And IвЂ™m 82 years old, so I must be doing something right. I do need to down shift and learn better strategies for managing stressвЂ¦.as IвЂ™m sure most people do nowadays. I have a very loving family and wonderful friends that I spend time with on a regular basis. I retired after 30 years of working with and for children in public schools, and, believe me, that was very meaningful and satisfying work. I have a very strong faith! I rarely eat meat and I donвЂ™t drink, but it looks like maybe I should try a glass of wine now and then.

With my other daily activities, IвЂ™m sure I reach the 5 mile mark. I am a walkerвЂ¦I go out most mornings rain or shine for a 3-4 mile walk. Little did I know that I already practice some of these philosophies. He called these locations вЂњblue zonesвЂќ and wrote the landmark book, The Blue Zones.Д«lue ZonesвЂ¦what a wonderful idea! Whatever we can do to improve our health is a plus. Years ago, Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Fellow and New York Times bestselling author, set out to study five locations around the world where the residents lived well past 100 years of age (Okinawa, Japan Ikaria, Greece Ogliastra Region, Sardinia Loma Linda, California and the Nicola Peninsula, Costa Rica). ThatвЂ™s one of the many insights IвЂ™ve gleaned from a book IвЂ™ve been enjoying. Going for a walk is an easy way to improve and extend your quality of life. And if weвЂ™ve learned anything over the last year and a half, we know that being in good health may spare you the most devastating impacts of the COVID virus. Walking is a great way to really see a community and this summerвЂ™s weather in another incentive to get outside.

This week I walked to meetings I would have previously driven to, and even strolled to the site where I regularly donate blood. Replacing some of the places I drive with a walk will help manage stress, improve my fitness, and even save money.

Taking the mods for a walk