What Lifestyle Okinawa People Live

In Okinawa they…

Keep busy and feel useful and needed in the community, even in very old age. The term ‘Ikigai’ refers to having a reason to get up every morning.

What we can do:

      • Seek purpose in life from work, activities, and relationships so that each day we have something to motivate us.

In Okinawa they…

Enjoy martial arts (karate originated in Okinawa), dancing, group aerobics classes, competitive sports, gardening, swimming, fishing, fruit-picking, walking and ball games.

What we can do:

      • Find places to go to walk and run, form groups, or join classes where we can do types of exercise we enjoy – all of the Okinawan sports and forms of exercise can be done by us too.

In Okinawa they…

Get plenty of sunshine and fresh air which enhances a feeling of well-being and boosts levels of vitamin D, the anti-cancer immune-boosting vitamin which helps maintain good bone density.

What we can do:

      • Avoid excessive tanning and burning, but be sure to go outside and get some sunlight each day.

In Okinawa they…

Have strong family connections and social networks, with neighbours keeping an eye on each other and up to 1000 people attending weddings and funerals.

What we can do:

      • Cultivate friendships and try to maintain family links, join social clubs, and remember the importance (and health benefits to ourselves) of being kind and generous to others.

In Okinawa they…

Take time out each day to have quiet time, meditate, or pray at shrines. They don’t worry about time running out or packing as much as they can into one day.

What we can do:

      • Find ways to have quality time and take time out so as to recharge our batteries, be more like tortoises than hares, and get more out of life.

In Okinawa they…

Are conscious and proud of their excellent health and make an effort to be in control of their lives. Okinawans aren’t passive – they have a can-do attitude which makes anything possible.

What we can do:

      • Become aware of our health and the degree to which we, too, can be actively in control of our mental and physical well-being. Avoid passivity and become aware of our own potential.

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