Living in a healthy community, finding a purpose to wake up every day and having financial stability are factors that help people in the world's Green Zones live happily.
Blue Zones are the five regions in the world with the longest and healthiest lives, including Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Ikaria (Greece) and Loma Linda (USA). Longevity expert and National Geographic explorer Dan Buettner has spent years studying the lifestyles of people in these areas, finding out why they live to be 100.
Accordingly, in Ikaria, one in three residents lives to the age of 90. The rate of dementia as well as some other chronic diseases is very low. According to experts, Ikarians often live in healthy, peaceful communities . They integrate exercise into their daily activities. Through gardening, walking to neighbors' houses or visiting friends, it helps improve health, increase resistance and flexibility, reduce stress, and prevent disease. Sharing with the Guardian , a centenarian said he walks 1.6 km every day to his favorite cafe and then walks back.
Ikarians spend a lot of time together and have a collective mindset. “This is not my home, this is our home,” said Dr. Ilias Leriadis, one of the island’s few physicians. He added that people regularly celebrate religious and cultural holidays. Families pool their money to buy food and wine, and if there is any left over, they give it to those in need.
Healthy social connections are one of the factors that help increase longevity. Photo: Insider
Dr. Buettner also recommends that people find their own value, the purpose of waking up every morning. This is the Ikigai spirit of the Japanese, one of the countries famous for its long life. In Japanese, ikiru means "to live" and gai means "reason". In other words, ikigai means "the reason to continue living" or "the reason to wake up every morning".
Ikigai is the sum of four elements: what a person loves, what they are good at, what makes them money, and what society needs.
In studies of longevity, experts say finding meaning in life is just as important as factors like genetics, diet or exercise.
A 2008 study from Tohoku University analyzed data from more than 50,000 people (ages 40 to 79) and found that those who lived by the philosophy of ikigai had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. 95% of them were still alive seven years after the survey began.
Financial stability is also an important factor in increasing longevity, says Dr. Buettner.
A study published in PLOS on September 27 found that people with poor socioeconomic conditions tend to have lower life expectancies. The reason is that they spend less on health care and are more affected by the psychological effects of economic inequality.
Researchers found that people with a solid financial plan for the future had a lower risk of death. This result held true even after controlling for other factors that could influence it, such as lifestyle and diet.
According to experts, debt and financial instability can affect mental health, causing chronic stress. Financial problems also lead to physical symptoms, such as migraines, weakened immunity, high blood pressure, digestive problems, muscle tension, irregular heartbeat and difficulty sleeping.
Thuc Linh (According to NY Post )
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