Blue Zones Community in Albert Lea

Living to 100 may seem like a major feat, but there are communities around the world where it's common — they're called "Blue Zones."

Minnesota native Dan Buettner is one of the foremost experts on how they work. Several years ago, a Minnesota community decided it wanted families to follow his guidance.

Albert Lea made headlines in 2016 when it became the first community in the country to be a certified Blue Zones community.

"I came to Albert Lea in 2008 with this crazy idea of doing this pilot project to help us live longer and better," Cathy Malakowsy said.

Neighbors like Mary Jo Volkman hopped on the bandwagon, living the Blue Zone life — with more movement, socializing and healthy eating habits.

"I remember people getting together and walking all the time and going to people's homes to have meals together," Volkman said.

The community added more events, healthier school lunches and community spaces like dog parks — encouraging people to get together and get moving.

The Mayo Clinic in Albert Lea hopped on board as the largest employer in town with similar values.

The Mayo Clinic's Tricia Dahl acknowledges that while getting people on board with the blue zone initiative was easy, the challenge lies in keeping it alive over time. She believes that like anything else, it will have its ups and downs.

One aspect of the blue zone build-out in Albert Lea was the construction of a walkway along the highway. This allows residents to walk to the local Walmart and run errands, promoting physical activity and reducing emissions from cars. It also brings the town closer to its climate action goals.

Mayor Vern Malakowsky highlights the addition of almost 13 new miles of sidewalks and user trails in town as part of the blue zone initiative.

Employers like Arcadian Bank play a role in keeping the blue zones alive by offering healthy vending options and providing break rooms for nursing mothers and workout spaces for employees to take breaks and stay active throughout the workday.

Jessica Tomschin from Arcadian Bank emphasizes the importance of making healthy habits easily accessible to people.

According to a self-reported survey, residents have experienced improvements in their overall well-being, sense of community, and sense of purpose.

However, there are also challenges and obstacles that the blue zone initiative faces.