Forget the negative stereotypes around aging. Many older adults today embrace a vibrant lifestyle, rife with opportunities to enhance their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Moving to an independent or assisted living community can be an excellent way to support an active lifestyle. With rich and varied opportunities and valuable amenities at your fingertips, a senior living community can help you build a life you love and empower you to invest in your long-term wellness.
You can adopt an active lifestyle no matter where you call home, but communities offer some key advantages for active living.
Communities offer a variety of experiences to appeal to a range of abilities and interests. Having a full calendar to choose from takes the guesswork out of finding healthy and fun ways to spend your time, providing a great starting point to embrace positive habits and experience joy.
Communities come with a ready-made social circle of peers, a reality that can promote a more engaging and fulfilling lifestyle. A recent study found that seven in 10 older adults who socialize at least a few times a week report being in excellent or very good mental health. Having friends nearby who share access to wellness amenities and experiences also can make it easier to stick to a routine.
Senior living campuses typically include a range of amenities that support an active lifestyle. For example, you may gain access to:
Having these amenities at your doorstep can make it much easier to keep active and make the most of each day.
Every community offers its own unique combination of experiences. Programs for seniors are far from boring or stereotypical; they’re designed to help you learn, grow, and enjoy life. Let’s explore some types of experiences you might find on a senior living campus to support a vibrant lifestyle.
Research shows what many people have experienced firsthand: Physical activity correlates with an enhanced quality of life for older adults, improving both mental and physical health. There are plenty of ways to stay physically active, but communities make it easy and help you stay motivated with walking groups, fitness classes, and dance classes. Some communities, like Edgewater and Halcyon House, even feature community gardens to help you commune with nature as you move your body.
Active senior living also involves exercising your mind. Learning new things keeps life fresh and helps your brain stay sharp. Communities provide opportunities to learn through book clubs, ancestry workshops, and educational talks. Residents of The Village, a WesleyLife community for healthy living in Indianola, are even able to audit classes for free at nearby Simpson College. Interested in studying Ancient Rome or learning to speak Japanese? Now is your chance!
Research shows that tapping into creativity can enhance a person’s well-being. When we create, we engage our minds, emotions, and often our bodies to express ourselves in unique ways. Communities provide opportunities to exercise creativity through art therapy, knitting clubs, choirs, and more. In some communities, like Park Centre, you’ll even gain access to creative spaces like art studios and woodworking shops.
Whether or not you consider yourself an especially social person, time spent with others is an important part of a balanced and fulfilling lifestyle. Community living campuses make it easy to engage in community life as much as you desire through morning meetups, happy hours, communal dining, game nights, trivia, movie screenings, and more. You also can join fellow residents for fun group outings.
If your spiritual health is important to you, you’ll find plenty of ways to honor that in a community — especially a faith-affiliated one like WesleyLife. Attend Mass or church services and participate in Bible studies to learn and grow with others who share your faith. You also can take part in community volunteer projects to give back and enhance your sense of purpose.
Want to see an example of what your days and weeks could look like in a WesleyLife Community for Healthy Living? View our sample activity calendar.
Active senior living starts here! WesleyLife communities provide robust calendars that allow you to pick and choose the clubs, outings, and events you wish to participate in. Community living is all about choice, so you can build a schedule that feels balanced for you. Each day can look different. Maybe you want to spend most of your Sunday curled up on your couch with a good book or your favorite show, but on Monday, you’re ready to move your body and dive into community life. It’s all up to you!
Want to learn more about WesleyLife Communities for Healthy Living? Start by taking our online assessment to find a community that suits you. Next, request a tour and see firsthand how WesleyLife communities make every day engaging and fun while supporting your total well-being.