Americans spend a lot of money on products and experiences to look and feel younger.

The anti-aging market in the United States has grown from $3.9 billion in 2016 to $4.9 billion in 2021, according to data from Euromonitor International.

Many of the products people invest in have no evidence to slow or reverse the human aging process, or they do not offer long-term solutions, Dan Buettner said on a recent episode of “Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris.”

There are better, smoother ways to age, like the residents of the Blue Zones that Buettner has studied for decades.

While studying the Blue Zones, Buettner noticed these simple practices that residents of some of the world’s longest-lasting communities perform every day:

1. Move naturally. Do more low-intensity physical activities, like gardening or taking a walk to see friends. People in the Blue Zones rarely rely on things like buses or cars to get from place to place.
2. Take breaks more often: Whether they used the moments of silence to pray or take a nap, or to take breaks during the day like the siesta in Europe, Buettner found that people in the Blue Zones typically took breaks and disconnected from the hustle and bustle for a while, which can bring them joy and reduce stress levels.
3. Pay attention to your eating habits: In Okinawa, Japan, residents follow the motto “Hara hachi bu,” which means they stop eating when their stomach is 80% full. Buettner suggested evidence-based strategies to avoid overeating, such as removing screens from the kitchen, eating meals together as a family, saying a prayer or practicing gratitude before eating, and front-loading calories at the beginning of the day to eat smaller meals in the evening.
4. Prioritize social connections: In some Blue Zones, people meet for social occasions over a glass of wine and others play team sports, but it is common in these communities to meet with loved ones on a daily basis.

“In the Blue Zones, people have long life expectancies because they grow their own food, live close to nature, walk to their friends, eat with their family, go to church or temple on Sundays, or take it easy. They know their purpose,” he said.

“Their path for another eight to ten years is joyful. That’s the real value proposition.”

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