Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

As we age, staying active is crucial for maintaining our physical health, but an often-overlooked aspect of well-being is the importance of social interactions. For active older adults, combining social activities with recreational activities can significantly enhance quality of life. Recreational activities can be essential to your health in many ways, including the following:

Enhances Mental Health – Social interactions can greatly reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation, common issues among older adults. Engaging in recreational activities with peers provides a sense of community and belonging. This social engagement can lead to lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Studies have shown that older adults who maintain strong social connections have a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Boosts Physical Health – When recreation is done in a group setting, it often becomes more enjoyable, encouraging consistent participation. Group activities like walking clubs, dancing, yoga classes, or team sports not only improve physical health but also increase adherence to regular exercise routines. Social support can motivate older adults to push themselves a bit more, leading to better overall fitness.

Improves Cognitive Function – Engaging in social recreational activities stimulates the mind and keeps it active. Activities like card games, board games, or even group classes for learning new skills (e.g., painting, crafts, or a new language) can help improve memory, problem-solving abilities, and other cognitive functions. The mental stimulation from these activities is essential for maintaining cognitive health as we age.

Fosters Emotional Well-being – Being part of a social group can provide emotional support, which is vital for handling life's challenges and changes, especially as we get older. Sharing experiences, laughter, and even challenges with friends can lead to stronger emotional resilience. The sense of companionship and the joy of shared experiences can enhance overall happiness and satisfaction with life.

Promotes Lifelong Learning – Participating in recreational activities often involves learning new skills or hobbies. This lifelong learning process is beneficial for keeping the brain sharp and engaged. Whether it's picking up a new sport, learning to play an instrument, or exploring new technologies, continuous learning fosters a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

Creates a Support Network – In later years, having a robust support network is invaluable. Regular social interactions through recreational activities help build and maintain your social network. Friends made through activities can offer practical support, companionship, and encouragement.

Encourages a Positive Outlook on Life – Regular participation in social recreational activities can significantly improve one’s outlook on life. Being active in a social environment creates opportunities for fun, laughter, and meaningful connections. This positivity can lead to a greater sense of overall well-being and a more optimistic view of aging.

Creating social interaction with recreational activities is vital for the holistic well-being of older adults. It enhances mental and physical health, fosters emotional support, and promotes a positive outlook on life. By staying socially active, older adults can enjoy a higher quality of life and maintain their independence and vitality for years to come. This month our client locations in senior living are engaging in programming centered around recreation and being social. Encourage your friends and fellow residents to get out there, join a group, make new friends, and keep moving!

Are your fitness and wellness programs reaching your residents, but now you’re wondering how to take your community’s reputation to the next level by demonstrating an even bigger commitment to a healthy, active lifestyle campus-wide? Perhaps it’s time to incorporate a staff component into some of your resident fitness and wellness initiatives! There are several benefits of employees participating in challenges or broader wellness initiatives with residents in your community settings, here are the top 5!

• Improved Health and Wellness: Regular physical activity is not only beneficial for your residents, but for everyone! By participating in resident fitness and wellness challenges employees too can maintain a healthy weight, reduce their risk of disease, improve their strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health, and improve their overall health and well-being. By participating alongside residents, they’re also more likely to stick to their goals as they become role models, supporters, and more accountable.
• Team Building: You want a strong collaborative team leading of employees leading the way at your community, right? By including employees into fitness and wellness challenges and encouraging them to work together towards a common goal, you’ll be fostering team building, collaborative programming, communication, and a sense of community which can be beneficial for them in all aspects of their lives, including at work.
• Enhanced Job Satisfaction: When employees can participate in activities which promote better well-being, they’re likely to experience increased energy levels, decreased stress, improved mood and greater job satisfaction. Increased job satisfaction and morale can lead to greater productivity, and increased employee retention!
• Positive Impact of Resident Experience: Participating in a challenge alongside one another can foster positive relationships between employees and residents. This provides them with the ability to build rapport with each other and leads to better communication, and enhanced employee-resident interactions. When your residents see that the employees are engaged and committed to healthy habits through participation more residents may be inclined to join in as well, which can improve their health and fitness outcomes and enhance their overall quality of life.
• Positive Reputation and Retention: By demonstrating a commitment to employee health and well-being, while continuing to promote vibrant lifestyle options for your residents, you will be more apt to attract and retain not only residents, but also a top performing team!

If you wish to have a productive workplace environment and retain top talent, we urge you to open some aspect of your community-wide wellness initiatives to your employees.