Today's Most Popular Video
Jan 18, 2009 3:03 pm US/Central
Albert Lea Is Test Community For 'Blue Zones'
ALBERT LEA, Minn. (AP) ―
-
-
The goal is to enlist 5,000 volunteers and add 10,000 potential years of productive life to Albert Lea -- two years per person. (File)
Jupiter Images
The southern Minnesota city of Albert Lea is taking the typical New Year's resolution to get healthy to the extreme.
City leaders are partnering with a Minneapolis-based explorer, AARP, and other groups to try to improve longevity for residents and make the community a healthier place.
Explorer Dan Buettner, the author of "Blue Zones," has found that certain places on earth have higher longevity than others. He's working with Albert Lea to see if the qualities of those places, dubbed blue zones, can be replicated.
The goal is to enlist 5,000 volunteers and add 10,000 potential years of productive life to Albert Lea -- two years per person.
Buettner said he doesn't want to force all healthy habits of blue zones on Albert Lea but instead give residents an "a la carte menu" of habits they could adopt.
One goal is to find volunteer families willing to "deconvenience" their homes by getting rid of automatic garage doors and snowplows. Another is to increase everyday activity by encouraging walking and biking for daily errands and by holding meetings during which people stand instead of sit.
Another is to decrease food portion sizes and encourage consumption of healthy nuts and wine.
Leaders in Albert Lea believe their community of 18,000 is ready. The city has a wide network of parks, trails and clean lakes. Successes could be brought to other cities nationwide.
"Whether you're in New York or California," Buettner said, "I think you can look at Albert Lea and the experiences here and say, 'These are people who look like me, feel like me and confront a lot of the same issues."'
The social aspects of blue zone communities are also important. In Loma Linda, Calif., the spirituality of Seventh Day Adventists appears directly linked to longevity. In Okinawa, residents form tight circles of friends at birth that continue throughout their lives.
Buettner sees that social spirit in Albert Lea. At the ice arena, for example, seniors sometimes skate together during lunch.
There are plenty of go-getters in town, too, like Nancy Hockenberry, a 77-year-old involved in civic organizations, a yoga class, an exercise group and the theater.
"I think I've played every old lady there is," she said.
Wayne and Arlene Miland, both 75, walked their usual two miles inside the Skyline Mall on Thursday. In the summer, they bike nine miles each day, and Arlene brings lunch to her son at his farm or in the fields.
"You sit down in the chair," Wayne Miland said, "and it can become rather permanent."
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Letters To Santa Sent To Sex Offender?
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
