Fitness Manager’s Message

Allison Adams

Fitness Manager

People who live in the world’s Blue Zones are living longer. What are they doing to increase longevity?

Modern lifestyles—including sedentary behavior and poor eating habits—are a breeding ground for chronic illness. That makes it harder for people in the U.S. to live long and prosper. Yet, there are regions around the globe where pockets of people do appear to be living longer and healthier lives. In these so-called Blue Zones, residents statistically live the longest and produce people ages 90 and above at seemingly extraordinary rates. The specific areas are Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Ikaria (Greece) and the Seventh-day Adventist religious community in Loma Linda, California (USA) (Buettner 2008). Their patterns of behavior were chronicled by explorer Dan Buettner and a team of anthropologists, demographers and epidemiologists. Buettner describes these patterns in The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest (Buettner 2008) Here Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, James Beard Award–winning journalist, Canada-based dietitian, freelance nutrition writer and recipe developer, summarizes some of the most important patterns and offers suggestions for how you can create your own Blue Zone.

1PLANT-BASED DIETS PREDOMINATE Diet is an entrance ramp to better health. The average tofulaced menu in Okinawa may differ from what’s on offer in a Costa Rican village, where beans and rice dominate, but Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RDN, a senior medical writer and epidemiologist with Cambia Health Solutions in Portland, Oregon, says a parallel among Blue Zones is that diets are predominantly plant-based. What You Can Do: Focus on minimally processed plants, including vegetables, fruit, legumes and whole grains. Look for ways to add more plants, and slice out some of the meat.

2PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FILLS THE DAY Physical activity in all Blue Zone areas involves a consistent flow of natural movements, including those involved in gardening, pounding corn by hand to make tortillas, practicing tai chi daily and shepherding livestock in the hills. What You Can Do: Get up and move—often! Beyond going hard at the gym, engineer more movement in daily life. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, go for a stroll while talking on the phone, embrace an active hobby (like gardening or bird-watching) and set a timer to signal movement breaks after sitting for more than an hour.

3PURPOSE DEFINES A LONG LIFE Nicoyans call it plan de vida, and Okinawnas refer to it as ikigai, both of which essentially translate to “a reason to live.” Elders who begin each day with a sense of purpose and fulfillment, while

Lessons for Living Longer

Reprinted from IDEA FITNESS JOURNAL SPRINT – DECEMBER 2021

recognizing how they contribute to their communities, seem to live long lives or, at the very least, feel positive, upbeat and happy. What You Can Do: Find and cling to your purpose. A sense of usefulness can come from something as simple as immersing yourself in a hobby or actively volunteering time to worthy causes. Crafting a personal mission statement can guide the way to living longer. SOCIAL CIRCLES REINFORCE HEALTH Buettner and other researchers have identified social interactions as a major player in Blue Zone longevity (Buettner 2008). The Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda live in tightknit communities, while Okinawans have their moai, a social circle meant to provide support during life stressors and reinforce shared healthy behaviors. These communities focus on face-to-face time and not Facebook likes. What You Can Do: Create an environment that encourages daily socializing with family and friends. Schedule weekly gettogethers with friends, volunteer for a cause that forces interaction with others or join a sports league that involves group play. And find ways to enjoy more of your meals in good company.

ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE DURING SEASONAL CHANGES

Every year during the spring and fall season I receive a number of emails asking about the temperature of the air in the indoor pool.

During the seasonal changes temperatures can swing 40 degrees in either direction from morning to night. The room itself is surround on 3 sides with windows. The sliding entry doors allow lobby air to enter the indoor pool area, and the exhaust fans on the roof, to remove moisture, pull existing heated/cooled air outside. The system for managing the air temperature in the indoor pool are evaporative coolers on the roof.

All this is to say that to keep a consistent temperature mean at all times during the fluctuating seasons is a challenge. We monitor the thermostats weekly and do our best to adjust it when necessary to get as close to the desire temperatures as possible.

What is “Brand”? Why are the Long Range Planning (LRP) committee and CAM studying our brand? What’s the benefit to our community? BRAND REFRESHER

All of us encounter brands every day. What is a “brand”? It’s a name. It comes with an identity or “look and feel”. And most importantly, it conveys an experience and value. Here’s a quick example. In the world of cars, there are BMWs and there are Teslas. Both are luxury vehicles. However, the BMW brand conveys a high performance “driving machine” while the Tesla brand is known as an “innovative” electric car. These brand names convey very different experiences. Other brands that set an expectation for what you’ll “experience” – Apple is different from Microsoft. Target is different from Macy’s. McDonalds is different from Chic-Fil-A. The list goes on and on. What’s important about brands? In today's rapidly changing marketplace, a brand can: • Stand out and attract attention • Inspire loyalty and trust • Differentiate it from others in its field – thus, enabling it to retain premium value

Our Brand / The Research Says . . .

So, what does all this have to do with OUR community? Why are LRP and CAM looking at brand issues? What was the purpose of the recent brand research? Brands need to stay relevant to their intended audience. Brands such as Sears, Wards, PanAm, Borders, Pontiac, and others – at one time strong, iconic brands – are now extinct, indicating what can happen when entities ignore the future. In our case, our brand needs to be relevant to current residents and prospective buyers. Our community began almost a quarter century ago. Since then, think how much we’ve changed personally and how the world has evolved. So, do our name and the experience (lifestyle) delivered here still meet and exceed our community’s and new prospects’ expectations? That’s why we held 4 research focus groups in June and conducted a community-wide survey in August – to better understand the current state of the Sun City Grand brand. It’s also why LRP and CAM are assessing external trends.

Some of the key brand questions explored in the research: • Is our brand relevant for the next generation? • Does our brand draw strong prospects? • Are the amenities keeping up with

what’s expected and on trend? • Is our infrastructure keeping pace with today and looking to tomorrow’s needs? There are clear messages from the research that indicate what’s important to a Grand lifestyle / brand experience. Our community ranked the following as “top pursuits” – all very active: • Sports • Health and wellness • Entertainment • Intellectual • Outdoor adventure The top ranked features for the “future of the community” were: • Quality of amenities (vs. quantity) • Strong financial position • Reasonable annual dues • Beauty and care of the community (including landscaping) • Community leadership that embraces continuous improvement Many residents – especially younger ones – also indicated that our brand name should be updated to better reflect our active lifestyle and the future. In other words, while life here is “grand,” the “Sun City” part didn’t resonate and seems “old.”

Brand Recommendation to the Board

Rawle-Murdy, our brand consultant, presented recommendations (based on the research and on external trend analysis) to the Board on November 11 at their regular meeting and again via a Town Hall on November 16. Their viewpoint is that our brand personality is: • Fun, Outgoing, Welcoming, Genuine,

Lighthearted They proposed that our brand promise is that “we live Grand” – in other words, “grand” is not just an adjective, it’s how we

live. It reflects our positive values – staying active, embracing wellness, trying new things, and doing what we love. They recommended that our external messaging should be based on a strong brand position: “We are the most robust, thriving active adult community in Phoenix, AZ’s metro area.” What’s the proof for those key characteristics? • Thriving: Well-rounded, engaged community. Long-term value. Financial stability. • Robust: 17,000+ residents. Breadth of amenities. Range of clubs and activities.

Day- to-day value. And finally, they recommended that we simplify and refresh our brand name to “The Grand” – recognizing the significance of our history while pivoting to a fresh future. As part of the rationale for their proposal, Rawle-Murdy also showed data that the Sun City name hasn't been used on any builds anywhere in the country since 2007 (about the time Sun City Festival began.) They are now branding all new communities with unique names. On December 9, the Board discussed the brand recommendation with interested parties from the community on their regular Zoom call. A few key points that were covered: • Costs: The incremental cost for the brand refresh will be minor - primarily updating entrance signs. Most brand changes would be made as part of regular business updates covered by operational budgets - for example, using up current stationery and then moving to the new brand, incorporating the new brand in ongoing technology updates, etc. • History: In the 2016, as part of the 2016-2025 strategic plan, forwardthinking Board leaders at that time asked for the brand to be reviewed in about 5-6 years - which is when the current brand work started. These leaders recognized the importance of keeping the brand relevant to current residents while attracting new buyers. • Strategic Decision: The final decision for branding lies with the Board. They

will base their decision on the research conducted in our community (over 2,600 residents provided input, which is statistically significant) as well as external trend information. They were voted in to represent the best interests of the whole community, and they are committed to do so. • Brand Relevance for Future Buyers:

Homes in our community are selling quickly now, but this is also true across the country. More and more active adult community (AAC) competitors are entering the fast-growing market in

Phoenix - and they are targeting future, younger buyers with new amenities and simplified brands. Our community needs to “tell our own story” about how grand life is here - and to do it, with a relevant brand. Doing so will help keep our home values high and attract new buyers that want the grand lifestyle we all enjoy.

Next Steps

The Board will make key decisions on the brand and has charged the Long Range Planning advisory committee to continue work on a potential rollout plan.

#1 Top Producer!

Full-Time REALTOR® I Live, Work & Play in Sun City Grand Multiple Club Sponsor Multi-Million Dollar Producer L Long Realty Circle of Excellence Award

Spirit of Grace Lutheran Church

Pastor Scott Hackler Pastor Gary Benson 15820 W Clearview Blvd In the of Sun City Grand 623-977-6000 . . . . . spiritofgrace.com

In-Person Weekend Worship: Saturday – 5:00 pm Sunday – 9:00 am Online Worship Service available on Saturday by 5:00 pm. Click on the YouTube button in the upper right-hand corner of our webpage.

NancyMuslin.com GRI, ABR, SRES

Bringing the Spirit of Grace to all People An ELCA Congregation Everyone Welcome!

2022 BOARD ELECTION CALENDAR

DATE DAY

(Revised 12/02/2021).

FUNCTION TIME

Jan. 7 Fri Required Candidate Meeting: Palo Verde Room – Sonoran Plaza 10:00am Attendance is Required to be Considered as a Board Candidate

Jan. 10 Mon Application Deadline – Return To Membership Desk – Submit Online Electronic Statement; Written Statement and Flyers Due for Approval. Photos taken by Communications Department – Appointments to be Announced.

Jan. 11 Tue General Manager Completes Certification of Candidates

Jan. 13 Thu Campaign Begins – All Candidates info up on Website.

Jan. 18 Tue Q & A – In-Person Sonoran Ballroom 12 Noon

7:00pm

Jan. 20 Thu “Happy Hour” with the Candidates – Village Center – Candidates will be Available to Meet with Residents to Answer their Questions in an Informal Setting. 3:30pm-5:30pm

Jan. 24 Mon Voting Begins Electronically: 12:01am

Paper Ballots are Available at the Membership Desk in Palm Center 1:30pm-3:30pm 1:30pm-3:30pm ONLY until Voting Ends @ 12:00 Noon on Monday through January 31, 2022 Friday

Jan. 31 Mon Voting Ends: Mail-In Paper Ballots Must be Received by Vote Now 12:00 Noon EST by 12:00 Noon EST;

Drop Off Paper Ballots: Return to the Palm Center Membership 12:00 Noon Desk by 12:00 Noon Arizona Time; AZ Time

Deadline for Voting Electronically is also Jan. 31 by 12:00 Noon Arizona Time 12:00 Noon AZ Time

Feb. 1 Tue Results Announced Via “News Of The Day”

Feb. 3 Thu Candidate Debrief: Palo Verde Room – Sonoran Plaza 10:00am

We are looking for SCG men and women volunteers to help with Vacation Watch and Evening Patrol. We will supply vehicles and training. Call (CAM) 623-546-7468 or the C.H.A.P.S. office 623-546-7553 and leave a message if you are interested in joining us! You may also find more information about C.H.A.P.S. (including an application form to join) at suncitygrand.com – volunteer central – C.H.A.P.S. Resident Patrol

LEARNING THE SCG COMMUNITY Happy New Year from your volunteer neighbors at C.H.A.P.S.*!

Article submitted by: Dennis Hanscom, C.H.A.P.S. member Shortly after my move to Sun City Grand 8 years ago I ventured out for short drives around Grand to learn a bit more about my new community. On my short drives I made this discovery about the naming of some of the roads: I learned that Clearview became Mountain View; Limestone became Estrella Vista which became Monteverde; Saddle Ridge became Sandia Park; to the west of Sunrise the road was named Goldwater Canyon and to the east of Sunrise the road was named Goldwater Ridge; and Calistoga Dr. became Desert Light Dr. which became Parra Dr. which became Alameda Dr. Whew! Initially, I was content with knowing the locations of Cimarron, and the Adobe. And, of course, restaurant locations out on the Autobahn also known as Bell Road. One evening about a month after my move I had a man at my door telling me I had left my garage door open. He identified himself as being from C.H.A.P.S. and gave me a brief synopsis of what C.H.A.P.S. was about and invited me to come to one of their meetings. It was during my attendance at that meeting that I decided joining C.H.A.P.S. would be a great way to learn my new community and make a few new acquaintances. After all they were only asking that I serve two 2-hour shifts per month and I could choose which days I was available to serve. C.H.A.P.S. is a volunteer organization made up of approximately 140 residents. C.H.A.P.S. two main functions are Evening Patrol and Vacation Watch. Very briefly we check for open garage doors and street lights that are out when out on Evening Patrol, and we monitor vacated homes whereas we do walk arounds to check for unlocked doors, and unlocked windows when we are out performing Vacation Watch in the morning hours. We always go out in teams of two and drive the vehicles provided by CAM. Those two processes are explained more in depth in previous and future publications. Our next meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the Sonoran Plaza on January 25th. You are welcome to attend to learn more about C.H.A.P.S. Do you know how many times W. Encantada Dr. changes names? Join C.H.A.P.S. and you will know in no time.

WE NEED YOU! Like any volunteer organization we are always looking for new people to step in and help us keep this much needed service running smoothly. Being a member is an excellent way to learn this community. And, a great way to meet new people and develop friendships along the way. Call Danielle Amato (CAM) 623-546-7539 or the C.H.A.P.S. office 623-546-7553 and leave a message if you are interested in joining us! We will put you on our list and someone will contact you to provide info as to when training sessions will be provided. *C.H.A.P.S.: Community Homeowner Association Patrol Service

C.H.A.P.S. MEETS THE 4TH TUESDAY EVERY MONTH (except December) AT 1:30 P.M. IN THE SONORAN PLAZA.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME. MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH C.H.A.P.S.