June is National Great Outdoors Month – something right up our alley! It’s a great opportunity to encourage children and adults alike to get outside and support a healthy lifestyle. Remember, one of the Power 9® principles for longevity is Moving Naturally. In the original Blue Zones areas of the world, people don’t exercise by going to the gym or running marathons; movement is built into their daily lives through gardening, walking, and other chores.

Did you know that thirty years ago, 60 percent of children living within a two-mile radius of school either walked or bicycled to and from school? Today, less than 15 percent of children do so. As children get less physical activity, their chances of obesity increase while cognitive skills, attitude, and academic performance decrease.

Walking or biking to school is a great way to get moving —and now it’s going to get easier – and safer --- for some Fort Worth students to power themselves to class. Fort Worth ISD, the City of Fort Worth, and Blue Zones Project are working together to improve traffic routes around several area campuses.

The world’s longest-lived people don’t run marathons or join gyms. They live in environments that constantly nudge them to move without thinking about it. They move naturally! Walking is one of the easiest ways to add more natural movement to your day and increase longevity. But don’t forget to play it safe. Sadly, pedestrian-auto accidents are a reality in any city. It’s smart to be cautious when moving naturally outside. 

Imagine living like a kid. Swimming, going to the park, and playing games of tag and capture the flag. Getting active as an adult can involve activities other than joining a gym or running marathons. Just remember how it felt to be a child and move naturally. 

Did you know May is National Bike Month? What a great reason to get out on a bike and #MoveNaturally on two wheels. Moving Naturally is one of the Blue Zones Project Power 9® principles for living longer and better. People who live the longest in the original Blue Zones® areas aren’t super-endurance athletes. They live in environments that constantly encourage them to move without thinking about it.

How to Get Moving Without Thinking About It

The world’s longest-lived people don’t run marathons or join gyms. They live in environments that constantly nudge them to move without thinking about it. They live in places where they can walk to the store, to their friend's house or places of worship. Their houses have stairs. They have gardens in their yards. Instead of buying another gym membership, consider building low-intensity activities you already enjoy into your daily routine. 

•    Move for the fun of it! Build activity into your life by doing what you love. Ride your bike to work. Walk to the store. Play basketball with your kids.

•    Inconvenience yourself. Take the stairs at work. Park at the far end of the parking lot and use a Blue Zones Project Parking Space. Get up to change the TV channel instead of using the remote.

•    Start walking. Walking is easy to do and free to everyone. It also invites company and can relieve stress after a hard day.

•    Strengthen your social connections. Join a Potluck or Walking Moai - a group of lifelong friends - and build social connections while you take steps to improve your health.

•    Grow a garden. Gardening is a great way to be physically active daily and even helps reduce stress. Improve flexibility, strength, endurance, and balance, all with the benefits of fresh homegrown vegetables.

Every move you make moves you closer to well-being! Try 10 easy ways to move more. Find what you enjoy and do it! The more you like an activity, the more likely you'll be to continue doing it well into your golden years.

With spring just around the corner, it's time to get gardening in Texas!

Gardening is common in all Blue Zones^® areas, where people live the longest, healthiest lives. You, too, can garden your way to better health! By being outside, working with your hands to tend and reap, you see an increase in your mood and a decrease in stress levels.

According to the Center for Disease Control & Prevention, you can burn up to 150 calories for every 30-45 minutes you spend actively gardening! The best part is when you get to see (and eat!) the literal fruits of your labor.

If you don’t have a backyard garden or are unsure how to start one, choose to get involved with a community or local school garden. Gardening in shared plots also encourages you to socialize, develop new friendships and feel a part of something larger — all great benefits to your personal well-being.

A great place to start is getting involved with the Tarrant Area Food Bank’s Community Garden program that helps community members and organizations create thriving community gardens by teaching effective gardening techniques. Community members help tend the garden and grow fruits and vegetables that are distrubted to those in need. Each week, volunteers are invited to come to the TAFB Learning Garden to help plant and harvest fruits and vegetables, pull weeds and learn new gardening skills. TAFB also provides garden tours and regular workshops on gardening techniques.