11 hours a week. Scientists have discovered yet another secret of long-livers

Today, humanity lives longer than ever before: the average life expectancy worldwide has reached 73.5 years. However, a long life does not always mean a healthy life. Therefore, modern scientists are striving to unravel the mystery not just of longevity, but specifically of maintaining a high quality of life and well-being in old age.

To find answers, researchers from the University of Cagliari (Italy) turned to the experience of long-livers from the "blue zone" in Sardinia — a region on this Mediterranean island where people live significantly longer than in other parts of the country and Europe.

"Blue zones" are geographically isolated areas, such as central-eastern Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Ikaria (Greece), and Nicoya (Costa Rica). All of them are characterized by the exceptional longevity of their local residents and their high level of psychological well-being.

To obtain official "blue zone" status, an area must have clearly defined boundaries and demonstrate an unusually high concentration of people aged 90 and over for the past 150 years. In addition, these facts must be confirmed by archival birth and death records.

Previous scientific works showed that the secret of local residents is due to a combination of genetic, ecological, dietary, socio-cultural, and psychological factors.

The "blue zone" in Sardinia covers six villages in the historical region of Ogliastra in the central-eastern part of the island. Among people born between 1880 and 1900, the proportion of centenarians here was about five times higher than the European average, and three times higher than in the rest of Sardinia. Moreover, unlike most countries in the world where women more often live to be a hundred, in this region, the number of men and women among long-livers is approximately equal.

What is the secret of Sardinian long-livers?

A new study, published in the International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, compared the lives of older people from the "blue zone" with residents of a neighboring rural area. Participants answered questions about their lifestyle, demographic data, subjective perception of quality of life, and underwent cognitive tests.

It turned out that in the "blue zone," older people remain involved in the life of their community, regularly engage in activities that require mental activity and communication with others, and maintain a sense that their life has meaning. These traits are what the authors of the work call "key elements of successful aging."

Researchers observed that residents of this zone demonstrate a high level of curiosity and openness to new ideas. In addition, they better understand their own emotions and know how to share them.

Another noticeable difference is the amount of time people dedicate to activities that support physical and mental activity. On average, residents of the "blue zone" devoted 11.3 hours per week to such activities, while their peers from other areas spent 6.8 hours.

Scientists also noted the wise approach of local long-livers: instead of trying to do everything, they choose activities that are still within their capabilities and bring them pleasure. These include gardening, walking, and meetings in community centers.

As the survey showed, older residents of the "blue zone" maintain strong ties with people in their community and report greater satisfaction with relationships with both relatives and other people. They also cope better with daily challenges and have a higher level of emotional competence.

Thus, as the authors of the study note, an active social life and the ability to effectively cope with stress are the most important components that allow people in these unique communities to age gracefully and with dignity.

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