While most people slow down in their twilight years, Dr. Howard Tucker has never taken his foot off the gas. The Cleveland-born neurologist, who practiced medicine from 1947 until 2022, holds the Guinness World Record as the world’s oldest practicing doctor. Now 102, Tucker may have retired from patient care, but he hasn’t retired from life.

Still sharp, driven, and active, Tucker lectures medical students at Case Western Reserve University and serves as a consultant in medico-legal cases. He even picked up a law degree at 67 and recently became a viral TikTok sensation thanks to What’s Next, a documentary about his extraordinary life, produced by his grandson.

So, what’s his secret to living past a century with his mind and body intact? According to Dr. Tucker, it’s simple:

“Retirement, I think, is the enemy of longevity.”

In an interview with TODAY’s Al Roker, Tucker emphasized the importance of purpose. “You have to have some purpose in life and get up in the morning and know what you’re about,” he said. Even after the hospital he worked at closed in 2022, he admitted he would “absolutely” still be seeing patients if given the opportunity—and he’s even “putting out feelers” for a new role.

Dr. Tucker’s advice is clear: if you retire from work, don’t retire from life. “Do something as a hobby, whether it be communal work or self-hobbies,” he said. “You need a stimulus for the brain daily.”

Science backs him up. Numerous studies show that staying mentally and physically active, having a sense of purpose, and maintaining strong social ties can add years—not just to your life, but to your healthy life.

Dr. Tucker’s lifestyle habits read like a blueprint for longevity. He snowshoes in the winter and walks three miles a day on his treadmill. Though he gave up skiing after a fall in his late 80s, he never let that slow him down. His diet is modest and sensible: fruit and cereal for breakfast, no lunch, fish and vegetables for dinner, and a small dessert. He drinks tea instead of coffee, rarely touches alcohol—except for the occasional martini—and has never smoked.

In his submission to Guinness, Tucker wrote: “Heredity and family history of longevity is a healthy start. However, it must be supported by moderation of nutrition, alcohol, and happiness.”

Indeed, happiness plays a starring role in his life. Married for over 70 years, Tucker has four children, ten grandchildren, and a deep love for Cleveland sports. Studies show people with strong social connections and a positive outlook tend to outlive their lonelier, more pessimistic peers. Tucker is living proof.

He’s also remained intellectually curious throughout his life, becoming one of the oldest people ever to earn a law degree. “You’ve got to stay engaged,” he said. And stay engaged he has — attending award ceremonies, speaking on panels, mentoring students, and even winning a People’s Voice award at the 2025 Webby Awards for What’s Next.

Now approaching his 103rd birthday in July, Dr. Tucker has no plans to slow down.

“I never think of death,” he told TODAY. “To be alive is to know that you’re going to die because life is a fatal disease. And so I live it.”

In a society obsessed with shortcuts to youth—pills, procedures, and hacks—Dr. Howard Tucker offers a refreshingly simple prescription: don’t stop living. Find purpose. Keep moving. Love deeply. Laugh often. And if you must have a vice, let it be a martini—just one.

After all, he’s not just surviving. He’s thriving.