What's the secret to living a long, healthy life? Ask 103-year-old Bert!
Bert Denman is one of Discovery Health Medical Scheme's centenarian - people aged 100 years or older - members. A Discovery Health Intelligence analysis highlights how incredibly healthy this group of members are. Watch the video and also read all about Bert's incredible life.
Watch Bert's video here
What's the secret to living to beyond the age of 100?
"It's a secret," laughs 103-year-old Bert Denman, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
The former aircraft engineer only retired at an impressive 88 years old and still actively pursues his hobby - building and flying model aeroplanes with his wife Ann (81).
"I think he married me because I could build planes," jokes Ann. The pair got married 13 years ago, when Bert was 90, after both their spouses died. "We enjoy being together in the workshop... and have a great time working on our hobby. We even go out to fly our planes on the weekends."
Bert adds: "It's a great hobby. It's constructive and technical with quite a bit of woodwork."
Ann describes Bert as a great guy with a wonderful sense of humour. And, at 103, he still dreams big.
"At this age, what would you still like to achieve in the years ahead?" Ann asks Bert.
"I'd like to fly an aeroplane around the world," he replies.
"Be thankful that you've been given another day"
Bert says he's always been healthy and never had any ailments other than the common cold, the flu and a few cuts and scrapes. He'd also never been hospitalised.
For many years, he lived an active life and walked regularly.
"I've done a lot of walking, walking for miles," says Bert. "And cycling and climbing up and down steps all the time at work was exercise."
Bert acknowledges that stress is part of life but encourages people to analyse what's causing the stress to be able to address it.
Other than being active, Bert's advice for living a long, healthy life is to "just live a straightforward life. And when you wake up, be thankful that you've been given another day."
Bert is one of 90 centenarian Discovery Health Medical Scheme members (data to end April 2023). An investigation into trends within this group by the Health Intelligence team at Discovery Health, reveals fascinating insights into just how healthy people can be in their golden years. Most centenarian Scheme members are women. However the men in the group are healthier than the women. When it comes to chronic illnesses, cancer, COVID-19, hospital admissions and more, this group defies the odds!
Read the full Discovery Health Intelligence team report on just how healthy people can be in their golden years, based on an investigation into Discovery Health Medical Scheme's centenarian members.