HOW THE WORLD’S LONGEST LIVING PEOPLE STAY ACTIVE

-what are the blue zones?

Blue zones are areas around the globe with people who live healthier, eat right, stay active, and sleep well, which increases their longevity.

-what are the best exercises for longevity and why?

Blue zones include five regions, which exercise differently, including;

  • Sardinia, Italy- walking every day, unless they have to cover longer distances, intense farming activities, and fishing.
  • Ikaria, Greece- body weight workouts and dance.
  • Loma Linda, California- Walking for long miles, and they also stick to plant-based diets.
  • Okinawa, Japan- Kempo, a form of martial arts.
  • Nicoya Peninsula- Vinyasa yoga that mainly enhances breathing and balance.

-How does exercise/movement in the blue zones look different to what we consider as exercise?

Blue zones believe in community fitness

Many people in the blue zones are more into exercise because they exercise as a group. It makes someone get motivated to move together with the rest. While you may not see the results, but your friends and family will keep you going because you cannot live them.

Farming is a great workout and the produce is healthy

Unlike what most people consider as exercise, the blue zones mainly work as a community, including in gardening activities, which keeps them fit. The activities can enhance mood and reduce blood pressure. They feature moving from place to place as you do other duties like seed planting, picking fruits, and collecting harvests in one area for transportation.

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Ieva Kubiliute is a psychologist and a sex and relationships advisor and a freelance writer. She's also a consultant to several health and wellness brands. While Ieva specialises in covering wellness topics ranging from fitness and nutrition, to mental wellbeing, sex and relationships and health conditions, she has written across a diverse range of lifestyle topics, including beauty and travel. Career highlights so far include: luxury spa-hopping in Spain and joining an £18k-a-year London gym. Someone’s got to do it! When she’s not typing away at her desk—or interviewing experts and case studies, Ieva winds down with yoga, a good movie and great skincare (affordable of course, there’s little she doesn’t know about budget beauty). Things that bring her endless joy: digital detoxes, oat milk lattes and long country walks (and sometimes jogs).

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