The Blue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest

by Dan Buettner

LESSON ONE STRATEGIES To get moving in your Blue Zone, try some of these tips. Inconvenience yourself. By making life a little tougher, you can easily add more activity to your days. Little things, like getting up to change the channel or taking the stairs, can add up to a more active lifestyle. Get rid of as many of the following as possible: TV remote control, garage door opener, electric can opener, electric blender, snow blower, and power lawn mower. Be ready to use as many of these as possible: bicycle, comfortable walking shoes, rake, broom, snow shovel. Have fun. Keep moving. Make a list of physical activities you enjoy. Rather than exercising for the sake of exercising, make your lifestyle active. Ride a bicycle instead of driving. Walk to the store. At work, take a walking break instead of a coffee and donut break. Build activity into your routine and lifestyle. Do what you enjoy. Forget the gym if you don’t like it—you’re not likely to go there if it’s a chore. Don’t force yourself to do things you dislike. Walk. This is the one activity that all successful centenarians did—and do—almost daily. It’s free, easier on the joints than running, always accessible, invites company, and if you’re walking briskly, may have the same cardiovascular benefits