Nancy K. Schlossberg, EdD
Nancy K. Schlossberg, EdD, is professor Emerita at University of Maryland, College Park, and author of several retirement-related books, including Revitalizing Retirement and Too Young to Be Old. TransitionsThroughLife.com
Are you satisfied with the town where you live?
Also: How physically healthy are you?
You may think that these two questions are completely unrelated, but a recent survey suggests that your answer to the first can have a big impact on the second.
In fact, if you don’t feel satisfied with your town, you actually may want to consider moving to boost your health.
As drastic as that might sound, there is good reasoning—and scientific evidence—behind this idea. Too many of us don’t feel well…yet it’s not our bodies that are to blame, but rather the places we live. Here’s what I mean…
Gallup recently surveyed a random sample of more than 353,000 adults from all 50 states and Washington, DC, with demographics that were representative of the American population as a whole.
Revelation: Compared with people who were dissatisfied with where they lived or who felt that their neighborhoods were going downhill, those who were satisfied with their locales or felt that their areas were improving were less likely to have physical health problems such as pain, asthma, headaches and high cholesterol…were less likely to be obese…and were more likely to report feeling well-rested and energetic!
These results remained true even when researchers controlled for income, education and ethnicity.
Of course, only an association was found, not cause and effect—that would require a different sort of study. So it’s possible that people who are unhealthy are more likely to be dissatisfied with everything in life—including where they live. But it’s also possible that living in a place that doesn’t satisfy you may not only make you less healthy in and of itself (because the stress of unhappiness takes a toll on your body), but it also may take away your will to practice healthy habits. For example, who wants to go out walking in a neighborhood he doesn’t care for?
If you’re not as physically well as you want to be, consider how your locale may be affecting your health. For instance, think about …
Safety. When the streets near you aren’t safe or well-lit in the evening, it’s a lot less appealing to go out for a run or participate in an outdoor sport. This concern isn’t limited only to urban environments. Your locale could be hurting your health if your suburb is so traffic-clogged that you dread driving in it, even to go to the gym or the tennis courts…or if your country neighborhood is so full of dark, narrow roads without sidewalks that you wouldn’t feel safe jogging or biking.
Air quality. If you live near an industrial complex or a busy street filled with vehicle fumes, you might hesitate to go outdoors for exercise.
The weather. Can you say that you generally like the climate where you live? If not, then you are probably curtailing your activity in order to avoid going outside.
Convenience. Living far away from a farmers’ market or supermarket that carries high-quality fresh produce may discourage you from eating healthfully. Likewise, living far away from a park, gym or pool—or from a bus or subway line that can easily get you to such places—may discourage you from exercising.
Your routines. Do you currently commute to work or to a volunteer job by car? Sitting all day is definitely detrimental to health. Imagine how much more active you would be if you lived in a place that enabled you to bike or walk to work…or at least to take public transportation, which generally requires some walking and standing.
Your family and neighbors. If you have young children, living closer to your parents or other relatives might give you access to free baby-sitting—which could free up more time for taking care of yourself. On the other hand, with or without kids, living close to family members with whom you don’t get along or neighbors with whom you have little in common might make it harder for you to feel your best.
Of course, moving isn’t easy, and it isn’t always cheap. But if this article has resonated with you and started the wheels turning in your brain, it’s worth considering whether making a move might be right for you.
Nancy K. Schlossberg, EdD, is a specialist in adult transitions—so I asked her how a person could go about exploring the option of making a move in pursuit of better health. She suggested starting by visiting three to five different communities to see how they make you feel. Depending on your commitments at home, stay a few days or even a few weeks—whatever you can swing—to get a taste.
What should you do during a “trial run” in a new town? To get the flavor of the community and also forge some connections, Dr. Schlossberg recommended reading the local newspaper to learn out about public lectures, arts activities and other community events you could attend…going to a health club or house of worship and talking with some of the members…and taking lots of walks to see how you feel while strolling down the streets and through the parks.
Such experiences can help you discern whether you could create an active, satisfying life in this new locale—and perhaps receive the health boost you didn’t know you needed.
