Carlton Bonner, 64, has always taken his health seriously. When he was in the Air Force, being in shape was a way of life. After retiring he stepped down his regimen and forgot his original goals. Recently he got a reality check that his employer, telecommunications business AAMCOM fully embraced. The Blue Zones Project Workplace Pledge, a part of the Blue Zones Project, has become a movement many South Bay employers have started to implement to the benefit of their employees.
Because of the healthy push at work, Bonner and his wife have made small changes in their lives that have added up to make big differences in their overall health.
The initiative is rooted in research by explorer and author of the New York Times best-selling Blue Zones books, Dan Buettner, about healthy habits in locations around the world, and employs evidence-based ways to raise life expectancy and lower healthcare costs. It has been implemented in Albert Lea, Minn., the state of Iowa and the Beach Cities.
“The Blue Zones is a program to help people live longer, healthier lives,” said Bonner. “They use the blue prints of various places in the world where people have been living longer and healthier and incorporate the measures [into the program.]”
Since incorporating some of the Blue Zones principles into his life, Bonner has lost 23 pounds. He also started eating healthier snacks and has learned how cook food without frying it.
“I’ve started walking more and parking further from the front of the entrance of stores, things of that nature that I took for [granted],” he said. “Now I think about it in the Blue Zones way.”
For Bonner, one of the most important aspects of the Blue Zones is being part of a group. Instead of thinking about things individually he thinks about them in the community context. At work he passed out pedometers to encourage his coworkers to better track their movements. He also spearheads employee workout sessions and walks. His wife, who works at a hospital in Long Beach, has started exercise classes for her patients.
“It helps me think more of my fellow man. Before it was just me, an individual… when one gets a group together doing healthy things another person might see what you’re doing and may want to become a part of it, and from there it grows,” said Bonner. “It’s a way of life change, not just a passing fancy.”
The Bonners are among 1,720 employees who have joined the Blue Zones Project through South Bay workplaces. Many are seeing drastic changes in their health since their employers have started making small changes in the day-to-day work environment of their jobs.
Sandy Wong is no longer pre-diabetic. Her blood pressure has dropped and she has seen a 16 pound weight drop.
“My blood sugar levels are more stable, I have much more energy, and I feel less stressed throughout the day,” said Wong, a Revenue Services Representative for the City of Manhattan Beach. Through the program Wong received emails with healthy recipes and tips for healthy eating and keeping in shape. The emails also included ways to increase her workaday energy level along with different exercises and suggestions for reducing stress levels in a busy work environment.
“Throughout my office’s work with the Blue Zones Project I was inspired to start walking on my lunch breaks and the impacts [have] been enormous,” Wong said. “I am amazed by how much more focused and energized I feel throughout the day. I feel happier and healthier, and now I can keep up with my active little granddaughter too!”
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