The Concept of Movement

STORY

Just for second, imagine waking before sunrise in a hilltop village nestled among rugged terrain. The morning air is crisp; locals slip on their shoes and walk down narrow, winding paths leading to multiple gardens. They carry water jugs up small inclines, tend olive trees or vegetable beds, and pause to chat with neighbors as they move. Children scamper along uneven cobblestones on the way to school, and elders exchange smiles while picking out supplies from a nearby market. Walking uphill and downhill is simply part of daily life here. In places identified as Blue Zones; these are regions where people live longer than average. This natural, low-intensity but constant movement is woven into routines rather than treated as “formal exercise” as we’d consider it.

In Sardinia, Okinawa, Nicoya, Ikaria, or Loma Linda, residents often live in landscapes requiring stairs, slopes, or uneven terrain. They garden for food, socialize in walking groups, and view movement as functional: it’s how they live, not just a “session” in the gym. This mindset contrasts with a modern tendency to sit many hours then cram movement into a single workout. By exploring how Blue Zone inhabitants integrate movement and why it matters for performance, strength, and longevity, you can hopefully restructure your own approach; even if you don’t live on a remote hillside.

This isn’t a coaches nudge to push you to take the stairs… but it wouldn’t be a bad idea.

I’m using the blue zone research to shed light on movement as an overall concept. This transfers well to athletes, general gym goers, or just people who are trying to do a little better in the fitness department.

This week I’m going to skip over an exercise recommendation. I want to focus on this main concept and then give you a quick Blue Zone food breakdown. So bear with me and enjoy!

DEEPDIVE

The most common trait across Blue Zone communities isn’t a magic superfood or secret workout; it’s constant, intentional movement woven into daily life. They walk hills to visit friends, garden with purpose, carry groceries home, and keep moving well into old age. And while you may not live in a Mediterranean village, the lesson is universal: movement is the baseline for strength, performance, and longevity.

Here’s why and how it works:

Daily movement improves so many aspects of your body: cardiovascular health, boosts insulin sensitivity, enhances joint function, and keeps your nervous system sharp. Even light-intensity activities like walking or housework reduce disease risk and support long-term brain and body function. Movement keeps blood flowing, muscles engaged, and stress down… all things that a pill or supplement can’t replicate.

And it doesn’t have to be intense to count. Honestly, Blue Zone populations thrive with low-to-moderate intensity movement done consistently. It’s not only about crushing the gym every day, it’s about moving often and with intention. I cannot harp enough on how consistent movement is key. Trust me, I know after a long day at work it’s easy to sink into the couch until bedtime. But please try and split up your couch/sitting time with short walks, chores, or at the very least—get up and do a few sets of a bodyweight exercise.

If not for yourself, do it for your dog and take them on a walk…they need the exercise just as much as you do!

In our modern life, we typically sit for 8–10 hours a day, then try to fix it with one intense workout; if it’s even “intense”. But this mismatch can lead to poor recovery, stiffness, and even injury. So what’s the solution, you ask? Blend non-exercise movement throughout the day with focused training.

This includes:

Not only does this keep your metabolism firing, it helps you recover faster and build durability that actually carries over to sport, training, and life.

Whether you're chasing performance or just want to feel and move better, movement really is the link between all of it. I know that’s a “no-duh” sentence; but I mean it in a consistent movement that isn’t only focused exercise bouts. Staying active outside the gym actually increases your work capacity inside the gym. It improves your energy, mobility, coordination, and recovery.

All jokes aside…

If you want to train harder? Move more during the day.
If you want to hurt less? Move more, not only during scheduled training.
If you want to live longer? You guessed it… move more.

DIET

People in Blue Zones eat mostly plants, move daily, and rarely overeat. Here’s what they do differently, and what you can apply:

The takeaway here: I’m not telling you to go completely plant-based; it’s okay to eat meat. However, most of us could do better in adding more whole fruits & vegetables into our diets; especially dark greens, beans, and something with a color other than green. Focus more on limiting anything overly processed. Don’t over stuff yourself—even on the healthy stuff. Fiber and unsaturated fats seem to be the biggest driving point of their diet.

MINDSET

In the Blue Zones, people don’t “work out,” they just move with purpose all day long. That’s the mindset shift: movement isn’t something you squeeze into your schedule; it’s something you live in.

You don’t need more intensity all the time. You need more frequency.
Walk the hills, carry your groceries, pace on calls, stretch before bed. These small, consistent actions build durability, boost performance, and keep you resilient for the long haul.

Make movement your default, not your chore.
When you live that way, the results come faster, last longer, and feel better.

Thank you,

Stephen Holmes Founder, Linking Performance & The Weekly Standard