When 93-year-old Elaina Gonzalez is asked about her toned body, charming smile, and youthful features, she always downplays them.
She prefers to show humility rather than, as she puts it, be “bragaddacious” about her appearance.
“I’m just a regular person who believes that taking care of yourself and saying please and thank you takes you a little further in life,” she told Business Insider.
She minimizes her yearslong stint as a body double for a glamorous Hollywood star — whom she can’t name for contract reasons — due to her low-key nature.
Courtesy of Elaina Gonzalez
Still, the grandmother of 11 from Lakeville, Minnesota, loves to share her advice to younger generations about health and longevity.
She follows a strict regimen of yoga and dancing at the gym at least four mornings a week, maintains the same weight, and swears by the theory, “don’t sweat the small stuff.”
Here are her top life lessons:
Never stop exercising
Gonzalez, born in December 1931, was raised by European parents who emphasized the importance of health and regular exercise from a young age.
Her father, a police officer from Switzerland, would encourage her and her two brothers to run to build stamina and lift weights to develop strength.
Around the age of 19, Gonzalez was talent-spotted and cast as a leg model for a commercial. It led to other gigs, including the body double work in Los Angeles.
She maintained her gym memberships for decades, most recently joining a branch of Life Time near her home, where she exercises every Monday to Thursday morning and on alternate Fridays.
Courtesy of Kaylee Sternhagen, Life Time
Starting at 8 a.m., she performs almost an hour of yoga, takes a break, and then attends an aerobics-style dance session called Total Body. “I’m the oldest person there,” she said.
Outside the gym, she takes her dogs, Theo and Lily, for daily walks.
Watch your food intake, but don’t obsess about it
Gonzalez’s breakfast typically consists of fruit, a piece of toast, and a cup of coffee. “You don’t want to feel light-headed at the gym,” she said.
Then she has an early lunch — her biggest meal of the day — of foods such as pasta, vegetables, chopped chicken, or another lean protein.
Dinner, which she typically eats before 6 p.m. unless she is going out, is often a lighter meal, possibly a combination of fruit and cheese.
She stays hydrated by drinking at least eight glasses of water daily.
“Of course, I’d love to have a hot fudge sundae every day, but I resist,” she said. “I prefer to eat well to fuel my body for all the exercise I do, but I don’t count calories or become obsessive,” Gonzalez said.
Courtesy of Elaina Gonzalez
At 5 feet 3 inches tall, she has maintained a healthy weight of around 130 pounds.
Follow a simple beauty and sleep plan
The nonagenarian doesn’t invest in expensive beauty products, such as scrubs or lotions.
Instead, she swears by regular, drugstore face cream mixed with a CBD-infused.
“I’ve been using it for at least a decade, and it works magic on your skin,” she said. “It keeps it soft and hydrated — especially in hot climates — and staves off wrinkles.”
She also drops a tiny amount of the liquid under her tongue. “I feel like it’s my secret weapon to feeling and looking so much better.”
As for rest, Gonzalez is usually in bed by 9 p.m., but she spends time reading her favorite books before going to sleep. There is a TV in her bedroom, but she wouldn’t dream of watching it at night.
In fact, she avoids any form of blue light for at least two hours before retiring. “It interferes with your vision and your brain activity,” she said.
Be grateful
Gonzalez lives by the saying, “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” and applies a positive mindset.
“I always start the day with a little prayer of gratitude,” she said.”I want to thank whatever the higher powers are for keeping me walking upright and doing what I do.”
Courtesy of Kaylee Sternhagen, Life Time
The mother of three sons said that people’s older years can be tough, but complaining doesn’t help. She knows that she is “blessed” with good health, but she tries to find the good in everything, even setbacks.
“I’m a very happy individual,” she said.
Engaging with younger people helps keep your mind sharp.
“I ask their advice when I’m having trouble with something technical and am amazed by their skills,” she said, adding that she is always open to learning new things, “because you can never have too much knowledge, no matter your age.”
