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Issaquah ranks among the top 10 "Best Healthy Places to Retire"

I thought this was an interesting artical about Issaquah Washington. Living in issaquah ourself we have found it a great area to live so we thought we would share this artical.

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Keith & Tim

NWREporter November 2008

Spending retirement years in healthy surroundings can lead to longer lives, according to U.S. News writers – and one desirable destination is Issaquah. After traveling the country, they chose Issaquah as one of 10 places that are "way ahead of the healthy curve."

Editors said their top 10 places for "modern retirement" shared some common attractions, including numerous places to exercise, strong social support and activities that encouraged healthy lifestyle habits, but also offered "a little something extra, too."

Issaquah's picturesque natural surroundings and variety of cultural and recreational attractions helped this city of 18,000-plus earn its ranking.

For people anticipating retirement, the magazine offers a "Best Place to Retire" search tool for uncovering spots that meet particular needs and desires. The tool (http://www.usnews.com/directories/retirement) allows users to rank and analyze more than 2,000 locations throughout the United States, according to various criteria including cost of living, healthcare, climate, and recreation.

In addition to identifying "healthiest" spots, the magazine profiles editors' picks of the greenest, brainiest, and outdoorsiest places to retire. "We've even got something for golf nuts and the most fanatical of football fans," wrote U S News journalist Kimberly Castro. (Editor's note: no places in Washington state made these top 10 lists.) To view the reports, visit http://www.usnews.com/features/business/best-places-to-retire/best-places-to-retire.html.

"The three prerequisites for well being in the later years are good health, financial security, and social integration," says Victor Marshall, director of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Institute on Aging. "You want to move to a community that is set up to make it easier for people to get out and walk." Marshall recommends three, 45-minute periods of brisk walking a week. But other activities like yoga, gardening, biking, or even raking leaves can count toward that total.

Staying active and engaged in a healthy community may even help you live longer, according to various specialists on aging who are cited in the U.S. News report. "Networks of friends and family and active social engagement are associated with better mental and physical health and lower death rates," says Gene Cohen, director of the Center on Aging, Health & Humanities at George Washington University.

Joining Issaquah on the publication's "Best Healthy Places to Retire" list were: