LIVE LONG
‘Godmother of wellness’, 102, who works out 7 days a week shares the 8 habits she swears by
Heartwarming footage shows the centenarian celebrating her latest big birthday
DEBORAH Szekely is 102 - and she still exercises every day.
She also runs her own business, is constantly out visiting friends and always makes time for a trip to the opera.
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The centenarian even speaks four languages and regularly gives lectures on wellbeing.
She credits her sprightliness to eight main factors - including walks in the park and treating every day like a school day.
And these aren't new habits. Deborah has stuck to them throughout her life, which she reckons is what has allowed her to live happily and healthily for more than 10 decades.
"When I woke up the morning I turned 100, I couldn’t find anything that was different so I kept on doing the [same] things," she told .
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1. Movement
Since she can remember, Deborah has tried to walk at least a mile (1.6km) a day.
She tracks her steps (about 2,000) to make sure she hits the goal, and finds it much easier when she's got company in the park.
"I’m Jewish, and I have a [friend who is a] Catholic nun who loves to walk. And so we walk,"; she said. "She appears and out [we] go."
Deborah, who now uses a walker to ensure she doesn't fall, loved to cycle and do Pilates four times a week until the age of 90, but she now focuses on her daily strolls.
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"Life is movement, and death is not movement - very simple," she added.
2. Pescetarianism
Deborah, born in Brooklyn in 1922, has never eaten meat, and mostly follows a plant-based diet, with a bit of fish every now and then.
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According to a , a typical day might involve:
- Breakfast: Yoghurt, sliced banana, whole grain cereal and raisins
- Lunch: Salad, mixed vegetables and cottage cheese
- Dinner: Fish and a baked potato
But she does like to treat herself - usually to coffee ice cream.
3. Socialising
Social events take up a huge chunk of Deborah's calendar - but that's the way she likes it.
Not only does she spend plenty of time with friends and family, she also speaks at the fitness and spa resorts she co-owns (Rancho La Puerta and Golden Door) and mingles with guests several times a week.
"Friends are key," she said, adding that it's quality over quantity.
"Nobody should be lonely, and we must help those that are."
4. Entertainment
Deborah is a theatre lover and has a season ticket for the Old Globe in San Diego, California.
In particular, she loves opera.
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5. Learning
One of the best ways Deborah has kept her mind sharp is by learning as much as possible.
She speaks four languages (English, French, Spanish and German), although she admits her German is "rusty", and would encourage encourage everybody to constantly "be learning".
"I read everything," she said.
"I read the things that interest me, but I read the first and last paragraph for most things, so you get a general understanding, and then if it’s really interesting, you read the [rest]."
Speaking to , she added: "Wellness starts with education."
6. Balance
Deborah, who lives near one of the Blue Zones where people regularly live to 100, has worked in the wellness industry for than 80 years.
She opened her first resort in Tecate, Mexico, in 1940 and her second in 1958.
The trailblazing entrepreneur has had every role possible on site, from chief cook to activities director to general manager.
Today, her daughter Sarah Livia Brightwood runs the show, but Deborah still chips in as much as possible.
"We have fabulous speakers every night. I meet with the presenters [every] Tuesday, so I know what my guests are talking about, Wednesday, I speak, and Thursday, I meet individuals who I want to know, or friends.
"So I work three days a week."
She is now often referred to as the "".
Longevity tips from the Blue Zones
The Blue Zones are five regions across the world where people regularly live to the ripe old age of 100, largely thanks to their diets and daily habits.
The term was coined by author and National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner, who made a name for himself studying the world's longest living people.
The Blue Zones include Okinawa in Japan, the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, Ikaria in Greece, Sardinia in Italy and Loma Linda in California.
According to Dan, inhabitants of these swear by nine lifestyle tips.
Dubbed the 'Power 9', the longevity guru argued that they can provide "instructions and clues for how we can set up our lives to live longer".
They include:
- Moving naturally rather than going to the gym
- Having a purpose in iife
- Keeping stress to minimum with naps and happy hours
- Stopping eating before you're full
- Eating mostly plants
- Drink no more than two glasses of wine a day and never bingeing
- Belonging to a community, faith-based or not
- Putting your loved ones first
- Keeping a social circle that supports healthy behaviours
Read more on the Power 9 tips here.
7. Positivity
A positive mindset will get you far in life, according to Deborah.
Speaking at Organic Spa's 12th annual Experience Wellness and Travel Media event in New York City, as reported by , she said: "The world has tons of problems, and you can’t do anything about them.
"When you worry, you add to the problems. By not worrying, you subtract from the problems."
8. Nature
The pensioner spends as much time as she can outdoors and urged parents to take their kids to the park to get the "curing effects of greenery".
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"I don’t think you can have youth or health without nature," Deborah said.
"It's very hard to have negative thoughts when you're surrounded by trees."
Tips to age well
There are a number of habits you can take up to care for your health and wellbeing as you age.
Age UK shared the following tips:
- Do things that you enjoy everyday - whether that's cooking, seeing friends or enjoying a good book
- Stay hydrated - drink six to eight cups of water a day
- Eat plenty of fruit and veggies to lower your risk of heart disease and certain cancers, have beans, pulses, fish, eggs and meat to repair your body after injury, starchy carbs for energy dairy to help keep bones strong
- Manage long-term health conditions to prevent them progressing or having a greater impact on your health
- Quit smoking and reduce alcohol intake to no more than 14 units a week
- Make mental health a priority and get treatment for it, as it can also impact physical health
- Make sure you're getting quality sleep
- Keep socialising - and call a friend or loved one if you can't make it out the house
- Be physically active to lower the risk of depression and dementia, heart disease, stroke, Parkinson’s and some cancers
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