Senior Resources for Staying Active, Healthy, and Happy

September 25, 2019
| Vitality Living

When it comes to healthy aging, quite honestly, there’s a lot to do. You’re supposed to make sure to keep your body active and your brain engaged all while maintaining your social connections as well. Sure, the benefits to your overall well-being are worth the effort, but retirement is supposed to be a time with less responsibility on your plate, right? Well, it turns out that in senior living you can have your cake and eat it too, so to speak. Here’s how programs like our Vivid Life make keeping active, engaged, and connected easy and fun!

Benefits of Healthy Aging

Good things happen when you focus on healthy aging. In addition to feeling better overall, which in and of itself is a win, other benefits of keeping active, engaged, and connected include:

Improved ability to do everyday things
Reduced impact of illness and chronic disease
Enhanced mobility, flexibility, and balance
Improved sleep
Increased energy level
Reduced feelings of depression and stress
Increased feelings of happiness and self-confidence
Reduced risk of cognitive decline
Increased mental adaptability and cognitive reserve
Improved memory recall and problem-solving skills
Improved concentration and attention to detail

How Senior Living Can Help

At home, particularly when living alone, it can be hard to stay as active, engaged, and connected as you’d like. From lack of opportunity to lack of motivation to lack of transportation to mobility challenges, and more, it’s tough, we get it! That’s why we created the Vivid Life program in our senior living communities. It’s composed of three parts: Vibrant Body, Vibrant Brain, and Vibrant Connections. Here’s what each entails:

Vibrant Body – We offer amenities such as a state-of-the-art fitness center, a pool, walking trails, gardening opportunities, and even a dog park to help you stay active. A sample of activities includes:

Walking club – Daily walks at different outdoor locations using pedometers to measure steps.
Yoga – At least once per week for gentle yoga, and once per week for mindful breathing.
Fitness classes – At least two times per week using a variety of hand weights, resistance bands, and circuit-type exercises.
Tai Chi – At least once per week with a live instructor.
Non-traditional exercise – Dancing, gardening, etc. at least two times per week.
Physical games and sports – Golf, putting, bowling, croquet, bocce, and ping pong available daily with organized events one to two times per week.

Vibrant Brain – We offer monthly calendars filled with classes, events, creative arts, and enrichment opportunities to help keep you engaged. A sample of activities includes:

Visiting lecture series – Twice per month with topics such as cultural, historical, local interest, career-oriented, etc.
Creative art series – At least one per week with a theme that runs 3-6 weeks, such as poetry writing, storytelling, painting, digital photography, etc.
Learning series – At least three times per month with an emphasis on learning something new such as foreign language, sign language, technology, hobbies, etc.
Games – At least one time per week and may include poker, bridge, Scrabble, etc.
Mindfulness – A meditation class once per week and gratitude discussion group twice monthly.
Church service – At least once a week through visits by local churches.
Stress reduction – At least once per month class that offers deep breathing exercises, nature walks, music appreciation, spa-type treatments, etc.

Vibrant Connections – We offer resident-led clubs, social events, outings and volunteer opportunities for any interest to help you stay connected. A sample of activities includes:

Outings – At least twice per month and may include going to concerts, art shows, museum visits, theatre productions, etc.
Intergenerational programming – At least once per month and focuses on building relationships between young adults/children and residents.
New resident welcome party – At least once per month to formally introduce all new residents, and includes ice breakers, social games, etc. to encourage connection.
Philanthropic program – At least once per month provide residents the opportunity to give back to the community, such as volunteering for a local food bank or pet shelter.
Resident-led clubs – May include game clubs, professional clubs, common interests, etc. that meet at least monthly.

What’s more, it’s all right outside your door (or transportation is provided offsite) and all in a supportive environment with home maintenance, housekeeping, and restaurant-style dining freeing your time to make it even easier to stay active, engaged, and connected.

Learn more about Vitality Living’s Vivid Life programs. Or find a Vitality Living community near you today to schedule a tour.

Parents await patiently for a baby’s first step and teenage boys brim with excitement and pride at the first signs of facial hair. In fact, there are many physical changes that we experience throughout our life. As we age, however, the changes are not always as welcome.

Stiff mornings and sore knees can be discouraging in the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. But staying active is important at any age. And as you grow older, physical activity becomes even more critical to maintaining your independence and even keeping a healthy mind. When done right, a healthy lifestyle can reinvigorate all facets of your life.

The Journal of Health and Social Behavior found that “older adults who had high or medium levels of engagement that increased over time developed cognitive and physical limitations more slowly than did those with low levels of engagement that decreased over time.”

No one wants to feel limited by health. To keep this from happening, find healthy outlets that fit your own unique interests so that you will be excited about keeping up with your routines. Nowadays there are limitless opportunities for individuals of all abilities and interests. Below, we will explore a few of the ways to stay active, healthy, and happy and some senior resources for further reading.

Healthy Habits

When it comes to keeping up with your physical health, you want to make sure that you are covering all of the bases. At times, health requirements can seem to go on and on, so we want to make sure that the most important ones aren’t overlooked. Everyone should be sure to:

Keep up with medical requirements. Visit the dentist every six months, get screened regularly for vision and medical abnormalities, and monitor medications and the effects they are having on your health on a regular basis.
Stay physically active. Whether you are running half marathons or are more restricted in your movement, it’s important to maintain a routine for staying physically active to keep your bones and muscles healthy.
Stimulate your brain. Support your mental health by doing puzzles, reading, writing, and even finding electronic apps or games that you enjoy.
Eat nutritiously. A healthy, balanced diet will keep your body nourished and able to function at peak performance.
Get your rest! Be sure to take time to relax, destress, and get the physician-recommended seven to eight hours of sleep every night.
Stay social. Finding ways to participate in family occasions and to stay active in the community can be incredibly important to warding off feelings of isolation that can ultimately lead to loneliness and depression.

Exercise Programs

There are a great selection of fitness organizations for older adults. Here are some links to company’s websites created specifically for individuals needing guidance for keeping a safe and organized physical routine.

Exercise & Physical Activity: Your Everyday Guide from the National Institute on Aging. Here is a guide for safe and simple exercises you can do at home.

Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine and Science: Aging and Exercise. This site teaches you how aging affects the way you work out.

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You Are What You Eat

Eating a nutritious diet is not always easy, no matter what age you are. We all have our own temptations that we find irresistible (for me, it’s chocolate!). But eating a well-balanced diet can help with everything from energy to brain and eye health to muscle development. Here are some resources for nutrition that are specifically geared toward individuals aged 55 and up.

Nutrition.gov. There is a section of this website, which is curated by a government organization for health and wellness, with eating tips and guides just for seniors.

Eat Right. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics also has a section of its website with tips, meal guides, and other great resources for seniors.

EatWellBeWell.org. This non-profit group has put together a comprehensive guide with important information about healthy food for older adults, as well as some handy checklists and charts.

Other Ways to Stay Healthy and Engaged

As it becomes more difficult to go out and about, it’s not always easy to find ways to be social or mentally stimulated. However, it does not have to be as complicated as it might seem. There are a lot of simple ways to stay involved and feel a sense of invigoration on a daily basis. Here are a few ways to do just that:

Call up your friends. Invite your friends to get your hair done together, go see a movie, play cards, or go for a stroll in the park.
Take a class. Do something challenging for your brain and take a class at the local community college. There are often many available classes for free or for a very reasonable price.
Volunteer. This can be done in many different ways. You can even volunteer from your own house via the internet or your phone. Giving back is one of the best ways to add another level of meaning to your life.

Some other digital resources for keeping a healthy and active mind are:

Fit Brains. This blog is a mecca of tips on how to maintain a healthy brain, no matter what your age is.

Masters of Healthcare. This website has a bunch of games that help keep your brain entertained and healthy. They can be played online or offline and provide you with that little extra challenge you need to stay fully engaged and keep your mind expanding.

Online Brain Games. This is another website with games specifically created to keep your brain active and healthy. It also has a blog that offers advice on mental health as you age.

In Conclusion

These resources give you a great guide for maintaining your fitness, nutrition, and mental-health practices. All of these things are important for everyone in order to keep happiness and health as long as possible. Ultimately, the way we find meaning in our lives is up to us and our commitment to ourselves. Making health a priority is the real key to letting the joys of life continue to flourish.

Healthy Living

Vitality Living

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