The physical activity they’re talking about isn’t the same as the way we think of physical activity. It’s not that more Japanese people hit the gym to become hard bodies – they walk more. The cost of owning a car in Japan can be prohibitively expensive, and public transportation is very accessible, which means Japanese citizens tend to trudge more than drive.
Interestingly, some Japanese regions were seeing earlier mortality rates in the ‘80s. When health officials investigated, they found that people who lived in harsher climates were eating too many pickled vegetables to make it through the winter – which meant
way too much salt.
But they got ahead of the problem, and now Japanese citizens can expect to age with energy and vitality.
Costa Rica
Costa Ricans avoid processed food for the most part, but the secret to their longevity goes a little bit deeper. They get most of their calories from squash, corn, beans, tropical fruits, and other plant-based foods.
And, possibly due to the weather and the remoteness of a lot of Costa Rican life, they spend a
lot of time moving around outdoors, getting sufficient vitamin D, and unplanned exercise.
Even those in lower socio-economic groups have access to clean, whole foods and have more leisure time to spend moving. The average life expectancy in Costa Rica is 79 years old.
Singapore
On average, Singaporeans don’t start experiencing aches and pains associating with accompanying 65 year olds until they’re 76.
Part of their success is definitely due to their stellar healthcare system, which ranks 6th in the world. It’s a blend of the private system the U.S. uses and the public system of most developed nations. Chronic disease management begins much earlier as a result.
Plus, their public health initiatives are pretty advanced. The country uses its Healthier Dining Program to make healthier meals more cost effective than unhealthy meals, and it even encourages exercise through a national step-counting competition, whereby citizens can win prizes for increasing the time they spend walking!
Greece
Greece (and regions of Italy, and parts of France) have an impressive lifespan, and a significantly longer portion of life without illness, due to the Mediterranean diet – lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, potatoes, and olive oil, with some fish and poultry mixed in.
In some areas of Greece, like Ikaria, residents can expect to live well into their 90s.
Not to mention, of course, they stay active – more walking than driving, and more prolonged daily activity than intermittent short bursts of activity.
This list is hardly exhaustive – Monaco, Switzerland, China, Thailand, Georgia, and other countries all share diets and habits in common that boost the longevity of their citizens.
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