A few weeks ago, my husband went on a three-hour hike to a hill called Cruz Azul, above Guanajuato, the Mexican city where we live about half the year. When we left, we simply locked our door and started walking. We love that without getting into a car or a bus, we can be hiking in 20 minutes — one of many health benefits of living in Guanajuato.
Living here is great for my physical health
Because our home is so central, we come and go frequently throughout the day. We don’t have a car, and don’t want one. Guanajuato’s row houses don’t have garages or driveways, and parking lots are pricey, which means few people have cars. Having no other option but to walk is a great way to stay fit, especially in a city so vibrant.
Wherever I go in town — to shop, visit friends, do yoga, go to a concert, or go to my Spanish class — I always walk, and I never object, because it’s such a pleasure. Street life in Guanajuato is filled with rhythm and movement. I’m usually on a pedestrian street, where I hear the sound of musicians performing and pass vendors selling tamales, cut-up fruit, and corn on the cob. I’ll see the medieval-dressed estudiantinas, selling tickets for the evening tours they lead, strolling through different neighborhoods, singing and playing instruments.
Walking anywhere is great for physical health, of course, but at high elevations (the elevation of the city is 7,000 feet), it’s even better, because it forces the body to work harder, which improves cardiovascular health. Especially the first day I’m back, while adjusting to the altitude, I definitely feel it!
The city of Guanajuato is very hilly. Many of the small streets are narrow, winding, steep alleys, of which there are more than 3,000. I love wandering along them, and sometimes I still get lost, because I have a poor sense of orientation. This doesn’t worry me, because eventually I recognize a landmark and figure out where I am. I was delighted to find out that getting lost is actually good for mental health, because it stimulates the part of the brain responsible for spatial navigation.
At home, I work out with two kettlebells and a stability ball, and three mornings a week, I walk 25 minutes to my yoga class. Because it’s taught in Spanish, the class benefits not only the body but also the mind.
It’s good for my mind, too
After 20 years of studying Spanish, I’m now fluent, though that doesn’t mean I don’t make mistakes. I have a weekly Spanish teacher who corrects my errors, explains the never-ending Mexican modismos (slang), and serves as an interpreter, helping me to understand and decode the culture.
Navigating another culture is also good for the brain. This week, I asked my teacher a question related to cultural etiquette. In Mexico, people use titles much more than in the US, because showing respect is very important.
Earlier, when I asked my yoga teacher if I should call her “Maestra” or “Yolanda,” her name, she replied with her name. This made sense to me, since I’m older than she is, thus partly equalizing us. But I noticed in our WhatsApp group that the other participants all addressed her by her title, so I felt awkward using her name. My Spanish teacher suggested I call her “Maestra Yola” (short for Yolanda) — a balance of formality and informality. Tricky!
Living in another country benefits not only brain function but also emotional well-being and mental health. As a friend who suffered from depression before moving to Guanajuato said, “You forget you’re depressed when you’re focusing on the Spanish subjunctive.”
Similarly, when I was grieving my father’s death, I’d sit on our patio and practice pronunciation, repeating potta tea, potta tea, potta tea, the soft English t that is a way station to para ti and the Spanish r. Practicing the Spanish r and rr helped me focus on something other than my loss.
Barry and I knew we loved Guanajuato 20 years ago, when we decided to buy our house, but we had no idea that living here would help us stay so physically and mentally healthy as we aged. Now, at 83 and 74, we think it was one of the smartest decisions we’ve ever made.
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