LAKEPORT >> Residents who share a strong desire to get more years out of their life through better living, descended on Library Park Saturday morning to walk for fitness and to enjoy the dynamic conversations of likeminded people celebrating International Women’s Day in the midst of Women’s History Month on March 7.
The Blue Zones Project draws together broad-minded thinkers in collaboration with well-being experts to introduce evidence-based programs and changes to environment, policy, and social networks. Together they measurably improve well-being. Blue Zones Lake County, here since 2021, focuses on anyone who yearns to stretch out longevity through better living,” explained Jamey Gill, executive director of the local chapter. “We’re sponsored by Adventist Health and the aim is better living by adhering to the Power of 9 principles. These are the lessons learned by all the people in the Five Blue Zones.”
The Blue Zones comprise: Okinawa, Japan, Icaria, Greece, Sardinia, Italy, Nicoya, Costa Rica and Loma Linda, California. The concept is based on research by National Geographic. The Power of 9 principles are simple and you can divide them up into four core areas,” Gill said. “These are the lessons learned by all the people in the Blue Zones who have this longevity.” The four core areas are: moving your body, making sure you move your body throughout the day, eating wisely, eating nutritious food, connecting with your community and others.”
“We work to make changes in what we call the life radius,” she went on. “This is the 10 miles or so, which most people center their life around. These are daily activities common to most everyone. It is going to your grocery store, to your work site, to your church or a civic group, and all within a 10- mile circle or in Lake County, a slightly wider perimeter due to its rural location. And we build on environments to improve walkability and bike ability,” Gill said. “We’ve been working a lot in Lake County to live closer to our employment, school, civic group or favorite recreation area (pool, gym, hiking trail or kayaking waterway).”
April Strait, is Blue Zones Project Lake County, engagement and marketing lead. “We thought how fun it would be to connect with the Blue Zones’ Power 9 principle, since we’re all positive people, working toward well-being,” Strait said. She pointed out their group of 20 (including a couple of fur babies) would do a loop around Xabatin Park (2,000 steps, someone tracked). This was a walking ‘moai’, a concept that originates from the Okinawa Blue Zone, who meet weekly for 10 weeks to walk and socialize. Moai means, meeting for a common purpose or shared interests. Research has shown approximately half of Okinawans’ belong to a moai, where each member commits to support each other.
At the conclusion of the moai, the walkers all received blue long-sleeved T-shirts. They also enjoyed nut-free energy bites. These are made from oats, ground flax or chia seeds, sunflower seed butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract rolled into tangerine sized pastry, provided by Clearlake’s Mother Lovin’ Oven, a certified Farmer’s Market bakery. The moai walks are aimed to stoke participants’ enthusiasm as well as to make a commitment to their fellow walkers to keep each other inspired to maintain a fitness regimen.
Strait also informed the Women’s Day walkers there will be a walking moai every Monday at 5:15 p.m. in Xabatin Park, meeting near the Curfew Bell. The walk is led by some staff of Strong Financial Network, LLC, a Lakeport financial institution, which educates interested residents in comprehensive financial planning, in addition to being an approved Blue Zone work site.
“It’s a walk n’ roll event,” said Strait. “People who use a (mechanical) walker are welcome to participate. Upholding the spirit of the Blue Zones cooperative spirit, one of Strong Finacial’s focus of leading the Monday walks, is that no one ever has to walk alone.”
