In Sardinia, Italy it’s common for men to live to a 100 years old and the island has the highest number of male centenarians on the planet.
This can be contrasted to the United States where a 100 year old women outnumber 100 year old men by 6 to 1.
Sardinians live in steep homes with stairwells which means they have to go up and down the stairs. Traditionally these men worked as shepherds on the mountainside too which again requires a lot of walking on inclines.
Author and longevity expert Dan Buettner said, “They spend time with their animals, they’re up in the hills walking, they take naps and by happy hour, they’re usually back in their villages sharing a glass of wine with their friends.”
Netflix docuseries “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones” premiering on Aug 30 and talks more about how longevity is so prevalent in these areas. These men are also good at quitting their work when it’s time to stop. They end their workday on time and then spend time with friends and family.
Buettner says that it’s not that they do not have any stress they do but it’s just that they don’t have chronic stress. The work but they are not stressed out at work, he says.
Stress, longevity and disease
Research shows that chronic stress is one of the drivers of diseases associated with aging. Glucose spikes and inflammation in the body leads to issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity.
Neuro-ophthalmologist Dr Mithu Storoni says, “This sense of active coping, where you can resolve the problems you are given, is a very important part of mental health, cognitive longetiviy and stress resilience.
Costa Rica
Other areas known for longevity among its residents include Costa Rica’s Nicola peninsula which is also featured in the docuseries.
Buettner says in Nicoya just like other Blue Zones, people would never do a couple of hours of work when they could be enjoying their family or taking a siesta or interacting with their friends. They always slow down to make time for things that matter.
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