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SAVE MONEY ::: FEEL GREAT ::: SEE THE WORLD ::: LEARN STUFF SAVE MONEY ::: FEEL GREAT ::: SEE THE WORLD ::: LEARN STUFF
KEVIN J. MI YAZAKI/REDUX; ILLUSTRATION BY S TEVE SANFORD
WE SE T OUT TO ADD 10,000 YEARS OF HEALTH Y LIFE TO A TYPICAL AMERICAN CIT Y
ALBERT LEA, MINNESOTA (POPULATION:
18,000) may seem like a quaint midwestern city—crab apple trees in bloom, thunder- clouds over the lakes. But residents here have embarked on a first-of-its-kind, life- extending mission. On May 14 the town launched The AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project, sponsored by United Health Foundation. This project, spearheaded by AARP THE MAGAZINE, makes Albert Lea
ground zero for the practical application
of longevity research, as the town changes
the way residents eat, exercise, work,
and play. Spend a few days here and you
may see townsfolk building new walking
paths, planting community gardens, adding
healthy choices to restaurant menus (heads
up: if you want bread, you may have to ask
for it), and creating “walking school
buses,” in which neighbors, parents,
