Episode 39: "Get out of your comfort zone" - Sally Saks

Today I have the pleasure of being joined by an old friend, Sally Saks.  We met when we both lived in Acton, MA many years ago.

Sally will soon turn 70 years old but she is not slowing down.  In fact, she wakes up every day feeling lucky that she is active and can move.    She continues to work part-time as a social worker because she loves her job.  She loves to work with people.

She is married, has 2 grown children and 2 dogs.    She gets plenty of exercise walking her dogs but she also loves hot yoga and takes classes at her local YMCA. She exercises 5 times per week.   

Some of her tips for healthy aging included:

- don't think of age as a limit

- try new things, get out of your comfort zone

- meet people

- exercise

- get involved in your community

She brought up a quote that her uncle used often.  It is a line made famous by Clint Eastwood - " I don't let the old guy in".     This summarizes her attitude towards aging.  There are no "shoulds" - don't let anyone tell you that you should not do something or you should not wear something just because you are a certain age.  Don't limit yourself.

Her purpose in life is family including her dogs and continuous learning.  She is grateful that she is healthy and active.  She lives life to the fullest and steps out of her comfort zone as evidenced by the fact that she recently moved across the country from California to Florida where she knew no one.  She settled in Florida and immediately joined various community events to meet new people.  She is enjoying her new community because it is geared toward older adults and has many opportunities to connect with others to combat loneliness.  As we've previously discussed, loneliness can shorten a person's life span so finding ways to connect with others is great for our health and longevity.

Her future plans include the marriage of both of her children next year.  

www.facebook.com/DeliberateAging