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Safe Fitness Ideas for Seniors in the Winter

Independence. Energy. Brain Function. At first glance, it’s imminently clear, all are pretty important to our wellbeing. But it may take a second look to grasp the thread that ties them all together: Exercise. Exercise is important to our physical and mental health at any age, but as active adults, it is critical to our quality of life. Keeping fit will positively impact all of the above, helping maintain the ability to live independently, staving off disease, sharpening the brain and continually fueling energy reserves. Contributing to a well-balanced life, senior fitness will also improve actual balance, keeping older adults safe from falls which can have serious consequences. Now that the leaves are changing colors, your fitness regimen may be going through some seasonal changes as well. Here are a few suggestions for bringing the fitness party indoors. Walking If you are a hardy spirit, walking in the winter may just mean having a jacket handy. It can be invigorating to take a brisk walk in the crisp air and enjoy Mother Nature’s best show. For those who would prefer to walk indoors, if you’re fortunate enough to live in one of Overture’s active adult communities, or have access to a local gym, you can keep it moving on the treadmill. If the treadmill is unappealing, grab a buddy and head to the nearest indoor shopping center for a fun, social mall walk. Indoors or outside, walking is a fun, low impact, exercise you can do on your own or with friends. Take the Plunge When the weather gets cooler, a heated pool is just what the trainer ordered. Exercising in the water can improve strength, flexibility and balance with minimal stress to the body. For those with joint issues, swimming laps or taking a water aerobics class is a perfect—and pain free—way to stay fit. Between aqua jogging, leg lifts, arm curls, standing water pushups and flutter kicking, water aerobics can be quite a vigorous and beneficial workout. Resistance Bands High on the list of indoor exercises for seniors is the use of resistance bands. It’s amazing how many different exercises can be done with those stretchy strips of rubber. Most come in kits with a guidebook of suggested exercises. Ideal for working out at home, resistance bands are inexpensive and can help strengthen and tone all the muscle groups, including that all important core, for improved posture, mobility and balance. In Home Fitness Programs As an active adult, you probably remember actual fitness videos for seniors. Well, now the concept is the same, but the delivery system is much improved. There are tons of sources for at home exercise programs for seniors out there. Some are online and others are available on DVD. Check out the 60+ Club, and Amazon for starters. There is also the popular Peloton online . Be sure to check out the programs carefully before you begin your workout to make sure they are compatible with your skill and comfort level. Namaste Of course, winter is the time to get the yoga mat out of the closet. If you are new to his type of exercise, take it slow at first, and work your way into a more strenuous practice. There are plenty of yoga movements that can be done with a chair and that may be a good place to start. Great chair yoga exercises for seniors include: Overhead stretch Seated cow stretch Seated cat stretch Seated mountain pose Seated twist Weight Training Weight bearing exercise is an important part of senior fitness. Before you buy weights for in home use, it may be prudent to check with a fitness trainer to be sure to choose the right free weights for your fitness level. Senior fitness is imperative year round. Make sure falling temperatures don’t deter you from working up a sweat.

The Essential Elements of Active Adult Wellness

If you put Mahatma Gandhi and Mark Twain together in a room, there’s a very good chance you would hear varying perspectives on, well…everything. Just look at their quotes about health and wellbeing: According to Gandhi, “Health is the real wealth, not gold and silver.” A lovely sentiment, and very Gandhi-ish. On the other hand, Mark Twain took a different approach, saying, “The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like and do what you’d rather not.” When it comes to the 21 st century’s expanded definition of wellness, it appears they are both 100% correct. Yes, our overall wellness is essential to living our best lives and hinges on our physical, mental, social, emotional, intellectual and environmental wellbeing. And yes, sometimes supporting that wellness means making more disciplined life choices. According to the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA), “wellness is derived from our ability to understand, accept and act upon our capacity to lead a purpose-filled and engaged life. In doing so we can embrace our potential.” Reaching beyond Gandhi and Twain’s vision of health, the five dimensions of wellness involve balancing all areas of life to support the active pursuit of what we love. As you embark upon a truly satisfying and rewarding active adult life, consider these essential wellness elements a framework for ultimate senior health and wellness. Emotional Wellness Emotional health is the cornerstone of happiness and a critical component of wellness for the elderly. Understanding our feelings and responding to them appropriately helps us create healthy relationships with others. Sharing feelings with other seniors who face the same challenges of aging can help support emotional stability. Intellectual Wellness A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Staying engaged and active mentally is a proven approach to keeping our brains sharp. There are so many options for stimulating the mind. Take a college course to learn something new, write a journal chronicling your past, pick up a paint brush, join a senior theater group, get into a card game or simply pick up a crossword puzzle book. It’s all about exercising that muscle between the ears to keep it strong. Use it or lose it. Simple as that. Physical Wellness Physical wellness is the key to independence. Lifestyle choices that keep us physically fit include exercise, healthy diet choices, adequate sleep, managing stress, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, and being proactive about medical care. Or as Mark Twain said, doing things you don’t want to do! Professional Wellness The feedback we get from using our professional skills contributes to our confidence and self-esteem. Retirees may no longer get paid for their services, but can achieve personal satisfaction by lending their expertise as mentors, teachers and volunteers. You can maintain your skill set while experiencing the satisfaction of helping others. Social Wellness Isolation is the enemy of senior wellness. Social interaction with family and friends is essential to a successful active adult life. If your neighborhood no longer provides social opportunities, consider becoming part of an active adult community where all your neighbors are friends just waiting to be met. Get involved in clubs and classes and enjoy creating new and meaningful relationships. Spiritual Wellness Spirituality means different things to different people. Wherever you find your spirituality, it is an essential piece of the wellness puzzle. You can seek out group or individual faith-based activities or practice personal mindfulness meditation like yoga or tai chi, or just commune with Mother Nature when the spirit moves you. Environmental Wellness Environmental awareness is the gift that keeps on giving. Living a “greener” life and supporting good stewardship of green spaces for future generations is great for you and the planet. This is not to mention the joy and peace of mind that comes with spending time surrounded by the beauty of nature. If Gandhi and Twain had a chance to achieve a 21 st century understanding of wellness, no doubt they would finally agree on something: Wellness for the elderly is a complex concept that embraces the sum total of who we are and who we aspire to be.

Healthy New Years Nutrition Tips

Ah, the New Year! Reconnecting with family, celebrating with friends, and – sometimes - eating and drinking ourselves merry. Ho, ho…hold on! Overindulging is more the rule than the exception at this time of year. The repercussions of weeks of unhealthy eating are about more than just added pounds. At this stage of the game, veering from your usual nutritional regimen can seriously impact your health. Here are some healthy New Years tips to maximize your enjoyment of the season - and the months to come. Stick to Your Schedule New Year festivities may include late night meals. If you are not used to eating later in the evening, it may be hard for your body to adjust. Heavy food before bed can disrupt both digestion and sleep. Your best bet is to stick to your regular dinner schedule and maybe grab a light nosh at the party. The Best Defense: Fruits and Veggies Before you head out to celebrate, enjoy a snack of fresh fruits or vegetables. This may fill you up enough to reduce the urge to inhale the buffet. Even if you indulge in a little holiday cheer, you will have already consumed the important nutrients. It’s a win/win. Take it Slow Speeding through a plate of rich foods is a roadmap to indigestion. Instead of finishing in record time, linger over a plate for at least 20 minutes. Not only will you feel better, but chances are you will eat less. Eating more slowly is a great way to reduce caloric intake without feeling deprived. Take it a step further and grab a smaller plate. It will look full and satisfying – with less food. More cheerful than a big plate half empty! Flat or Sparkling? New Years drinks? Bah humbug! Specialty drinks, hot and cold, though sinfully delicious are loaded with carbs and calories. Avoid the extra unwanted sugar by filling up a glass with good old H2O. Sparkling or flat, a glass of water allows you to raise a glass with everybody while hydrating your cells and keeping your sugar levels in check. Cheers! Salt May Not Be Your Friend During the new year, you will be surrounded by food that is not part of your daily dietary routine. This makes it difficult to control your salt intake. If you are heading out to dinner, check out the menu online. Many restaurants offer nutritional facts on their websites and you will have a better idea of how much sodium you are consuming. Your heart will thank you. A Little Sweet Goes a Long Way ‘Tis the season for sweets. Maintaining sensible nutrition means paying attention to what goes into your body. It does not mean torturing yourself when you are salivating over your friend’s divine homemade brownies. It’s all about choices. If you’ve got your eye on that special treat, skip the bread or appetizers to save room. That said, if you receive a plate of brownies, how about freezing them and portioning them out over time? Better yet, remove the temptation altogether by distributing them to friends. You will get a lot of, well…brownie points! Maintaining New Years nutrition can be a challenge but the rewards to your long-term health and wellbeing are worth it.

Life Enrichment Programs for Active Adults

“Music to play, places to go, people to see!” Nobody said it—or sang it—better than Ann Margret in Bye Bye Birdie. If you’re an active adult, old enough to have seen that movie in a real live theater, you know you’ve still got a lot of livin’ to do! You’ve done the obligatory part, raising the kids, and being part of the workaday grind. Now it’s your turn to be inspired by learning something new, rediscovering neglected passions, or just connecting with like-minded peers. It’s time to go out and play. But where? And with whom? The neighborhood has changed, and old friends have moved away to find the sunshine or be with family. You are in the proverbial situation of being all dressed up with nowhere to go. Providing the key that will fling open the door to your new life, Overture’s active adult communities were precisely conceived to be the matchmaker between you and the opportunities you seek. With unlimited lists of daily on-site activities and a plethora of potential social connections at your fingertips, Overture is dedicated to promoting your continued development and wellbeing. Life enrichment activities for seniors may seem like the icing on the cake of active adult communities. But in truth, they are a critical component to a fulfilling quality of life. Designed to keep seniors engaged and involved, programs and activities that support the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive wellbeing of community members can be the difference between just living and really grabbing the gusto. The Physical An active lifestyle is a healthy lifestyle. The more you move, the more you will enhance your quality of senior life. Physical activity helps manage chronic conditions, maintain healthy bones and joints, prolong independence and is just generally uplifting. Social Isolation is the enemy of seniors. A community setting takes that issue off the table, with a long list of programs and activities aimed at keeping seniors socially active by fostering new and meaningful relationships. Maintaining those connections is important at any age but especially at this stage of life. Regular interaction with like-minded peers is not just fun and fulfilling. It can also reduce anxiety and lower the risk of depression. A win/win. Cognitive Exercising the mind is as important as moving the body. Many life enrichment activities for seniors are aimed at preserving cognitive abilities. Whether you join a book club, enjoy card games or board games with friends, or try a creative writing class, activities that keep the mind active can go a long way toward sharpening memory and reasoning skills and improving general brain health. It’s All About You! Living your best life as an active adult means channeling your energy into activities that bring out the best in you. Whether you tap into your inner Ginger Rogers—or Fred Astaire—in a weekly dance class, pursue a refresher course in the subject of your choice, or embark upon a completely new course of study, the benefits of enrichment activities cannot be overstated. One piece of advice before you start filling in your daily dance card at one of Overture’s premier active adult communities: Don’t forget to save time for Happy Hour. Your friends are waiting!

Wellness Tips for Active Adults

Now that you’ve earned full-blown active adult status, it’s time to focus on what inspires you. All those passions left to simmer—while you were busy catering to the needs of bosses and children—are still bubbling, just waiting for you to crank that burner back up to high. But you still have one important job to do: Maintain a healthy lifestyle that enables you to enjoy this special chapter of life to the fullest. Here are some health tips for seniors that will help keep the active adult party going. It Takes Two to Tango Senior socializing is about more than just a dance partner. Connecting with peers and engaging in meaningful, lasting relationships is as important to senior health as a yearly checkup. Isolation begets loneliness which begets depression as well as other mental and physical issues. For those living in single-family homes, it can be difficult to find those critical social opportunities. The active adult community setting is designed to make socialization effortless. Classes, activities, field trips, and happy hours are at your fingertips. Just sign up for as many—or as few—as you are comfortable with. There are no strangers at active adult communities. Just friends you haven’t met yet. Put the ACTIVE in Active Adult There is only one way to maintain an active lifestyle and that is to keep moving. It’s not healthy to be a couch potato at ages 16, or 25, or 50. But at 55+ inactivity can be the difference between sitting on the sidelines or staying in the game. Even if you’ve gotten out of the exercise habit, there are plenty of fun ways to ease back into physical activity. Don’t worry. Nobody is expecting you to go bungee jumping. However, there are lots of fun, age-appropriate ways to start the blood flowing again. Take a brisk walk. Start slowly and gradually increase speed, time, and distance. Get in the pool and take a nice relaxing swim or enjoy a low-impact water aerobics class. Practice yoga for strength, balance, and peace of mind. If you’re new to the discipline, try chair yoga and work up to a mat practice when you feel comfortable. Join a senior fitness class and enjoy the workout and the company. Learn Tai Chi, a gentle eastern martial art that involves the body, mind, and spirit. Hop on a bike and take a tour around the ‘hood. It’s All About You! Simply put: You are your own boss. This is the time to pursue whatever floats your personal kayak. Doing what you love, whatever that is, will flood your body with those all-important happiness endorphins. Whether it’s gardening, trying a new musical instrument, getting creative with arts and crafts, or just sitting down and writing your own life story, pursuing your bliss is emotionally uplifting and provides nourishment for the soul. Don’t Ignore the Science While busy meeting friends and tapping into your inner artist, thespian, musician, or card shark, don’t forget to be proactive about your medical care. It’s important to stay on top of things with regular medical and dental checkups. That body—and those teeth—need to last a lifetime. Age-appropriate screenings can save lives. You Are What You Eat Health and wellness tips for seniors must include a reminder that we are what we eat. A healthy lifestyle needs support from a sensible diet that limits junk and focuses on lowering cholesterol for heart health and keeping blood sugar levels where they should be. This is your time and you’re rarin’ to go. Consciously adopting healthy lifestyle habits based on the 7 dimensions of wellness will ensure that your energy matches your enthusiasm.

Games for Active Adults to Boost Brain Health

Exercise should be fun. Whether sculpting the body or honing that very important muscle between our ears, it’s vital to find activities that are both beneficial and enjoyable. As we age, the former remains important, but the latter can be critical to maintaining our cognitive abilities. Regular mental exercise can go a long way toward keeping the brain firing on all cylinders. In other words, we need to use it or lose it. One of the best ways to enhance overall cognition and memory skills is to play a game. There are tons of brain games for seniors, including memory improvement games, that can help active adults stay sharp and focused. Chess The combination of strategy and creative thinking makes chess a great mental workout. It’s easy to play on your computer or play up close and personally with a friend for the added bonus of social interaction. Mah Jongg Mah Jongg is the perfect game for stimulating the memory gene. Download the Real MahJongg app and play on your phone, computer or iPad. The other option is to find three other enthusiasts and enjoy an afternoon or evening of friends, tiles, and concentration. Word Games Word searches, the daily crossword, or even a fun game of scrabble provide excellent practice for word retrieval, a skill that can become rusty as we age. Play the games in the daily newspaper or order crossword or word search books to have them on hand. Whenever the spirit moves, help yourself to a mind-expanding puzzle. Look for the seniors’ puzzle books featuring larger print. If you’d rather go virtual, download the popular Words with Friends app and play on your smartphone anytime, anywhere. Jigsaw Puzzles As seniors’ puzzles go, jigsaws are at the top of the list. They involve both memory and problem-solving skills for a great brain workout. They come in all shapes and sizes so you can choose the complexity level you’re comfortable with. If you are new to the genre, start small and work your way up! Sudoku Join the ranks of devotees who don’t leave home without their Sudoku books. Alternate this numbers puzzle with your word games to balance your brain efforts. Enjoy the puzzle in the daily newspaper or buy a book with puzzles designed for players of your level. Deal Yourself In Card games are the ultimate form of brain exercise. Promoting focus, memory skills, and overall cognition, card games check all the boxes. You can play individual games like solitaire on the computer or organize the card game of your choice with friends. These days you can play with friends even if you are in different locations by downloading apps like Canasta Junction, Social Bridge Online Cardzmania , and TableTopia, Once the game is going, set up a zoom call or facetime call so you can enjoy the social aspects of the game as well; Challenge your mind with any one of the games on this list, find another that inspires you, or just sit down and read a book . It doesn’t matter what type of mental exercise you choose, as long as you find an activity that gets the wheels turning. It’s the thoughts that count!