for private training advice. He added longer weekend runs of 10 or 12 miles at Camp David, the Presidential retreat in rural Maryland.
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In 1979, Carter participated in the Catoctin Mountain Park Run, a 10K race conceived by the President, with Dr. Lukash, and Tom McFadden, supervisor of Camp David, where the President could experience competitive running without security risk. Wearing Bib 39 pinned on a t-shirt with a yellow headband, accompanied by Dr. Lukash and Secret Service agents, as registered runners and in vehicles, President Carter ran the steeply uphill first mile in an ambitious 8:25, and the second in 7:45. Inexperience also kept him from taking water at the crowded halfway water station, which was followed by another long uphill. The combination of heat, dehydration, and unaccustomed race pressure took a major toll. Colman McCarthy of the Washington Post was running observantly nearby. He reported that the president kept on running up the long hill, where others walked, but was seriously slowing down and looked in trouble. “His face was ashen. His mouth hung open, and his eyes had an unfocused look,” he wrote. Phil Stewart of Running Times was also on hand to get the pictures of his life. One shows the president looking gravely depleted, his knees buckling, and apparently being saved from falling by the supporting hands of Dr. Lukash (196) and a Secret Service agent (886). Disregarding an ambulance, they helped him into an official car, and he was taken to his Camp David residence. No serious damage was done. President Carter appeared as promised at the awards ceremony, still in running clothes, handed out the awards, and spoke without regret of the experience. “They had to drag me off. I didn’t want to stop,” he said, as reported by Sports Illustrated.
The Power of Social Connection and Purpose
Beyond physical health, Carter's long life was also shaped by his strong social connections and sense of purpose. The former president was married to Rosalynn Carter for 77 years. The duo hold the title of the longest-married presidential couple in the nation’s history. Jason Carter told Time that his grandfather would most likely attribute his longevity to Rosalynn, who died last year. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” former President Carter said in a statement about his wife posted to The Carter Center following her passing. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” During Rosalynn Carter’s tribute service, the couple’s daughter, Amy Carter, read a love letter the former president had written to his wife 75 years earlier. “My darling, every time I have ever been away from you, I have been thrilled when I returned to discover just how wonderful you are,” part of the letter read. "When I see you, I fall in love with you all over again." Their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren complete the tight-knit family.
Finding a larger purpose and mission sustains people as they age. In The Coming of Age, Simone de Beauvoir writes that aging gracefully “is to go on pursuing ends that give our life a meaning-devotion to individuals, to collectives, to causes, social, political, intellectual or creative work.” One study also found that giving back and volunteering can lower people’s stress, giving them purpose and passion. Former President Jimmy Carter, and his wife, Rosalynn, work on houses in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2010, as part of a project with Habitat for Humanity. “Community involvement tells you that you want to live, you want to help other people,” Valter Longo, Ph.D., professor of gerontology at the University of Southern California and director of the USC Longevity Institute in Los Angeles, previously told TODAY.com. “In the end, (it’s) whatever gets you out of bed." After losing in a landslide in 1980, the former president and peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia, established the Carter Center and traveled the world to help with peace negotiations, monitor election security and work to get rid of infectious diseases.
Other Factors Contributing to Longevity
While genetics, behaviors, environments and chance play a role in longevity, some key patterns may apply in Carter's case. Centenarians tend to be extroverted, meaning they’re able to establish friendships and healthy social networks, Perls says. That means they're cognitively active, less lonely and have someone to turn to when they need help. “Certainly, President Carter was about as gregarious as you can get, and probably the most caring and empathetic president that I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime," Perls notes. People who live a long life also tend to have a conscientious, dependable, prudent personality that keeps strengthening across the years, Friedman adds.
Carter also regularly taught Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife attended services. “Our religious beliefs are important to us,” the former president wrote in one of his books. Spirituality can put the focus on gratitude, and often means associating with other helpful, healthy, positive people, Friedman points out. Faith may have also helped Carter manage stress better, Perls says. It can be a source of meaning and belonging, which is good for the body and soul, Miller added.
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Carter survived health setbacks, the death of his wife, and more than a year in hospice. "It speaks to his resilience," Perls says, an important factor in longevity. Mental resilience is about developing a long-term pattern of persistence, purpose and positive social relations, Friedman adds.
Lessons from a Centenarian
Jimmy Carter's life offers valuable lessons for those seeking to live longer, healthier lives. These lessons include:
- Prioritize physical activity: Find activities you enjoy and incorporate them into your daily routine.
- Cultivate strong social connections: Nurture relationships with family and friends.
- Find purpose and meaning: Engage in activities that give you a sense of fulfillment and contribute to something larger than yourself.
- Maintain a positive outlook: Focus on the good in your life and practice gratitude.
- Embrace resilience: Develop the ability to bounce back from setbacks and challenges.
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