How Life Plan Communities Help Seniors Stay Active

Everyone knows exercise is good for you, especially as you get older.

It can reduce pain, improve flexibility, build strength, boost mood, lower stress levels, improve sleep and enhance cognitive performance. Getting regular exercise also lowers your risk of falling and helps prevent conditions we all want to avoid: dementia, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and several types of cancer.

Yet despite the many benefits, starting and sticking with an exercise routine can be challenging for older adults who live at home. They may not have a gym nearby or a friend to join them on a daily walk around the neighborhood. They may not know how to get started or try to do too much too soon and give up when they wake up the next day barely able to get out of bed.

At a life plan community, there are fitness professionals who can create an exercise program appropriate for your current condition and future goals. They'll monitor your progress, help you avoid injury and keep you motivated as you grow fitter and stronger.  

Communities Built to Support Your Health

With fitness centers, swimming pools, walking trails, even bocce and pickleball courts, life plan communities are built to support an active lifestyle. In addition to one-on-one instruction from a personal trainer, group classes offer opportunities to get physical. Tai chi, yoga, balance, chair fitness, water aerobics, dance classes and more fill the calendar. You may find it easier to keep going with a group class. When you're tempted to take a day off, your classmates will keep you accountable. Plus, the camaraderie of a group class makes getting fit fun.

Of course, staying active in a life plan community doesn't mean staying in the gym. If you love the outdoors, ask about walking and hiking clubs, resident gardening plots, or bird watchers in the community. Go for a bike ride, head to the dog park or practice your short game on a putting green. At a life plan community, you don't have to look far for opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors with people who share your interests.

A Healthier, Happier You

Life plan communities that support an active, engaging lifestyle improve quality of life for residents. In a five-year study involving more than 8,000 residents in over 100 life plan communities, residents reported better health and physical activity levels than their peers who lived at home. Residents also reported greater social wellness and higher levels of life satisfaction, optimism and perceptions of aging compared to older adults who lived at home. In addition, engagement in activities increased for residents but decreased for respondents at home. It's not surprising. Life plan communities are focused on supporting residents' well-being.

A Whole-Person Approach to Wellness

There's more to feeling good than pumping iron or walking on a treadmill. You'll discover a variety of activities that are meaningful and provide a sense of purpose. Opportunities for social connection, recreation, lifelong learning, self-expression, volunteering, and spiritual activities are yours to explore. It's a multidimensional approach to wellness that spans physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, and vocational wellness. You choose the activities that work for you. Whatever makes you happy is what wellness is all about.

Get With Our Wellness Program

To learn more about how Brookridge can support your well-being, get in touch. We'd love to get to know you better and learn how we can help you live a happier, healthier life.