Promoting Senior Health: Top Wellness Activities
Your golden years have that name because they're supposed to be embued with joy. After spending your life building an incredible career and family, you finally get to kick back and take some time to enjoy life. If you want to maximize your golden years, then a focus on senior wellness is critical.
Are you curious about what you can do to improve your overall health and well-being? Read on to learn about senior wellness activities that'll help you maintain your joie de vivre for years to come!
Walking Groups
Going for a walk might sound like a simple option, but it's actually a powerful way to stay healthy, mobile, and pain-free. The majority of health professionals recommend a regular exercise regimen like walking to help with chronic illnesses like osteoarthritis. Benefits include:
- Improves muscle strength around joints
- Boost bone strength
- Increased energy levels
- Better balance
- Improved mood
Creating an exercise regimen is easy enough, but maintaining it can be quite difficult, that's where walking groups come in. Walking groups that meet regularly give you the motivation to get up and moving on a regular basis. Over time, you'll find yourself looking forward to meeting up with your friends and getting out of your home.
Group Outings
Speaking of social activities, group outings are a great way to incorporate exciting wellness activities into your daily life. Outings to conservatories or art museums are both mentally and physically stimulating. You'll get movement in from walking around, learn new things, and spend time with your friends.
Adapted Yoga
Yoga doesn't have to be an exercise program that's only accessible to the young. One of the best things about yoga is that it is fully adaptable to individual needs and fitness levels. This can include using thicker yoga mats, foam blocks, and even yoga exercises that you can do sitting in a chair!
Yoga has some unique benefits for seniors, including:
- Relief from chronic pain
- Increased flexibility
- Better stability
- Reduced stress levels
- Improved sleep
- Reduced blood pressure
If you find the thought of yoga intimidating, try giving it a shot, it's one of the best senior exercises out there. Your instructor will work with you on adaptations that make it safe and accessible to you.
Nutrition Classes
Maintaining senior health requires more than just movement.
Nutrition is a critical component, too. Many seniors deal with health issues like hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, and a general lack of appetite. Having an on-site restaurant helps tackle a lot of issues, but dietitian-led nutrition classes help empower seniors to make healthy food choices everywhere they go.
Classes may include topics like:
- How to create a balanced plate
- Creating meal plans for healthy blood glucose levels
- Maintaining healthy blood pressure levels
- Getting enough fiber in your diet
Spiritual Connections
American seniors practice a variety of faiths. It doesn't matter whether residents are Catholic, Jewish, or Muslim, connections to local faith communities are a vital part of life. Some senior living communities are centered around specific faiths, others are nonsecular, but provide transportation to local church services on the weekend.
Regardless of your faith, forming connections to spiritual communities helps seniors maintain a sense of purpose and security in their golden years.
Don't Forget Mental Health!
Mental health is a huge component of a person's overall health. While letting one or two things slide might not have any negative effects, in the long term, poor mental health hygiene actually impacts your physical health! Thankfully, there are many activities in which you can engage to help give your mental health a boost.
Book Clubs
Book clubs are a great way to give your brain a workout and connect with your neighbors. Typically, members of a book club have a set list of books they're considering, and they choose one at random to read at specific intervals (usually across one or two months).
Book club members may have meetings between the beginning of the current book and the end. You'll discuss your thoughts and feelings about the events in the book. You'll be surprised to learn how deeply characters and stories impact us and shape our lives.
Continuing Education
It doesn't matter how old you are, you should always look for opportunities to flex your knowledge and learn new things. Engaging in continuing education programs is a great way to do just that.
Many senior living communities bring in experts to discuss different types of topics to help keep you informed. This can include things like learning how to navigate social media or identifying local birds when you head out for your walk.
Lots of education happens within your senior living community, but a lot happens outside of it, too. Local gardens and conservatories frequently host trainings that cover fascinating topics like plant care. Local colleges often offer discounts to free classes to seniors, as well.
Game Nights
Want to put your critical thinking skills to good use? Then game nights are just the ticket. Getting together with your neighbors and developing a strategy to take them out of the game is not only fun, but it is a great way to keep your mental skills sharp.
If you're not up for strategy games, that doesn't mean you can't sharpen your mind with games. You may be able to play solo games that are specially developed to maintain mental acuity. Check with your director to see if you have access to them.
The Opportunities for Senior Wellness Are Unlimited!
There are many healthy aging tips out there, but if you want to take a holistic approach to senior wellness, then you have to incorporate physical, mental, and social activities. If you're interested in new activities in your community, don't hesitate to talk to your community's director. Senior wellness programs are a great way to improve your health and well-being!
Are you looking for a vibrant and welcoming senior living community where you can spend your golden years? Make Vista Del Rio your new home. Contact us today to learn more about our incredible amenities, wellness programs, and much, much more!