Assisted living residents in Manassas, Virginia’s Arbor Terrace Sudley Manor are amping up the fitness classes and seeing impressive results. From less falls to better mobility, residents reap amazing benefits from following a top-notch fitness program designed specifically for seniors. Thanks to fitness training company, AAAI/ISMA Fitness, we had the opportunity to offer a custom senior fitness certification training class to our team.
Active Aging at the Forefront
The goal of bringing this new fitness program to our Manassas, VA assisted living community is to promote active aging. This isn’t just about adding some cardio into the day. Active aging is a comprehensive concept that includes everything from throwing away the old stereotypes about aging and ageism and adopting the new way of aging, to promoting all seven dimensions of wellness. We understand that seniors desire a more active lifestyle, so rather than only offering engagement programs that involve sitting or relaxing, we knew it was crucial to support movement. Classes and activities such as flexibility, strength training, balance, and more are incorporated to meet the evolving desires of seniors.
Fitness Program Overview
In a society where sitting has become the norm, we’re using our fitness program to combat a sedentary lifestyle. For instance, keeping our feet healthy and active can play a large role in proper mobility, and it can even help prevent falls. Through our active-aging fitness program, we encourage seniors to exercise their feet. We also incorporate fun activities, such as tai chi, yoga, deep breathing, balance, dancing, wellness talks, and education on staying hydrated and eating a healthy diet.
We particularly love hosting our ballet class where residents can join together to focus on balance, strength, and flexibility in a fun environment. In addition, we’re able to offer classes via Zoom and are excited to share a virtual meditation class for residents to participate in together. Along with group classes, personal fitness is also important, which is why residents are encouraged to practice strength training in the gym.
Benefits of Active Aging
Residents are absolutely loving the new fitness programs. Not only are these tailor-made classes supporting better physical health, but we’re finding improvements in the confidence and happiness of our assisted living residents. Smiles shared across the room during a fitness class, new friendships formed, and more opportunities for staff to engage with residents are just a few ways we’re noticing an uplift in spirits around our community. Plus, when residents see improvement in their physical health, it is an automatic encouragement. For instance, residents are seeing improvements in activities like “sit to reach” and walking assessments which boosts confidence and excitement to keep going in the programs.
We know that active aging can also help to lower blood pressure, increase ability to walk up steps, lose weight, and so much more. We look forward to seeing more residents join the fun fitness programming.
Creating deeper connections and making new friends is vital, and our focus on fitness supports this mission while bringing a long list of benefits of its own. Residents at Arbor Terrace Sudley Manor are now even more supported in leading healthy, active lifestyles through this tailor-made fitness program for seniors. We’re watching stress fall to the wayside, lives transform, and happiness grow! We look forward to seeing how a focus on fitness continues to bring incredible results to our Manassas, VA assisted living community.
To learn more about Arbor Terrace Sudley Manor, schedule a personalized tour today!
