Cities walking together
Blue Zones have actively recruited more than 1,450 citizens to join a Walking Moai, a walking group designed to get neighbors together to walk and socialize. Restaurants have also participated by revamping their menus to offer healthier options or make existing health options more convenient to order; and more children are walking to school instead of being dropped off.
“I think that for us to be a leader in the community, we need to show what we’re doing is important,” said Workman. “And I think it’s very important for the employees to know that we’re doing these things to try to improve their health and well-being.”
Blevins said that being healthy in the workplace can be challenging, but it’s a vital component of achieving overall health – most people, after all, spend the majority of their daylight hours in an office.
“People try to be healthy at home, but are they able to do that at work?” asked Blevins. “What can you do to sustain the pattern during those hours?”
Plus, Blevins said that healthy work environments are a draw for talent and there is far more employee retention.
“Most employees say they would rather stay in a healthy environment than earn more money,” said Blevins, citing a study from the Human Resources Journal.
“I view this as our opportunity to be an employer of choice,” said Workman. “When people have the opportunity to work at a public or private sector business or agency, being qualified makes a statement to the job applicant that I hope will make a difference.”
There is no financial cost to participate in the workplace pledge. But Blevins said that many employers feel they don’t have the time to look into the program because they don’t know where to start and feel like they don’t have the time or the resources.
“It’s a win/win for them” said Blevins. “We can look at them and fill in the gaps. It’s all about transitioning [with] small steps. Employees are nudged into healthy choices without even knowing it.”
Thirteen other South Bay worksites, including Body Glove, RBUSD, AAMCOM, John Elway’s Manhattan Beach Toyota, and SKECHERS, have taken the worksite assessment and pledge and are working towards becoming a Blue Zones worksite.
“I would like to challenge every business to do one thing to improve wellness in the worksite,” said Blevins. “What would our community be like if everybody did just one thing? It could be really amazing.”
To learn more visit bluezonesproject.com
