- Deborah Shekelly, 102, still works at the wellness resort she co-founded in 1940.
- Shekely shared her secrets to a long life, including taking a daily walk and avoiding regrets.
- Her healthy habits are backed up by research.
At 102 years old, Deborah Shekelly still works three days a week at the health resort she co-founded more than 80 years ago.
Shekelly, who opened Rancho La Puerta in Baja California, Mexico, with her late husband in June 1940, told Women’s World in May that age was not a reason for the change.
“When nature says, ‘Stop Deborah,’ Deborah will stop. Until then, she’ll keep going,” she told CNBC’s “Make It” on June 28.
While how long you live depends in part on luck and genetics, certain lifestyle choices can increase your healthspan – how long you are healthy and active in life.
Considering that more people than ever before are living to 100 (the number of Americans over 100 is projected to more than quadruple over the next 30 years, according to the Pew Research Center), it’s easy to see why longevity is a hot topic.
Having built a lifestyle to stay healthy, Szekely shared four tips on how others can do the same.
Do some old-fashioned exercise
As Barron’s reported in April, Szekely believes “old-fashioned” exercise is the key to staying healthy.
“The type of exercise doesn’t matter, what matters is that you push yourself hard enough to feel the benefits, get your heart rate up, and break a sweat. If you get genuinely out of breath, then you’re doing a good workout,” Szekely said.
A 2019 study published in the BMJ found that people who sat for 9.5 hours a day were roughly twice as likely to die prematurely as the most active people, but that any physical activity, regardless of intensity, was associated with a lower risk of death from all causes.
Shekely told Women’s World that she walks at least a mile every day and enjoys walking in her local park.
Eat a healthy diet
Zekely told Barron’s that he’s against fad diets and believes food is a “way of life.” Nutritionist Elena Paravantes previously told Business Insider that making gradual changes to your diet is the best way to start eating healthier.
A fish eater since childhood, Shekely grows much of his food on the ranch’s farm and tries to eat “as fresh as possible.”
According to Women’s World, her daily breakfast is a banana and yogurt, but she doesn’t mind treating herself every once in a while: Her favorite is coffee ice cream.
BI previously reported on a 2020 study that found eating a mostly plant-based, whole food diet can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Be positive and avoid regrets
“There are so many problems in the world and we can’t do anything about them,” Szekely told Women’s World. “If you worry, you have more problems. If you don’t worry, you have fewer problems.”
She also told CNBC that she doesn’t believe in looking back: “It’s a complete waste of time. There’s nothing more to be done. It’s over,” she said.
Instead, she told Barron’s, she reframes everything in a positive way, always looking forward and trying to move on from things that can’t be resolved.
Research suggests that a positive mindset and a tendency to look for the good are common characteristics among centenarians.
Join the community
“The survival of community is absolutely essential to longevity. The health and happiness of your neighbors is not just important, it’s a requirement. It’s hard to be healthy if those around you aren’t healthy,” Sekree told Barron’s.
A meta-analysis of studies published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology in 2021 found a link between having a support network and living longer, while a 2024 study by researchers at Purdue University in Indiana found a link between good relationships, longevity, and the ability to continue with everyday tasks like walking, climbing stairs, and carrying groceries.
