Dolly Parton’s secret to staying young is incredibly simple

• Dolly Parton turns 80 in January, but said “she’s just getting started.”
• The country music legend’s commitment to staying busy may have helped her live longer.
• Research suggests that mental stimulation and faith might be keys to longevity.

Dolly Parton isn’t afraid of aging.

The country music legend will turn 80 on January 19, 2026, but as long as she’s healthy enough, she plans to continue performing and expanding her empire, which to date includes 100 million albums sales, the Dollywood resort, TV shows, fragrances, frozen foods, baking mixes, and cookware.

“People say, ‘Well, you’re going to be 80 years old.’ Well, so what? Look at all I’ve done in 80 years. I feel like I’m just getting started,” she told PEOPLE in an interview published November 12. “I think there’s a lot to be said about age. If you allow yourself to get old, you will.”

As she edges closer to her eighth decade, Parton just released a new book, “Star of the Show: My Life on Stage,” which chronicles her storied career, and a stage show about her rise to fame, “Dolly: A True Original Musical” is set to hit Broadway in 2026.

“‘I ain’t got time to get old!’ I ain’t got time to dwell on that. That’s not what I’m thinking about,” she said.

Although luck and genetics are thought to play a large role in how long a person lives, Parton’s attitude toward aging would likely get a gold star from longevity doctors.

Working 9-to-5 can help prevent cognitive decline

Parton’s commitment to staying mentally active and busy echoes science-backed advice for preventing cognitive decline.

The “9-to-5” singer previously told Business Insider that she worked on her 78th birthday. “Nothing wrong with working on your birthday if you’re getting good stuff done, right?” she said.

One 2023 study found that the 19 healthy centenarians interviewed were intellectually active and focused on the positives in life. And while mental stimulation can’t prevent the brain from aging, evidence suggests it can help build resilience against Alzheimer’s disease symptoms such as forgetfulness.

Parton prays every morning

Parton wakes up at around 3 a.m. and gets straight out of bed. She starts each day with prayer.

“I’m a very spiritual person. Every single day, before I do anything, I wake up and I thank God for the night and ask him to bless the day,” she told Marie Claire in 2020.

There is some evidence to suggest that those who are religious live longer than those who aren’t, likely because of the sense of community and social support it provides. One 2016 study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine followed around 75,000 female nurses from 1992 to 2012 and found that those who attended a religious service more than once a week had a 33% lower risk of dying from any cause than women who attended none.

Home cooking usually means eating more whole foods

The queen of country music loves cooking, and Southern classics like gravy and biscuits are among her favorites.

Parton told Business Insider in 2023 that on weekends, breakfast is usually scrambled eggs, and for lunch, she enjoys pinto beans and cornbread. Dietitians recommend cooking at home with whole food ingredients as much as possible. Whole foods like beans, contain more nutrients than ultra-processed foods, which contain ingredients you wouldn’t find in a regular kitchen, and have been linked to a higher risk of chronic disease.

The Mediterranean diet, which includes lean proteins, lots of fresh produce, wholegrains, and beans, is considered the healthiest way to eat for longevity.

But as the owner of a line of cake, brownie, and frosting mixes, Parton is also partial to a sweet treat. “On Sundays, I make French toast, and I love that with bacon,” she said. “This is not diet food now, mind you.”

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