Good news: the healthiest people in the world do not exercise

Did you just produce eighty litres of sweat at that workout because it's so nice and healthy for you? Then just don't read on, because this post is going to frustrate you. But for those of you who are sport-avoiding, I have pleasing news. The healthiest person in the world does not exercise.

Now recently I belong to the rare species that enjoys sports. I had no idea I had this trait in me either, so it was firmly hidden, but research shows that exercising does not equal being healthy or living longer. You apparently have blue zones in the world where the people with the highest life expectancy live, and in those zones gyms are sparse and exercise is not the number one hobby.

You don't have to travel very far at all to end up in such a blue zone. Sardinia in Italy is one of them, as is the Greek island of Ikaria. Furthermore, your life expectancy is higher if you live in Loma Linda, Okinawa, Japan or Nicoya, Costa Rica. Healthy ageing is in everyday things, like food and work.

What they do? Because hanging out on the sofa with a bag of pepper crisps to La Casa de Papel to bing does little for your life expectancy. They move outside. To do their work, for example. The environment they live in literally gets them moving, through growing their own vegetables (which in turn are automatically healthier), walking from place to place and minimal use of household appliances. Natural movement is probably one of the most effective ways to age. At least in the so-called Blue Zones, it seems to be yielding results.

Know that again, for if you were still planning to go Sports in that heat, but then take the car or bike.

Source: Welingelichte Kringen and TIME