Wellness Month at Oakmonte Village in Davie, FL
According to the Whole-Person Health Poll (hosted by the American Osteopathic Association), Americans rate their overall health and wellness as good (54%) or excellent (17%). Maintaining good emotional, physical, and mental health can improve your longevity and quality of life. However, many seniors struggle to maintain healthy aging routines as their mobility and independence decline.
Before that happens, use Wellness Month as an opportunity to make positive changes to your life. Discover how to improve your overall wellness with these tips for seniors in Davie, FL!
Senior Fitness and Wellness
According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, over 85% of Americans 65 and older don't get enough exercise. Exercising can enhance your overall health by:
- Helping you fall and stay asleep
- Encouraging you to socialize
- Distracting you from negative thoughts
- Creating an outlet for stress
- Boosting energy levels
- Reducing muscle tension
- Improving strength, flexibility, and mobility
Explore your senior living community to discover senior fitness and wellness classes. You can participate alongside friends, which may make exercising more enjoyable. Your friends can hold you accountable to participate regularly.
Explore aerobic, balance, and strength-training activities.Aerobic activities will get your heart pumping. Examples include hiking and walking.
Balance activities may decrease the risk of a slip-and-fall accident.These can include yoga and tai chi.
Strength-training activities like weight lifting can help you build muscle. Seniors naturally lose muscle mass as they age, leading to decreased independence.
Meditation
Meditating can help your mind and body relax after a long day.This practice may enhance your self-awareness while helping you relieve stress. Potential health benefits include:
- Increased mindfulness
- Reduced pain
- Increased attention span
- Lower blood pressure
- Reduced risk of depression
- Strengthened immune system
- Improved mood
- Better sleep
Explore your senior living community for classes. Otherwise, use an app to follow guided meditation recordings.
Healthy Aging Routines
To develop healthy aging routines, work with your doctor or a professional at your senior living community. An effective routine should take a holistic approach to improve your overall wellness, considering:
- Socializing
- Physical activity
- Healthy eating
- Regular check-ups with a doctor
- Engaging the brain
- Getting enough sleep
Developing a routine can give your life structure. It may help you stick to positive, healthy habits. A routine could help you feel safe and secure, decreasing feelings of anxiety and stress.
Emotional Wellness Support
Social isolation and loneliness in older people pose health risks, according to the National Institute on Aging. Connecting with others can improve your mood and quality of life. Otherwise, isolation can affect your physical and mental health, increasing your risk of:
- Alzheimer's disease
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Cognitive decline
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Obesity
Engaging in fun, meaningful activities with others can give you a sense of belonging. Here are some ways you can improve your emotional wellness.
Assisted Living Activities
Explore your senior living community's events and activities calendar. You can find fun opportunities to connect with other seniors, including:
- Continued education courses
- Volunteer opportunities
- Exercise classes
- Hobby groups
Socializing with other seniors may reduce your risk of dementia. According to one study, higher rates of dementia are associated with:
- Loneliness
- Less frequent social contact
- Lower social participation
Instead of waiting for other seniors to approach you, reach out first.Consider inviting them to lunch or forming a group based on a shared hobby. You can forge new friendships and create lasting bonds.
Maintaining meaningful friendships can enhance your self-esteem and mood. This new sense of belonging could extend your longevity and improve your quality of life.
Find Support
There are support groups for grief, health conditions, and other shared experiences. Joining a support group can help you:
- Learn from other seniors
- Share your thoughts, concerns, and feelings
- Navigate difficult situations and emotions
- Discover helpful resources
- Share stories
- Forge connections
A group can provide you with emotional support from people who understand what you're going through. This empathy can help you feel motivated, even as you navigate difficult situations.
You can find support groups and other resources through your senior living community. Joining a group may help improve your emotional regulation and resilience.
Journal
Consider adding journaling to your healthy aging routine. Journaling can help you explore complex feelings without fear of judgment.This practice may help:
- Improve recall
- Lower your blood pressure
- Preserve memories
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Break a cycle of obsessive thinking
- Improve self-awareness and self-esteem
- Boost your mood
Set a daily benchmark for yourself. For example, you can aim to fill a page or write for 10 minutes a day.
Mental Wellness
As we age, the frontal cortex begins restructuring. This area of the brain manages self-control and memory. These changes can cause cognitive decline.
To improve your mental wellness, consider:
- Crossword puzzles
- Reading
- Meditation
- Trivia
- Playing cards
- Continuing your education
Reading may help stimulate brain activity, leading to slower memory loss and cognitive decline. It also improved empathy and our vocabulary.
Meditation may help you achieve mental clarity. It can help strengthen concentration skills, which may improve your attention span.
Trivia may help sharpen your recall and problem-solving skills. Cards, on the other hand, encourage you to think strategically and make quick decisions.
Explore your senior living community's events and activities calendar to discover a new hobby. Learning something new will encourage the formation of neural pathways.Fun activities include:
- Dancing
- Cooking
- Volunteering
- Swimming or water aerobics
- Knitting, crocheting, or quilting
- Painting or drawing
- Birdwatching
Memory Care Engagement
If you have Alzheimer's disease, consider finding a senior living community that offers memory care. Their services may include:
- Daily enrichment activities
- Chef-prepared meals and dining assistance
- Medication management
- Mobility assistance
- Grooming, bathing, and dressing assistance
- Home maintenance
- Wellness programming
- Housekeeping and laundry services
These services can enhance your well-being and quality of life.
Celebrate Wellness Month in Davie
This Wellness Month, take control of your mental, emotional, and physical health. Explore these assisted living activities to improve your health as you age. Make a change for the better today!
Remember, moving into a senior living community could make all the difference. At Oakmonte Village of Davie, we offer signature programs like Sensations restaurant-style dining, Celebrations activities and events, and Dimensions health and fitness classes. Contact us now to schedule your tour.