Dan Buettner's 'Blue Zones': 9 steps to a longer life

Move naturally

When he was traveling with Buettner in Okinawa, Greg Plotnikoff, medical director of Abbott Northwestern's integrative medicine program, was impressed with the agility of a woman in her late 80s who served her visitors green tea.

"She comes out of the kitchen area carrying a trayon it is a beautiful teapot and teacupsand with minimal effort, carrying this tray with hot boiling water and beautiful pottery, with no assistance, she lowers herself to the floor," Plotnikoff says. "Balance and strength and flexibility were built into her daily life."

Buettner recommends finding a physical activity you like, setting a date with a friend to do it together, and making movement a regular part of your life.