Moving Through Life in Russia

For years, a golf cart has been just one way of getting around town

Sophie Francis, CT

This may not be a question we've ever asked ourselves, but perhaps we should. Are some of the things that make life easier as we grow older inadvertently making it harder to stay healthy? I was inspired last week after listening to a presentation by Russia alumni Sophie Francis, a Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate student. Sophie came to my workplace at Superior Aluminum to speak about general wellness. During her talk, she explained that one of several factors to a healthy mind and body is physical movement. While that statement is certainly obvious to most, Sophie spurred me to reflect on myself and my community. 

This past spring my wife and I were working the scoreboard and sound system for a baseball game at Russia Community Park. Between innings the home plate umpire came over to ask us a question. He smiled and smugly inquired if buying a house in Russia included getting a golf cart for free. I smiled back as we looked at the long line of personal golf carts watching the action outside the left field fence. I then quipped back, "How else do you expect us Russia fans to get to the baseball game?" I also wasn't about to mention my Honda scooter parked just 50 feet away for my three block ride back home!

Even when the distance might be short enough to walk, I can reason that our motorized toys make getting around town a lot more fun. Likewise, it's hard to argue against the convenience of today's technology, such as ordering groceries from our phone and having them delivered right to our door. As we age, comfort and safety naturally becomes much more important. However, I wonder if folks like me sometimes focus too much on eliminating the physical challenges of everyday life and overlook the value those challenges might provide?

Exercise without realizing it

Bolotana’s hilly streets encourage residents to walk as part of their daily routines

Earlier this week I read an interesting story about Bolotana, a small village on the Italian island of Sardinia with a strong Catholic tradition. It's a little larger than Ft. Loramie and a little smaller than Versailles. Bolotana has attracted attention for its unusually high number of residents living to 100 and beyond. Researchers are investigating what might explain the village's remarkable longevity. One particular observation caught my attention. Residents regularly walk the village's steep streets to visit shops, cafés, workplaces, and friends. Their environment and daily routines encourage them to move. Walking isn't something they schedule into their day like an exercise class. It's simply part of living there.

There were a couple other observations as well. The village also has a largely plant-based traditional diet and residents enjoy strong social connections among family, friends, and neighbors. Researchers have not established that any one of these habits causes people to live longer. Yet, the combination offers some interesting food for thought.

I do believe people in Russia and the surrounding area generally have strong social connections. Our diets surely may be different, but again, what struck me hardest was the idea that Bolotana people can remain physically active without necessarily thinking of themselves as exercising. They walk because they have somewhere to go. They climb hills because that's where the road takes them. They visit friends because relationships matter. Physical movement is woven into their daily lives rather than becoming another task on some to-do list.

I try to imagine what that physical movement equivalent looks like here in my village. Do we walk or drive for leisurely trips and errands? Do we safely navigate stairs at home or avoid our second floor and basement? Do we hand clean our vehicles in the garage and driveway or pay for the automatic car wash? Simply said, when we have a choice between sitting and moving, which do we tend to choose? These decisions alone are not likely to determine how long we live. However, our daily habits repeated over many years, can shape how well we move through life.

Aging well starts today

Russia's Ed Borchers finished a 5K at age 87

I don't believe there's a magic formula for living to 100. As a Human Resources Manager in charge of health benefits at my company, I'm fully aware that genetics, medical care, nutrition, social relationships, environment, and plenty of factors beyond our control all influence how long we live. I also don't believe that everyone needs to take the same approach to aging. Yet, I do believe it's worth asking ourselves another question: What can I do today to give myself the best chance of remaining active and independent tomorrow? Maybe this weekend I'll use the rake for 30 minutes before bagging my fallen leaves with the mower. Maybe I'll attend at least one high school sporting event on Saturday versus scrolling for those same results on social media. Maybe I'll go for a short bicycle ride and enjoy the Autumn weather instead of watching football on television the entire day. These answers will be different for everyone.

The important thing I learned from Sophie's presentation is NOT to assume getting older means giving up movement and the activities we enjoy. Sometimes, the ordinary physical demands of everyday life are helping us maintain the very abilities we want to preserve. I think about those residents in Bolotana walking up and down their steep streets. They aren't necessarily climbing those hills because they believe doing so will help them live to 100. They're climbing them because that's how they get where they want to go.

There's a lesson in that for all of us. We don't have to live on a hillside in Italy. We simply need to recognize that our bodies benefit from being used, in ways that are safe and appropriate for us. As we get older, making life easier certainly has its place. At the same time, we should also think about making it possible to keep doing the things that matter. After all, the goal isn't just to live longer. It's to live well for as long as we can.

A healthy mind and body allows us to enjoy things that matter - like family