In today’s world, we are witnessing a remarkable trend: people are living longer than ever before. Advances in medical science, improved access to healthcare, and an increased focus on overall health and wellness are all contributing to this exciting shift.
People today are not only focused on living longer, but maintaining a high quality of life as they age, striving to ensure those years are filled with good health, vitality, and purpose.
The desire to live longer has caused various health and wellness trends to rise to popularity in recent times – infrared saunas, intermittent fasting, meditation and mindfulness, cold plunges and cryotherapy, probiotics and gut health, and holistic therapies.
The dream of living longer and better has also sparked huge interest in the areas of the world in which people live to extraordinary ages, otherwise known as ‘Blue Zones’.
The term ‘Blue Zones’ was originally coined by Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner, a National Geographic explorer and journalist, during a project he led in 2004. After an expedition to Okinawa, Japan in 2000 to investigate the longevity of residents, he set out to explore other pockets of the world with reportedly high life expectancies.
After analysing demographic data and interviewing numerous centenarians, Dan and his team identified 5 regions that stood out for their extraordinary longevity and vitality – Okinawa in Japan, Barbagia region of Sardinia, Ikaria in Greece, Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, and Seventh Day Adventists residing in Loma Linda, California. The people in these regions not only live to extraordinary ages, but they enjoy a high quality of life in their old age.
In 2023, Netflix released a four-part documentary series titled “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones”, which follows a team who travel to these specific pockets of the world with the highest percentage of people who reach the age of 100, to determine what it is these people are doing that the average person isn’t.
Through a team of medical researchers, anthropologists, demographers, and epidemiologists, they found nine, evidence-based common denominators among all places, which are now referred to as ‘Power 9’.
Power 9
Move Naturally
“The world’s longest-lived people don’t pump iron, run marathons or join gyms. Instead, they live in environments that constantly nudge them into moving without thinking about it. They grow gardens and don’t have mechanical conveniences for house and yard work.”
Purpose
“The Okinawans call it “Ikigai” and the Nicoyans call it “plan de vida;” for both it translates to “why I wake up in the morning.” Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven years of extra life expectancy.”
Downshift
“Even people in the Blue Zones experience stress. Stress leads to chronic inflammation, associated with every major age-related disease. What the world’s longest-lived people have that we don’t are routines to shed that stress. Okinawans take a few moments each day to remember their ancestors, Adventists pray, Ikarians take a nap and Sardinians do happy hour.”
80% Rule
“The 2500-year old Confucian mantra “Hara hachi bu” said before meals reminds them to stop eating when their stomachs are 80 percent full. The 20% gap between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between losing weight or gaining it. People in the blue zones eat their smallest meal in the late afternoon or early evening and then they don’t eat any more the rest of the day.”
Plant Slant
“Beans, including fava, black, soy and lentils, are the cornerstone of most centenarian diets. Meat—mostly pork—is eaten on average only five times per month. Serving sizes are 3-4 oz., about the size of a deck of cards.”
Wine @ 5
“People in all blue zones (except Adventists) drink alcohol moderately and regularly. Moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers. The trick is to drink 1-2 glasses per day (preferably Sardinian Cannonau wine), with friends and/or with food. And no, you can’t save up all week and have 14 drinks on Saturday.”
Belong
“All but five of the 263 centenarians interviewed belonged to some faith-based community. Denomination doesn’t seem to matter. Research shows that attending faith-based services four times per month will add 4-14 years of life expectancy.”
Loved Ones First
“Successful centenarians in the blue zones put their families first. This means keeping aging parents and grandparents nearby or in the home (It lowers disease and mortality rates of children in the home too). They commit to a life partner (which can add up to 3 years of life expectancy) and invest in their children with time and love (they’ll be more likely to care for you when the time comes).”
The Right Tribe
“The world’s longest-lived people chose–or were born into–social circles that supported healthy behaviours, Okinawans created “moais”–groups of five friends that committed to each other for life. Research from the Framingham Studies shows that smoking, obesity, happiness, and even loneliness are contagious. So, the social networks of long-lived people have favourably shaped their health behaviours.”
The Connection Between Blue Zones and Retirement Communities
A number of the ‘Power 9’ principles identified in the blue zones around the world are embodied in the retirement village lifestyle. These elements, such as strong community bonds, sense of purpose, and active living are integral in fostering a vibrant and fulfilling lifestyle for our residents at Oak Tree.
Move Naturally
Within the blue zones, movement is one of the hallmarks of a long, vibrant life. In our village communities, it is also something we encourage and prioritise. Here, our residents have ample opportunity to move naturally and maintain an active, vibrant lifestyle in their retirement years. The majority of our village locations put you within easy reach of all your daily needs, making it convenient to walk if you no longer drive or simply want to get your steps in. Many of our residents utilise the village facilities to stay active daily, either on their own or with neighbours for socialisation.
The 2023 Better Housing for Better Health study commissioned by the Retirement Living Council found that retirement living promotes better health for residents, by enabling access to facilities that encourage physical activity.
Each of our Oak Tree villages have recreational facilities within them such as outdoor bowling greens, swimming pools, and communal vegetable gardens that encourage an active, healthy lifestyle. As a result of facilities like this within retirement villages in Australia, residents are 15% more frequently physically active, and also 20% less likely to require hospitalisation.
These amenities also enable older people to easily engage in physical activity by minimising barriers that prevent people from being active when they live alone. They allow for group activities like yoga, gentle movement, and aqua aerobics to take place within the village, meaning it’s incredibly convenient for residents to attend. These activities are wonderful for promoting movement as well as community connectivity and socialisation.
Almost one third of residents at retirement villages participate in fitness programs, over two thirds participate in moderate activity at least once a week, and they are more likely to report higher frequencies of moderate activity overall.
Purpose
Purpose holds huge importance for longevity and quality of life in the blue zones. It’s also something that’s essential for maintaining your mental wellbeing in retirement – a sometimes-challenging time of transition and change.
Throughout our lives, there are roles that provide us with a sense of purpose – parenthood, career, hobbies, and interests. Once we leave the workforce, our children have left the nest, and we aren’t able to enjoy the hobbies we once loved, many people feel they lose their purpose, leading to feelings of emptiness, confusion, and isolation.
The retirement village lifestyle can provide new opportunities to help you maintain or regain your purpose later in life. You’ll be exposed to likeminded people who are at a similar stage of life, which means new friendships, the chance to try new things, and the opportunity to find a new passion or hobby. At Oak Tree, the possibilities for fun and new pursuits are endless.
The Right Tribe
In the blue zones, the people you surround yourself with are of the upmost importance. Having an immediate social circle to depend on and invest in is crucial for longevity.
Sometimes, as we get older, we lose the connections and vibrant social life we previously had – the neighbourhood we once knew and loved changes, good friends move away, and suddenly we can find ourselves feeling lonely and disconnected.
Retirement village communities enable our residents to find the right tribe. Here you’ll be surrounded by likeminded people who are at the same stage of life and want to enjoy a similar lifestyle – a smaller home with less maintenance responsibilities, the companionship of new neighbours, a vibrant social calendar, and exciting new opportunities to flourish.
The Better Housing for Better Health study found that residents in retirement communities are five times more socially active, twice as likely to catch up with family and friends, have reduced levels of depression and loneliness and are 41% happier, both physically and mentally.
Implementing the Power 9 Into Our Daily Lives
What the discovery of the blue zones and the ‘Power 9’ has highlighted is that the principles employed day to day in these pockets of the world are not groundbreaking, and many can be easily implemented into our daily lives.
Practising movement and making it a habit is crucial in the blue zones, and something most people should do more of. By walking instead of defaulting to driving, gardening, and doing things by hand, the physical activity is incorporated seamlessly into the lives of the longest-lived people.
The wise eating habits practiced in the blue zones are also something we can adopt into our daily routine. They eat primarily plant-based diets rich in beans, vegetables, and nuts. They eat slowly and mindfully to savour the flavours, stop when they’re 80% full, and drink just one or two glasses of wine per day.
The importance of connection in the blue zones is another element many of us likely already practice. They put family first, socialise regularly, invest in romantic partnerships, and have an immediate social circle to trust and depend on in times of need.
The people in the blue zones also place high importance on having a positive outlook. They maintain a state of clam and have lower stress levels, achieving this through regularly unwinding, finding faith, and developing a sense of purpose. We can adopt this by implementing stress relieving techniques into our lives, whether it’s meditating, journaling, praying, enjoying nature, or whatever it is that helps you relax and disconnect.
There are several connections between the blue zones and the retirement village lifestyle. Both are environments in which people thrive and tend to maintain a higher quality of life as they age. Fostering close connections, providing purpose, and encouraging movement are Power 9 principles that the lifestyle at our villages provides for our residents.
At Oak Tree, we are passionate about empowering our residents to feel excited about this chapter of life, as it’s just the beginning of a world of exciting new opportunities to feel happier and healthier.
