Meet Sandra Feaster, RN, MS, MBA, CPT

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sandra Feaster, RN, MS, MBA, CPT. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Sandra, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
As a nurse and even earlier, I was always observing the lifestyle of my family and friends and their thoughts on health and wellness. Our weekend family fun was sitting by the pool and eating. There was an occasional softball or badminton game if there were enough people or interest, but mostly it was sitting.

My career took me from bedside nursing to the world of medical devices, disease management, clinical research, and lots of travel. I accumulated several degrees along the way, always found great jobs, but I was becoming and acting more like my family – gaining weight and moving less.

When my 55 years old self looked back at me in the mirror, I knew I needed to do something to change the trajectory. I thought of running. Why running? Why not? It didn’t require a gym, only comfortable shoes. So I laced up and took off, albeit VERY SLOWLY.

The more I ran, the better I felt. My energy improved, my outlook on life improved, my sleep improved and so much more. I reflected back to when I was developing a disease management program for people with congestive heart failure. They were sedentary, had poor nutrition and they expressed a resignation that they could not get or feel better. Once enrolling in our program, there was noticable improvement in their physical health and mental status. All this improvement came about by movement, improved and awareness of nutrition and an eye on their blood pressure. They became their own health advocates. It was amazing to see the tranformation.

I took that experience and applied that to my own health. Much to my delight my health and well-being improved by  a very simple equation – moving more and eating better.

When I retired at 62 ending my academic career as an assistant dean at Stanford University, it was time to explore the next phase of my life. I looked at others like me who were getting close to 60 and wanted to live a healthier life, but perhaps did not know where to start, or didn’t believe they could change.Thus, T60 Plus was born. I felt that if I could make a difference in one person’s life, that would be a win. The nurse within me was still there and wanting to help others. My purpose was to get people moving more and advocating for their own health.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My business T60 Plus is all about health and fitness for older adults. My goal is to educate and motivate people (via my blog and exercise programs) to move more and eat better. When older adults improve their strength, mobility, and balance they can have a better healthspan and do the things they want much longer. Healthspan is important because it is the time spent with good health, versus Lifespan, which is how long you live. It’s no fun living a long time in poor health.

My fitness business, T60 Fit is online via Zoom or in person in my home gym. I use a variety of equipment for my 1:1 training. Some of the equipment I use includes FitSprings(R), free weights, balance tools, functional trainer and more. My Zoom classes are offered in three levels of difficulty and participants include clients who are mostly chair-bound to those who can get on and off the floor easily and are looking for a more vigorous workout.

I am excited to be launching a new program this spring. It’s called T60 Golf Fitness and is designed for older adults who are interested in improving their fitness level for golf. I am excited about the program, because I like many other golfers would love a lower handicap and be able to walk 18 holes without fatigue.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities that have always been my guide are:

  1. Saying why not? This is how I pivoted from being a nurse, to working in the healthcare industry in marketing and sales to becoming a personal trainer. I was retiring and needed something more to do that provided me with purpose and could utilize my skill set. So why not become a personal trainer? They did laugh when I went to the big box gym asking for a job. Yes, I got hired and many of the older members requested me as their trainer and they are still with me today.
  2. Always do what you are afraid to do. I was afraid to go to nursing school because I didn’t think I was smart enough. I succeeded. I was afraid to get an MBA because I was frightened by math. I studied hard and succeeded. So I always took on challenges that I felt were out of my comfort zone.
  3. Educate Yourself. This is probably my favorite because of a mentor who encouraged me to go back to graduate school for nursing instead of joining a fledging start up company building pulse oximeters. He said to me that things can be taken away from you, but they can never take your knowledge. This was so true and has been my guidepost for lifelong learning and doing. Thank you Dr. Bill New.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My father always encouraged his three daughters to pick a job/career where we could support ourselves. As a senior in high school, I wanted to work in theatre doing set construction and theatre management. A four-year college degree in theatre was not what my parents were willing to pay for, nor could they. Instead, a family friend who was a nursing instructor talked to me about nursing school. I never considered such a career and hated the sight of blood. I grudgingly applied and got accepted, although my high school counselor said it was a long shot and “I should just go be a secretary”.

I will never regret working in the healthcare field. There are so many options and choices you can make as you progress through a career in healthcare. Nursing gave me a foundation in health and wellness as well as a front-row seat to illness and pain. I will always thank my parents for guiding me to the right choice.

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