SFH #143: Blue Zones

The habits and lifestyles of people that are living a very long time 💯

Blue Zones are areas spanning the globe where a copious amount of people live to reach 100 years of age.

The idea of these 'blue zones' developed from Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain's demographic work in the Journal of Experimental Gerontology, identifying Sardinia as the region of the world with the highest concentration of male centenarians. The scientists circled villages of extreme longevity on their map with a marker—a blue one. An author and explorer named Dan Buettner took it to the next level after researching and writing about the original findings for National Geographic. Buettner zeroed in on four central points that people in these zones do to live healthier and longer lives. 

1. People in these zones move regularly. They mainly were integrating movement habits into their everyday lives, like frequent walking for errands and visits. 

2. These healthy individuals live with purpose. They have a reason to get up every day.

3. Support is critical. They receive social sustenance from friends and family, allowing them to move through life’s outcomes smoothly.

4. They make the healthy choice the easy choice. This is where these communities promote access to healthy lifestyles in all ways possible.

To learn more about these specific features of these age-defying communities, watch this illuminating video. 📺