Tai Chi? Volunteering?

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Get moving.

Most Okinawans stay physically fit well past retirement by gardening, dancing, walking or practicing soft martial arts. Not only does physical activity strengthen the body, experts say it also nurtures mind and spirit. Soft martial arts like tai chi provide the psycho-spiritual benefit of meditation or prayer, and improve strength, mobility and flexibility.

Research from FICSIT (Frailty and Injuries: Cooperative Studies of Intervention Techniques) found that tai chi helps lower blood pressure and improve grip strength, confidence and mobility. It also helps reduce the risk of falls—a decided advantage since every year in the United States, one out of three people over 65 has a fall.

While tai chi provides excellent strength training and anaerobic exercise, walking provides a more aerobic complement for overall fitness. Aim for two miles at a good clip at least three times a week.

Let your spirit soar.

Isha-hanbun,yuta-hanbun — “Rely half on the doctor and half on the shaman.” In Okinawa and many other parts of the world, spiritual attending is as important as medical care. While Western practitioners have largely discounted its importance, today there is greater recognition of the role spiritual wellness plays in healthy longevity.

The ability to connect to our spiritual center through prayer or meditation and the meaning that connection imparts to our lives influences our lifestyle choices as well as our ability to cope with aging, illness and ultimately death. Involvement in a religious or spiritual community also creates supportive relationships (another key to healthy aging) and helps us cope better with setbacks.

Spiritual practice may help guard against stress-related conditions like heart disease and a weakened immune system.

It takes a village.

While the practice of sharing and helping others took root long ago in Okinawa’s villages and farms, yuimaru, or “connecting circle,” is still a vital component of life today. Okinawans not only know and help their neighbors, they are active in a variety of moai, or clubs, volunteer groups and community associations.

That involvement and connection with community is another reason for Okinawan longevity. Not only does companionship makes us feel happier, it also helps protect us from a wide range of illnesses including heart disease, depression and alcoholism. Numerous studies have shown that strong social relationships contribute to a sense of peace, help counteract the effects of stress by lowering the production of disease-producing stress hormones, reduce isolation (a major risk factor for mortality), and speed recovery.

Don’t worry, be happy—and slow down while you’re at it.

Unchecked stress—often exacerbated by the frantic pace of modern life—weakens our immune system, which increases our susceptibility to disease, premature aging, and a shorter life span.

What to do? For starters, try thinking positive. Researchers have found that optimism, flexibility and resilience of character help us feel more in control and able to deal with inevitable stresses. If an easygoing attitude doesn’t come easy, breathing away stress through meditation can help slow us—and possibly the aging process—down.
Other stress-busters include exercise, healing touch, eating right, a strong social network, good time management, and the best medicine of all, laughter.