HAPPY THURSDAY!

This is a friendly reminder to move more and to

MOVE NATURALLY

A popular study (called the Blue Zone study) on populations with a higher percentage of elderly suggest that natural movement extends longevity more than rigorous gym-like exercise.

A Blue Zone is a community where people tend to live longer than average. One of the Blue Zones studied was Sardinia, Greece. This community has 10 times more centenarians per capita than the United States.

Sardinians still hunt and fish for their food and many are shepherds - this lifestyle lends itself to a lot of walking! Walking 5 miles a day or more seems to have a positive effect on longevity! So if you can, walk.

Here are a few ways to incorporate more natural movement into your lifestyle ⬇︎

1. Wake up early to be outdoors

July is hot! Beat the heat by getting outside early. According to the Secret Therapy of Trees (a wonderful book by Marco Mencagli and Marco Nieri), exercising outside and being around terpene releasing plants helps reduce stress, boost immunity, and support healthy cognitive function! You'll be more inclined to spend time moving around outdoors if you are comfortable, so get out early enough to actually enjoy the experience!

2. Schedule walking meetings

One of our favorite ways to incorporate movement into the work week is by scheduling walking meetings. We find walking meetings are especially useful when we are trying to come up with creative solutions or brainstorm ideas. The increased blood flow to the brain and fresh scenery helps us think more creatively and have better dialogue. Plus, it just feels less like work and more like play!

3. Choose an outdoor activity for your day off

Go hiking, play frisbee golf, paddle board, or spend the day at the tennis courts. This sort of exercise is great for your body, but will also nourish your mind! Using your body to play and explore is like practicing at life. Playing teaches us our strengths, helps us understand our weaknesses, and gives us insight into who we are and how we will thrive.

Children love play for this reason - it helps them learn about the world around them and how they are capable of interacting with it. Play is an opportunity to learn and grow more confident in your abilities as a wild, nearly hairless, funny little animal.

We hope your Thursday is full of life!