Belonging to Kiwanis Rough Risers is Good for your Health!!

I was just watching a TED Talk entitled "The Secret to Living Longer May Be Your Social Life" by Dr. Susan Pinkerton. During her 16-minute presentation, Dr. Pinkerton shared the top 10 predictors for living a longer life. Some were expected but their placement was surprising. Some of the factors were enlightening.

As you might expect, lowering one's blood pressure or "being thin and in good shape" were on the list but they were in the bottom 4. Cutting out smoking and boozing took positions 3 & 4. The most interesting rankings were #1 and #2 which included Social Integration and Close Relationships.

Dr. Pinkerton describes Close Relationships as your best friends. These are your friends who will take care of you in a pinch. She described Social Integration as how much you interact with people as you move through your day. This may include talking with the barista who makes your coffee. It may include talking with your neighbor or the lady who walks her dog by your house every day. Most importantly, it includes belonging to social or service club. These interactions are the strongest predictors of how long you are going to live.

So it appears that being involved with Kiwanis where we connect with friends, colleagues and total strangers can have a greater impact on our lives than just feeling good. It can lengthen our lives so that we can have more time to serve the community and connect with others.

It can now be said that belonging to:

Written by Leigh Zeitz