Engaging in both physical and social activities
By Melanie Cammalleri The Afro News Ontario
You probably already know how important physical fitness is for healthy living and healthy aging, but have you ever thought about how mental fitness, good nutrition, and social engagement contribute to the way you age? Revera Inc., Canada’s leading provider of seniors’ services, care and accommodation, has introduced a new program called “Rev It Up” that is changing the way people think about healthy aging.
The Rev It Up program is a holistic approach to feeling fit and fabulous at any age. It incorporates elements of cognitive fitness, proper nutrition, and physical fitness within an engaging social environment to create a personalized program that is easy and fun to follow. The Rev It Up program was developed based on research showing that social and cognitive fitness can be just as crucial to the aging process as physical fitness.
“We introduced the Rev It Up program over a year ago and have received such a positive response from our residents and staff members. Everyone is really excited about it and I think that stems from the fact that we’re taking a new approach to healthy aging by looking at more than just physical fitness or nutrition on their own, but rather looking at the whole individual,” says Joanne Dykeman, VP, Clinical Services & Program Development with Revera.
Dykeman recommends that seniors living on their own or with adult children try some of the following activities to improve their overall well-being:
• Organize daily or weekly walks with friends and neighbours, or participate in a “mall crawl”
• Get involved in activities at the local recreation or seniors centre
• Join sports teams that play low intensity sports like golf or table tennis
• Take seniors yoga or aerobics classes
• Get a group of friends together for hiking and bird watching
• Challenge your mind with daily Sudoku or crossword puzzles
• Join an outdoor photography group
• Stay young at heart by organizing activities with the younger generation
• Join a local gym with a group of friends and have a fitness instructor develop a workout program tailored to the needs of the group
• Learn something new by trying out a delicious recipe you’ve never prepared before
Engaging in both physical and social activities a few times a week can considerably improve overall health and quality of life. If there are no activities organized in your community, partner with neighbours, friends and family to find fun things to do.
