Copyright TODAY
Irving Locker is having a milestone month. Locker, a World War II veteran who served on D-Day, became a published songwriter on Nov. 7, celebrated his 101st birthday on Nov. 8 and today is celebrating another Veterans Day. He attributes his current health and fitness to his time in the Army, which he says "helped all the way up and down the line." And now, Locker has his sights set on a new goal: turning 102 next year. Locker, who's originally from New Jersey but now resides in Florida, enjoys lecturing about his time in the Army, dancing, socializing and exercising in his home. "I'm very lucky to be alive," the centenarian tells TODAY.com. Before his birthday, Locker got the opportunity to work with non-profit CreatiVets and Big Machine Label Group to write the song "If Freedom Was Free." The song was inspired by Locker's writings that chronologically document his time overseas. He calls the accomplishment "very special because, coming out of the Army, I never thought I was going to make it." Locker doesn't use glasses, hearing aids, a wheelchair, walker or crutches, according to Scott Alexander, Locker's late son's best friend, who joined Locker for his TODAY.com interview. Here are some lifestyle habits that Locker believes have helped him live a long, healthy life. Monitor What You Eat Locker shares that he enjoys eating soup but doesn’t have specific foods he prioritizes for his health. Instead, Locker just monitors his portions. “I eat pretty much everything,” he says. “I watch pretty much what I eat.” Locker says he also makes sure to drink a lot of water. Be Active Locker has an "if you don't use it, you lose it" mentality. "If you sit around or you lie down constantly and you don't work in your exercise, you lose it," he says. "You have to use it." Locker says he exercises three days a week, using the treadmill and weights. "Nobody believes it," Locker says. "Nobody believes when I talk about being 101 years old." Another part of his weekly physical activity is dancing with his wife of 77 years, Bernice. "Dancing is good exercise and very, very good with people," Locker says. Socialize Along with Locker's weekly dancing comes a social life. He cherishes his daily social gatherings deeply. “You have to move around,” Locker adds. “You have to dance and socialize with people. And it makes for a wonderful way of life.” Locker socializes at least five days a week, according to Alexander. "The phone is constantly ringing to go to lunches, go to dinners, go here, go there," Alexander says. Locker agrees: He and his wife do have many friends, and socializing makes him happy. "We tell stories, tell jokes, make people laugh," Locker says. "It’s better to laugh than to cry, so that’s what we do a lot of." Love Locker and his wife have done everything together for the past 77 years, he says, adding that having his wife by his side and loving her every day has helped him stay healthy. "It's a wonderful way of life if you're together and you're joking and you're laughing and you spend time together," Locker says. He believes sharing how much they mean to each other has helped keep their relationship — and health — strong. "I tell her every day how much I love her, and she does too," Locker says. "You've got to work at it. You've got to do these things." "So many people don't tell each other that they love them and don't do this or don't do that, so it's a matter of working at it in order to survive," he adds.
