Degree Deodorant has partnered with New York Times best-selling author and National Geographic’s own Blue Zone founder Dan Buettner. Degree deodorant is known to encourage living an active, healthy lifestyle. With Degree’s central message being “Move More” they are now aligning themselves with the Blue Zones projects to launch the ‘Made To Move’ grant program.
If you haven’t heard the term before I’m sure you’re wondering, What are Blue Zones? Dan Buettner, the founder of Blue Zones projects, led a team of National Geographic scientists to pinpoint places around the world where people live longest; identifying them as Blue Zones. The people of Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California, all share similar behaviors that contribute to life longevity amongst the people. Buettner’s research is the force behind the Blue Zones projects that have shown to be effective in 48 cities in 11 states thus far. Degree’s partnership with Blue Zone projects seeks to fund city projects that promote increased physical activities in five more cities across the United States. The ‘Made to Move’ grant will support city projects like improving local pedestrian environments, creating protected bike lanes, repurposing vehicle lanes for various transportation modes and more.
Recently Degree held an event with Dan Buettner present to share the news of their partnership to launch their conjoined mission. With the opportunity to speak with Buettner, I wanted to gain more insight into his findings from the Blue Zone regions. “Places where people live a long time, it’s not because they tried. They don’t exercise, get on diets or use supplements; instead, they live in environments where the healthy choice is the easy choice. Fruits, vegetables, grain, and beans are the cheapest option alongside good recipes. When going to work or visiting friends, they walk. They’re more likely to do things by hand, such as gardening. ” Buettner shared. According to Buettner, his company doesn’t work to change behaviors but to change environments that enable healthier behaviors. Cities were able to apply for ‘Made To Move’ $100,000 grants and technical support from the Blue Zone Team to start these projects. During the launch event attendees, including myself, also had the opportunity to learn some quick and simple exercises inspired by everyday movements from a personal trainer. Simple things like taking the stairs and carrying grocery bags are a couple of Blue Zone approved actions we can all do the better our health.
With Degree deodorants using their MotionSense technology to respond to movement directly, it’s clear they’re advocates for being active. After all, using reliable and effective antiperspirant can be motivating to keep moving. Degree’s partnership with Blue Zones is one of the many they plan to launch in the next few years as part of their commitment to combat sedentary lifestyles. Once the five cities are selected to receive the ‘Made To Move” grant, planning will begin during 2019 with project building set to roll into 2020. With Degree’s dedication to their mission, they’re a brand worthy of consumer support. Let’s face it deodorant is one of those things we all need. Degree deodorants have an extensive line of both male and female antiperspirants, from traditional sticks, dry sprays, clinical protection products, and even their new deodorant wipes. Knowing that Degree is committed to being part of the change that leads us into healthier lifestyles makes it easy to reach for a stick of their deodorant first.
For more information on how your city can apply for the ‘Made To Move’ grant, visit https://www.bluezones.com/made-to-move/. Also, be sure to visit https://www.degreedeodorant.com/us/en/purpose.html for more detail on how Degree is motivating us to “Move More.”