Where People Live the Longest: The Secrets of the World’s Blue Zones

Researchers have identified five regions where people live significantly longer than average: Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Ikaria (Greece), the Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica), and the Seventh-day Adventist community of Loma Linda, California. These areas have very different languages, cultures, and climates. Yet their residents share a surprising number of habits that support long, healthy lives.

One of the key ideas in Blue Zone research is that longevity is not about intense exercise or strict dieting. Instead, it emerges from natural daily rhythms: walking up hills, gardening, cooking simple meals, enjoying slow meals with friends, and living with a clear sense of purpose. For example, people in Okinawa use the word ikigai to describe the feeling of waking up with meaning. In Nicoya, locals talk about plan de vida — a life plan or purpose that guides their choices. A strong sense of direction helps people stay active, hopeful, and emotionally balanced well into old age.

In Sardinia, especially in mountain villages, people walk up steep roads every day, not for exercise but simply to live their lives. This constant movement strengthens the heart and muscles in a natural way. In Ikaria, the routine is famously slow: people drink herbal teas, take afternoon naps, and eat mostly vegetables, beans, and whole grains. Stress levels are extremely low, which researchers believe plays a major role in their exceptional longevity. Many elders say that they “forget to die,” a humorous way of describing their peaceful, unhurried lifestyle.

Loma Linda offers another fascinating example. This American community of Seventh-day Adventists follows a lifestyle that focuses on rest, community, faith, and plant-based nutrition. Many Adventists avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and processed foods. They often live ten years longer than the national average, showing how consistent habits can reshape a person’s health and lifespan.

Across all Blue Zones, food is simple, local, and mostly plant-based. Residents eat vegetables, beans, lentils, sweet potatoes, whole grains, fruits, and small amounts of fish or cheese. They stop eating when they are about 80% full, a habit called hara hachi bu in Okinawa. They rarely count calories, follow fitness trends, or try extreme diets. Their health grows naturally from their environment and daily routine.

But perhaps the most powerful factor found in Blue Zones is social connection. People eat together, walk together, celebrate together, support each other, and stay deeply involved in their families and communities. Studies show that strong relationships protect people from depression, stress, and early death. Humans are simply not designed to live in isolation.

When I asked AI what the biggest cause of early death is today, it answered in one word: stress. Chronic stress increases inflammation, weakens the immune system, damages the heart, disrupts sleep, and leads to unhealthy habits like overeating, smoking, or drinking. Over time, these effects shorten life dramatically.

Blue Zone communities reduce stress naturally. People move slowly, live close to family, take breaks, enjoy nature, and practise traditions that create peace and stability. Ikarians take naps. Adventists keep a weekly day of rest. Okinawans build lifelong friendship circles called moai. These small habits protect the body from the harmful effects of stress — and help people live longer.

In contrast, modern city life often pulls us in the opposite direction: long working hours, screens, traffic, noise, deadlines, and constant pressure. Many people burn out before they even reach retirement age. The contrast between these lifestyles shows why Blue Zones matter: they offer a picture of what life could look like if we reorganised our rhythms with rest, connection, and purpose at the centre.

Television presenter Ben Fogle has spent years visiting people who live far from the noise and pressure of modern life — from remote islands to mountain cabins. Many of these individuals choose solitude, slow routines, self-sufficiency, and simple living over stress, crowds, and constant digital connection.

Although their lifestyles are not quite “Blue Zones,” they share common threads: reduced stress, meaningful routines, close contact with nature, and a deep appreciation for silence. These people often live healthier lives not because they chase wellness, but because they escape the hurry that damages modern health.

Their stories echo the same message we find in Blue Zones: a quiet life is often a longer life.

Many faith traditions emphasise that the body is not something to neglect, but something entrusted to our care. Physical and emotional wellbeing are often seen as responsibilities, not luxuries. In that sense, many Blue Zone habits — rest, community, simplicity, shared meals, time in nature — align with long-standing spiritual wisdom about balanced living.

The Gospels describe moments when Jesus withdrew from crowds to rest and pray, modelling the importance of solitude and renewal. The rhythm of Sabbath similarly encourages stopping, breathing, and stepping back from constant activity. In a culture shaped by hurry and pressure, the Blue Zones quietly illustrate how slower rhythms can support both inner stability and outward service.

Long life in itself is not the ultimate aim. Rather, a well-lived life — marked by purpose, gratitude, and steadiness — carries deeper value. Caring for our health simply strengthens our capacity to serve others with clarity, resilience, and joy.