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ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. — As the world around us continues to get faster, we seem to be slowing down. More than 60% of people today describe their behavior as “sedentary” or only “lightly active,” and 73% acknowledge they need to be moving more. This increase in physical inactivity can be attributed to factors such as job types, technology habits and local environment, but what’s worrisome is that a sedentary lifestyle may negatively impact mental well-being and physical health. That’s why today, Degree Deodorant – the world’s number one deodorant and longtime proponent of moving more – is formalizing its mission by committing to help create movement opportunities, tools and resources for 10 million people by 2024 through a variety of partnerships and programs.
One example of the types of community improvements that can be achieved from Degree and Blue Zones’ #MadeToMove grant program
To get started, Degree is joining forces with Blue Zones, global experts in community health and well-being transformation, to launch a #MadeToMove grant program that will provide half a million dollars in funding for city projects that encourage increased physical movement, with the ultimate goal of promoting more walkable, bikeable and transit-friendly environments for all ages, incomes and abilities.
Five communities will receive funding from Degree for technical assistance from Blue Zones’ built environment experts on ways to advance activity-friendly design, as well as support for movement-first policies and projects tailored to their needs. Examples include, but are not limited to, projects such as:
- Repurposing vehicle lanes for various modes of active transportation
- Creating protected or buffered bicycle lanes
- Completing shared-use trail links
- Improving local pedestrian environments (e.g.: curb extensions and crosswalks)
- Installing parklets in a downtown or neighborhood business district
Cities will be selected and announced this summer with technical assistance, planning and community events rolling out in 2019. Physical project builds will extend into 2020. As part of their partnership, Degree and Blue Zones will measure impact for each city project at multiple touchpoints to track against the brand’s larger commitment.
Community organizations and city officials can visit BlueZones.com to apply and access Degree and Blue Zones’ #MadeToMove grant criteria and supporting documentation. Everyone looking to move more can visit DegreeDeodorant.com for Blue Zones-approved tips and inspiration.
“At Degree, our team and products are guided by the saying, ‘the more you move, the more you live.’ We develop deodorants that react directly to movement so people can stay fresher, longer and push a bit further today than yesterday,” said Dawn Hedgepeth, vice president of Unilever Deodorants. “We’re thrilled to put our purpose of helping people move more into action through partnerships and programs that share our passion for movement and deliver on our ultimate goal to help people improve their health and well-being.”
Blue Zones Founder and National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner identified five places in the world – dubbed blue zones – where people live the longest (into their 100s), and are healthiest: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California. These five regions share nine common behaviors that contribute to longevity – one of them being the shared activity of moving naturally each day. Blue Zones’ inhabitants are known for active transportation, such as hiking, walking and biking, as well as activities with movement built in like gardening, swimming and even household chores.
“The longest-lived people in the world live in environments that nudge them into movement every 20 minutes,” said Buettner. “In our community transformation work, we help optimize city streets, sidewalks and public spaces so that residents can move more, socialize more, and live longer and better. We’re so happy to have partnered with Degree on this grants initiative so that more cities can become more walkable, bikeable and livable. These lasting changes will encourage daily movement for both current and future generations for many years to come.”
To further its mission of helping to create movement tools and resources, Degree is also giving 10 people the chance to win3 a #MadeToMove essentials pack with necessities designed to help jumpstart one’s movement goals. Simply post an image on Instagram of how you love to move (whether outdoors or indoors), follow and tag @Degree and use the hashtags #MadeToMove and #Sweepstakes to be eligible for consideration.
Degree Deodorant’s purpose-driven work supports the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. This strategy sets out to decouple Unilever’s growth from its environmental footprint while increasing its positive social impact. The Company focuses on improving health and well-being for more than 1 billion people, reducing environmental impact by half, and enhancing livelihoods for millions of people around the world. Unilever and Degree share the brand’s “move more” mission and have teamed up with partners throughout the years that embody a movement-first lifestyle like professional athletes, dance organizations and sports leagues just to name a few. Movement is just one core component of Unilever’s well-being framework. It is woven throughout the company’s U.S. locations in a variety of ways including on-site access to well-being rooms and fitness center at the U.S. headquarters, internal grants and benefits that incentivize employees to pursue their own passions linked to movement, agile work practices which promote daily movement and internal programs that led to receiving a “2018 Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles®” Gold Award from the National Business Group on Health.
