My 93-year-old great-aunt has an anti-aging secret: watching football

Every Sunday, my 93-year-old great-aunt wakes up early, settles into her recliner, and turns on the pregame shows.

Aunt Beverly lives alone in Las Vegas and credits this ritual with keeping her spirit young: her love of football.

Recently, on the phone, she spoke about her love of sport: “If there’s a match in London, I get up at 7 a.m. Then I watch until 10 p.m., all day.”

She considers soccer her favorite pastime and her best anti-aging secret: “It keeps me jumping and staying alive,” she told me.

Aunt Beverly has been watching football for over 70 years

Beverly fell in love with soccer as a teenager in Brooklyn. It was over 70 years ago.

“That’s how long I’ve loved football,” she told me proudly.

After marrying my late Uncle Herbert, her love for the game only grew stronger. When her son, Peter, moved to California, she quickly became a San Francisco 49ers fan.

Today, she still calls the Steelers and 49ers “my teams.”

Sunday and Monday night football are the highlights of his week

Beverly watches five football games a week and recaps the ones she misses.

During game days, Beverly keeps her phone nearby to call her son or grandson if she is confused about a play. This helps him stay connected to his family and community.

The game also keeps her alive.

“Of course I’m screaming!” she said on the phone. “If it’s a child I love, I say, ‘Grandma look!’ You haven’t lived until you watch football with me.”

I also noticed that football helps keep his mind sharp. She knows the players, she knows how to follow statistics and she loves strategy. During our conversation, Beverly recalled decades of players, teams and moments as if they happened yesterday.

Between soccer games, she goes on game shows “to see how many questions I can answer.”

She doesn’t play fantasy football, but she acts like she does.

“I like watching the pregame shows because I like picking who I think is going to be successful,” she said. “So far, I’m doing pretty well. I would never bet under or over the points. It’s the team and the kids who are playing. I don’t bet, but if I did, I would know who to pick.”

Seeing his love for football reminds me that passion is an anti-aging secret

What struck me during our phone call was how animated she was talking about football. She came to life simply by talking about her passion.

At 93 years old, she remains active and mentally alert by practicing sports. Even though she lives alone in Las Vegas, she never feels alone because she has built a community and connects with others through gaming.

I hope I can find something I love as much as Beverly because it definitely keeps her young.

At the end of our phone call, she gave her usual sweet and sassy goodbye.

“I’m hanging up now,” she added, “Because it’s Sunday football.”