Mandela is one of the most respected politicians in the world. He led South Africa to end apartheid and transition to a multi-racial democracy. In 1993, Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He passed away on December 6, 2013, at the age of 95. His life was filled with hardships, and reaching the age of 95 can be considered a miracle. Below, we will introduce Mandela's secrets to longevity.
People who live long lives, both in the past and present, tend to have a cheerful and tolerant personality. Mandela was a tolerant person. In his early years, he was imprisoned for leading the opposition against the white apartheid policy. He was imprisoned on the desolate Robben Island in the Atlantic Ocean for 27 years, which took a toll on his physical and mental health. As a political prisoner, he was under the supervision of three guards who were not friendly towards him and often found reasons to mistreat him. In 1991, Mandela was elected as the first black president in South Africa's history. However, during his inauguration ceremony, he shocked the world with a gesture: the elderly Mandela stood up and respectfully paid tribute to the three guards who had once imprisoned him. Mandela said, "As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison."
Mandela once revealed his secrets to a healthy and long life to the people of South Africa: having a disciplined lifestyle and going to bed and waking up early. Mandela's disciplined lifestyle was formed during his time in Robben Island prison, and he has adhered to it ever since. He wakes up at 4:30 in the morning every day and engages in physical exercise. Mandela does not like to eat greasy and sweet food, but he enjoys drinking tea and coffee, and when he drinks coffee, he always adds honey. He loves to eat oatmeal porridge, fruits, and milk, but his favorite food is refined fresh lamb and Amarhewu (a type of fermented cornmeal). Mandela said, "I have a good appetite and never diet."
Being fond of exercise was the biggest characteristic of Mandela's life. Mandela summarized his secret to a healthy life in two words: exercise. In his free time, Mandela would make full use of all the time available to him for exercise. He developed a good habit of exercising from a young age and did not give up even in the harsh conditions of prison. Mandela's prison cell was less than 4.5 square meters, which was extremely cramped for his height of 1.83 meters. Despite this difficult environment, Mandela persisted in exercising with strong determination and a plan. He would jog in place for 45 minutes every morning in his cell, then do 100 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, and 50 squats. During the half-hour of daily outdoor time in the prison yard, he would also take advantage of it to run and do exercises.
In his later years, Mandela was still very active, although he no longer engaged in particularly strenuous activities. He insisted on taking daily walks, doing exercises for the elderly, and would happily dance to keep his joints active. All of these activities provided this weathered old man with long-lasting vitality.
