ROBERTS. GENERAL TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY. AROUND THE WORLD, THERE ARE CITIES DESIGNATED AS BLUE ZONES BECAUSE THEY HAVE EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH RATES OF PEOPLE LIVING HEALTHY LIVES INTO THEIR HUNDREDS. TWO WOMEN IN SHOREWOOD BELIEVE THEIR CITY HAS ALL OF THE FACTORS TO BECOME THE NEXT BLUE ZONE. 12 NEWS MALLORY ANDERSON EXPLORES THEIR QUEST TO BRING THE SHOREWOOD COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND MAKE IT ONE OF THE HAPPIEST, HEALTHIEST PLACES ON EARTH. NESTLED BETWEEN THE MILWAUKEE RIVER AND LAKE MICHIGAN LIES THE VILLAGE OF SHOREWOOD. IT SPANS LESS THAN TWO MILES, WITH A POPULATION UNDER 14,000, BUT TWO RESIDENTS BELIEVE IT HAS THE INGREDIENTS NECESSARY TO MAKE THE NEXT HOTSPOT FOR LIFELONG DEVOTEE. YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, THE TOP COUNTRIES, THE HAPPIEST COUNTRIES ARE SCANDINAVIAN, NORDIC, THE COUNTRIES THAT REALLY HAVE A LOT IN COMMON WITH SHOREWOOD. HEATHER MANSFIELD AND SARAH AXTELL ARE CO-FOUNDERS OF THE SHOREWOOD LONGEVITY PROJECT. MANSFIELD IS A LIFELONG EDUCATOR WITH A PH.D., AND AXTELL IS A NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR WITH A PRACTICE IN SHOREWOOD. THEIR MISSION FOR LONGEVITY PROJECT TO INSPIRE OTHERS TO LIVE WITH INTENTIONAL CONNECTIONS. OUR GOAL IS TO NOT ONLY HELP PEOPLE LIVE LONG LIVES, BUT TO LIVE QUALITY LIVES, HEALTHIER LIVES, RICH WITH MEANING AND CONNECTION. MODELED AFTER THESE GLOBAL COMMUNITIES THAT THAT WE’VE RESEARCHED, THOSE RESEARCH COMMUNITIES ARE AREAS DESIGNATED AS BLUE ZONES. CITIES WITH HIGH RATES OF PEOPLE LIVING PAST AGE 100. THEY’RE PLACES LIKE OKINAWA, JAPAN. SARDINIA, ITALY, AND LOMA LINDA, CALIFORNIA. KNOWN FOR POOR DIETS, DAILY MOVEMENT AND SOCIAL NETWORKS. THE WOMEN HAVE ALSO FOUND LINKS BETWEEN SHOREWOOD AND THE COUNTRIES, TOPPING THE ANNUAL WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT. IT’S A VERY WALKABLE COMMUNITY. THE WEATHER VERY MUCH MIRRORS WHETHER IN SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO BE IN NATURE AND TO DEVELOP SOCIAL CONNECTIONS. RESEARCH NOW SHOWS SOCIAL CONNECTIONS COULD BE MORE IMPORTANT TO OUR HEALTH THAN EXERCISE AND NUTRITION. IN HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY, WE’VE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME SOCIAL SUPPORT, RIGHT IS LIKE A KEY DETERMINANT OF HOW WELL OR HOW HEALTHY YOU ARE. EVEN JUST IN THAT PHYSICAL WELLNESS KIND OF WAY. AND IT’S REALLY INTERESTING THAT IT’S NOT HOW MANY PEOPLE, IT’S YOUR SENSE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT. THE NUMBERS DON’T MATTER. IT’S IF YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE SUPPORTED. AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, A COMMUNITY THAT IS PROMOTING THIS IDEA OF WE ARE TOGETHER, WE ARE SOCIAL, WE ARE SUPPORTED. THEY’RE JUST AUTOMATICALLY GOING TO BE BETTER IN SOME WAYS. THROUGH THEIR PROJECT, MANSFIELD AND AXTELL SET UP WALKS, DINNERS, DIGITAL DETOXES AND A PASSPORT. THIS IS OUR OUR LONGEVITY PASSPORT, AND IT’S MODELED AFTER THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM, WHERE YOU PICK IT UP AT THE LIBRARY. WE HAVE OUR FOUR ELEMENTS THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE, LIKE NATURE ACTIVITIES LIKE COMPOST, NUTRITION LIKE EAT FISH OR EAT A PLANT BASED MEAL, MOVEMENT LIKE WALK TO THE LIBRARY OR BIKE THE OAK LEAF TRAIL, AND THEN SOCIAL CONNECTIONS, WHICH IS KEY. THINGS LIKE HOSTING A POTLUCK OR JOINING A BOOK CLUB. THOSE WHO COMPLETE THE LONGEVITY ACTIVITIES GET TO PICK UP A GOODIE BAG FROM THE LIBRARY, AND HOPEFULLY PICK UP A STRONGER BOND WITH THEIR COMMUNITY. THESE SOCIAL CONNECTIONS OF KNOWING FOLKS IN YOUR COMMUNITY, KNOWING YOUR NEIGHBORS, KNOWING PEOPLE AT THE LOCAL COFFEE SHOP. JUST HAVING THOSE LOOSE SOCIAL CONNECTIONS CAN IMPROVE LONGEVITY AND WELLNESS AND REALLY DECREASE THE IMPACT OF STRESS. I THINK COMMUNITIES THRIVE WHEN THERE’S A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY FOR EACH OTHER’S WELL-BEING. IN SHOREWOOD, MALLORY ANDERSON, WISN 12 NEWS. THE LONGEVITY PASSPORT IS NOW AVAILABLE AT THE SHOREWOOD LIBRARY, AND ANYONE CAN PARTICIPATE, EVEN IF YOU DO NOT LIVE IN SHOREWOOD. WE HAVE MUCH MOR
Shorewood Longevity Project helps residents live long, healthy lives
Two women in Shorewood are leading a project to transform their village into a ‘Blue Zone’ by fostering social connections and promoting healthier lifestyles
Two women in Shorewood, Wisconsin, are leading a project to transform their village into a “Blue Zone” by fostering social connections and promoting healthier lifestyles.Nestled between the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan, the village of Shorewood spans an area of less than two miles with a population under 14,000. Despite its small size, two community members believe it has the ingredients to become the next hot spot for life longevity. Heather Mansfield and Sarah Axtell are co-founders of the Shorewood Longevity Project. Mansfield is a lifelong educator with a PhD, and Axtell is a naturopathic doctor with a practice in Shorewood. Their mission for the longevity project is to inspire the community to live life with intentional connection and healthier habits.”Year after year after year, the top countries, the happiest countries, are Scandinavian, Nordic, the countries that really have a lot in common with Shorewood,” Mansfield said.”Our goal is to not only help people live long lives, but to live quality lives, healthier lives, rich with meaning and connection, modeled after these global communities that we’ve researched,” Axtell said.These researched communities are areas designated as ‘Blue Zones,’ which are cities around the world where high rates of people are living healthy lives past age 100. They’re places like Okinawa, Japan, Sardinia, Italy, or Loma Linda, California, known for unique fresh diets, daily movement, and strong social networks. Mansfield and Axtell have also found links between Shorewood and the countries at the top of the annual World Happiness Report. In 2024 Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands rounded out the top five happiest countries. “Shorewood is a very walkable community, the weather very much mirrors weather in Scandinavian countries, and there are a lot of opportunities to be in nature and to develop social connections,” Mansfield said.Social connections may be the most important similarity of them all, as research now shows socialization could be more important to our health than exercise and nutrition. Nakia Gordon, an associate professor of psychology at Marquette University, explained, “In health psychology, we’ve known for a long time social support is a key determinant of how well or how healthy you are, even just in that physical wellness kind of way. It’s also really interesting that it’s not how many people — it’s your sense of social support. The numbers don’t matter. It’s about if you believe that you are supported. I think a community that is promoting this idea of ‘we are together, we are social, we are supported,’ they’re just automatically going to be better in some ways.”Through the Shorewood Longevity Project, Mansfield and Axtell have set up community walks, dinners, digital detoxes, and a passport booklet residents can pick up at the Shorewood Library.”This is our longevity passport,” Axtell said as she displayed a booklet. “It’s modeled after the summer reading program people pick up at the library. We have our four elements that you can choose, including nature activities like composting, or nutrition like eat fish or eat a plant-based meal. There’s also movement goals like walk to the library, or walk the Oak Leaf Trail. Then we have social connections, which is key, and are things like hosting a potluck or joining a book club.”Those who complete the 16 longevity activities get to pick up a goodie bag from the library, and hopefully pick up a stronger bond with their community.”Loose social connections of knowing folks in your community, knowing your neighbors, knowing people at the local coffee shop. Just having those loose social connections can improve longevity and wellness and really decrease the impact of stress,” said Mansfield.”I think communities thrive when there’s a shared responsibility for each other’s well-being,” Axtell said.The Shorewood Longevity Passport will be available at the Shorewood Library starting in June, and anyone can participate, even if they don’t live in Shorewood.For more information about the Shorewood Longevity Project, visit the group’s website or Facebook Page. Top HeadlinesKroger to close 60 stores, including Wisconsin locationsPolice chase ends in crash, injuries, and arrest in MilwaukeeDeputies respond to weekend fight at Milwaukee’s lakefrontWATCH Lightning strike kills man in ankle deep waters while on his honeymoon
Two women in Shorewood, Wisconsin, are leading a project to transform their village into a “Blue Zone” by fostering social connections and promoting healthier lifestyles.
Nestled between the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan, the village of Shorewood spans an area of less than two miles with a population under 14,000. Despite its small size, two community members believe it has the ingredients to become the next hot spot for life longevity.
Heather Mansfield and Sarah Axtell are co-founders of the Shorewood Longevity Project. Mansfield is a lifelong educator with a PhD, and Axtell is a naturopathic doctor with a practice in Shorewood.
Their mission for the longevity project is to inspire the community to live life with intentional connection and healthier habits.
“Year after year after year, the top countries, the happiest countries, are Scandinavian, Nordic, the countries that really have a lot in common with Shorewood,” Mansfield said.
“Our goal is to not only help people live long lives, but to live quality lives, healthier lives, rich with meaning and connection, modeled after these global communities that we’ve researched,” Axtell said.
These researched communities are areas designated as ‘Blue Zones,’ which are cities around the world where high rates of people are living healthy lives past age 100. They’re places like Okinawa, Japan, Sardinia, Italy, or Loma Linda, California, known for unique fresh diets, daily movement, and strong social networks.
Mansfield and Axtell have also found links between Shorewood and the countries at the top of the annual World Happiness Report. In 2024 Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands rounded out the top five happiest countries.
“Shorewood is a very walkable community, the weather very much mirrors weather in Scandinavian countries, and there are a lot of opportunities to be in nature and to develop social connections,” Mansfield said.
Social connections may be the most important similarity of them all, as research now shows socialization could be more important to our health than exercise and nutrition.
Nakia Gordon, an associate professor of psychology at Marquette University, explained, “In health psychology, we’ve known for a long time social support is a key determinant of how well or how healthy you are, even just in that physical wellness kind of way. It’s also really interesting that it’s not how many people — it’s your sense of social support. The numbers don’t matter. It’s about if you believe that you are supported. I think a community that is promoting this idea of ‘we are together, we are social, we are supported,’ they’re just automatically going to be better in some ways.”
Through the Shorewood Longevity Project, Mansfield and Axtell have set up community walks, dinners, digital detoxes, and a passport booklet residents can pick up at the Shorewood Library.
“This is our longevity passport,” Axtell said as she displayed a booklet. “It’s modeled after the summer reading program people pick up at the library. We have our four elements that you can choose, including nature activities like composting, or nutrition like eat fish or eat a plant-based meal. There’s also movement goals like walk to the library, or walk the Oak Leaf Trail. Then we have social connections, which is key, and are things like hosting a potluck or joining a book club.”
Those who complete the 16 longevity activities get to pick up a goodie bag from the library, and hopefully pick up a stronger bond with their community.
“Loose social connections of knowing folks in your community, knowing your neighbors, knowing people at the local coffee shop. Just having those loose social connections can improve longevity and wellness and really decrease the impact of stress,” said Mansfield.
“I think communities thrive when there’s a shared responsibility for each other’s well-being,” Axtell said.
The Shorewood Longevity Passport will be available at the Shorewood Library starting in June, and anyone can participate, even if they don’t live in Shorewood.
For more information about the Shorewood Longevity Project, visit the group’s website or Facebook Page.
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