My Grandma Did the Splits in Her 90s: Her Diet, Exercise Routine

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Aliya Brooks, 25, about her grandmother, Mildred “Millie” Cruzat. Brooks is from Chicago and based in Atlanta. She works in medical device sales and as a stretch and mobility instructor. This story has been edited for length and clarity.

My grandma, Millie, played a huge role in my life. I think a lot of people can relate to being really close to a grandparent and feeling that they understand you more than most. Millie was that person for me.

When I was 2 years old, my mom was hospitalized for a couple of months with a broken ankle, so I stayed with Millie while she recovered. We both lived in Chicago, so after my mom got better, I would visit Millie most weekends until I went to college. Lots of times, my mom, dad, and sister would also be there.

Age was just a number for Millie

Millie moved to New York City at age 18 to become a dancer. By the time she was 22 in 1950, she had joined the Broadway show “Shuffle Along,” and became a dance instructor around the same time.

Millie stopped dancing professionally around age 60, but taught dance at children’s ballet schools in Chicago until she was 70, and ballet and stretching classes until she was 93 — an accomplishment she was very proud of.

Her students ranged in age from 5 to 85. She also spent a lot of time with kids in the housing projects in Chicago, teaching dance classes in schools. She impacted so many people through her work.

Age truly was just a number for Millie, even in the way I’d address her. She didn’t want me to call her “grandma,” just Millie, because she felt everything was about mindset. It was a small detail, but powerful. I love that she did that — words can change your mentality.

Millie focused on daily movement, like walking to the grocery store

Millie taught me so many healthy habits. She began each day with a seven-mile walk on the Chicago Lakefront. Sometimes she even ran it. She did all that, including splits, until she was 92 and doctors told her she should take it easy on the workouts. She didn’t have many health issues at all.

She focused so much on accessible, daily mobility: like taking the stairs every day to get to her apartment, or walking to the grocery store instead of driving. She also loved tennis, which my granddad, uncle, and mom also played.

When I would stay at her house, she would make me get up first thing in the morning to stretch together in her living room. Right before we stretched in the morning, we’d snack on fruit.

Her diet was simple but she enjoyed treats

Millie instilled in me healthy food habits. I often saw her eat fruits and vegetables, and she was really big on kale, broccoli, and blueberries. We’d have smoothies with fruit or veggies and drink tons of water.

Her diet was simple and nutritious, but she didn’t restrict herself. “Everything in moderation” was her mantra. She loved the chocolate cake at Portillo’s, and would get five creams and five sugars in her nearly daily Dunkin’ coffee order.

She showed me that aging doesn’t have to be a negative thing. Millie said she grew up very quiet and timid. The Millie I knew was confident and self-assured, and that was something she grew into through things like dance, stretching, and even posture. Millie knew that doing things like pushing your shoulders back, rolling them down, and walking with your head up could help with confidence, which is something I try to teach my clients.

I started my own mobility business to honor my grandmother’s legacy

Millie’s lessons and life story inspired me to start my own business, Ageless Mobility, in 2020, after I realized I had to show other people what she was doing. Once the pandemic hit, I went home and stayed with Millie in Chicago, and it was such a blessing to be able to spend time with her. I knew she was getting older and I wanted to soak up as much as I could from her.

I started taking videos of her, not knowing what it would lead to. It was never like, “Oh, I’m going to build a brand of my grandma and myself and the importance of mobility.” It was more just “people need to see what she’s doing.”

Millie had heart failure and passed in 2021 at the age of 94. One of her dying wishes was to teach classes at my college, Spelman.

Once she passed, I realized teaching her lessons could be a good way to honor her wishes. My company now offers a monthly subscription to stretch videos, in-person weekly classes at spaces in Atlanta hotels, and fresh-pressed juices. I’ll be doing a retreat next year, and I hope to expand to different cities.

Millie’s lessons inspired me and so many others to live healthier lives. I’m excited to carry on her legacy.