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162 College Highway
Southampton, MA 01073
Our newest community, Lunabrook Village at Torrington is schedule to open in Late Spring of 2025.
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Now Hiring! We are currently looking to
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Spring is blooming all around us and as soon as the chill leaves the air, you’ll be wanting to step outdoors to recreate. Older adults can keep the spring in their step and prevent falls by maintaining a simple routine of balance and strength building exercises.
If you’ve felt unsteady around your home during the winter months, or if you (or a beloved older family member) have a history of falling or being unsteady, it’s important to step into physical activity with extra caution. Though it is tempting to venture out on a long walk on the first warm day of the spring season, not being physically ready for the increase in physical activity can lead to a potentially devastating fall or other injury. Older adults want to pay attention developing and maintaining balance, coordination, and strength in the legs as well as their core muscles around the midsection.
“Having good balance can help older adults avoid both the frequency and the severity of their falls, reducing the the likelihood they will suffer a serious injury that will lead to a significant and permanent change in their quality of life. That is why exercise is so important on a daily basis!”
~ Michael Levandowski, B.S. EP-C, CDP, Everbrook Exercise Physiologist
The following are basic exercises that senior citizens can be doing year-round, particularly during the weeks and months leading up to spring. If you haven’t participated in an exercise program in quite a while, be sure to get cleared by your physician before you begin. Also, seek the guidance of a certified fitness trainer who specializes in working with older adults.
For older adults, certain movements or activities can present cause them to feel unsteady and increases their risk for falling, such as:
Sit-to-Stand Exercise
The sit-to-stand exercise builds leg strength and improves body mechanics and balance, which are important in reducing falls. This exercise mimics the movements that are necessary to rise from a seated position and return to that position. Seats of varying heights can be used based on a person’s starting range of motion and ability to move independently or with an assisted device such as a cane or walking stick.
Balance Training Exercises
The ability to stand on both feet, and on either foot independently, is essential for fall prevention as well as for climbing or descending a flight of steps. At home, it’s easy to work on balance training exercises. Just be sure you are nearby a steady piece of furniture, such as a couch or a countertop that you can easily reach out to if you do feel unsteady.
Standing Feet Apart
Start with both feet on the ground, shoulder distance apart. Stand without holding onto anything for 10 seconds, working your way to 1 minute for a set of 3-5 repetitions.
Standing Feet Together
Start with both feet on the ground, shoulder distance apart. Stand without holding onto anything for 10 seconds, working your way to 1 minute for a set of 3-5 repetitions.
Standing on 1 Foot at a time
Yoga or Tai Chi Class
If you are already steady on your feet. Practicing yoga or Tai Chi 1-3 times a week is an excellent way to maintain and even improve your strength, balance and coordination. You might also benefit from a regular workout, twice a week, using strength training equipment under the supervision of an exercise specialist, as noted above.
Fitness and Wellness at Everbrook Senior Living
Senior fitness and wellness are a priority at Everbrook Senior Living. Whether you are part of our independent living community or require assisted living services, our cutting-edge exercise program is led by a certified exercise physiologist who delivers evidence-based, safe and fun exercises designed for older adults. In addition to a focus on individual needs, we also offer a variety group exercise and Wellnes 4 Later Life programs, all designed to help you feel your best at every age and state of life.
We’d love for you to see what the Everbrook family of senior living residences has to offer you. Get in touch with us, today, to schedule a tour.
Additional Resources on Fall Prevention Exercise for Older Adults
Tufts School of Medicine “Exercise Decreases Fall Risk for Elderly People”
One of the best things older adults can do to improve health and vitality is to maintain a walking routine. Many chronic illnesses, diseases, and everyday ailments can be prevented or better managed with moderate-intensity walking. Research also shows that walking has protective benefits for the physical and emotional health of older adults. Let’s take a closer look at these benefits, learn walking safety tips for older adults, and easy ways for older adults to fit a little more walking into their day.
Physical & Emotional Health Benefits of Walking for Seniors
Walking provides the following physical health benefits for older adults:
Walking also has the following emotional health benefits or older adults:
As you can see, walking improves the older adult’s overall quality of life!
When walking for wellness, older adults have a few options for how to proceed. First, always begin with a check-up with your personal physician. Once you’ve got the ‘go ahead,’ you’ll want to wear proper footwear and attire (see Tips, below).
To reap the wellness benefits of walking, older adults want to move at a pace that makes them feel slightly out of breath, but \ still able to hold a “huffy” conversation. Don’t worry if that's not manageable at the start. Rather, focus on moving safely, for as long as is comfortable. Build-up walking endurance by adding 5 minutes to each walk. If you’re not quite ready for 30-minute long daily walks, try some of the walking tricks below to get more steps each day.
3 Tricks for Fitting in a Little More Walking Each Day
You don’t have to take long walks every day. If all you can fit in is 10-15 minute bouts of walking a couple of times throughout your day, research shows that’s just as good as a longer walking routines. A few simple tricks for increasing the amount of walking in your everyday routine include:
8 Fitness Walking Safety Tips for Older Adults
The tips below apply to anyone: If you are just starting a walking program, these tips will get you off on the right foot. If you’ve been walking regularly for fitness, these tips are a good reminder.
One thing we want to emphasize to older adults: Don’t be shy about using assistive supports such as trekking poles, a cane, or even a walker.
Everbrook Senior Living Community Walking Trails
Each of the Everbrook Senior Living Communities has beautiful grounds for walkers. For those who want more variety (or challenge) in their walking routine, you’ll find parks and trail systems that are accessible from your front door to within minutes or a short drive of each of the Everbrook communities.
Colebrook Village in central Connecticut, in the town of Hebron, is within immediate access to a variety of places to walk. Whether it is downtown Hebron, or the hiking trails at Gay City State Park, or along the shoreline…you don’t have to travel far for a beautiful walk!
Cedarbrook Village located in Ware, Massachusetts, is surrounded by rolling hills, river views, and a variety of outlets for easy to vigorous walks. From parks to mountains to spa retreats with beautiful walking grounds—you’ll find it all accessible minutes to a a short drive from Cedarbrook.
Elmbrook Village in the quaint town of Bozrah, Connecticut is accessible to seaside walks as well as park trails, not to mention the lovely grounds at the property, itself. Gardner Lake and Maple Farms Park are two favorite spots for walking and recreating.
Stonebrook Village in Enfield, Connecticut provides a variety opportunities to get your walk in. Wheter you venture downtown or to Enfield Falls or venture along the Windsor Locks Canal, there’s much wildlife, foliage, and sights to enjoy!
We also have Brookmeadow at Blue Hills, in Stoughton, Massachusetts, and Hillsbrook Village in Allenstown, New Hampshire (opening this summer). Both with exceptionally beautiful grounds and access to charming villages and recreational areas suitable for walkers of every stripe!
Resources
American Academy of Family Physicians. Exercise and Seniors. May 2022.
Walking Tip Sheet for Older Adults from HealthyAging.org
Walking Programs for Seniors from HowdyHealth at Texas A&M Life Extension
European Society of Cardiology. Exercise, however modest, found progressively beneficial to the elderly. 15 May 2015.
Fahmy, S. Study: Regular walking nearly halves elderly disability risk. UGA Today. 15 July 2018.
In the Month of April, the American Heart Association promotes everyone to MOVE MORE! This month we encourage everyone to participate in more physical activity. Make it your goal to move more and sit less. Staying active is one of the best ways to keep our bodies healthy, maintain our quality of life and keep our independence longer as we age. Start adding more activity into your day one step at a time.
How long have you been sitting today? You sit while you eat your meals, drive your car, work at your desk, reading a book, watching TV, while you’re on your computer, or talking on the phone. It all adds up. People now spend a majority of their waking days sitting. The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study in 2019 that stated adults in the U.S. spent more than 6.4 hours a day sitting.
Try to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting every day to help improve your health. No matter how active you are, even if you’re getting the weekly recommended amount of exercise (150 minutes of moderate exercise), you still might be sitting too much.
Making small changes in your daily routine will allow you to move more. Fit in 2, 5, 15, 30 minutes when possible. Be active however and wherever you can. Here are some tips to get yourself to move more throughout the day. Get up and move at least once every hour. If you’re watching TV, during the commercials take a walk down the hallway. After reading 20 pages in your book stand up, stretch and walk around. Walk while you’re talking on the phone. Park further away from the store when you go out shopping. Vacuum or dust the house. If you can’t walk or stand try seated knee lifts, arm circles, or straight leg raises. The important thing is to remember to move more, sit less.
Winter has arrived so it only makes sense that this month’s gym talk is about trying to prevent the common cold and flu. The start of flu season begins when levels of the flu are high, which usually begins around October and can last until May. The flu does share symptoms with the common cold; however, the flu can take a much greater toll on the body. The influenza virus or better known as the flu can not only effect humans, but nearly every other mammal and even birds on the planet making it easy for the flu to spread around the world. There are three main types of the flu: influenza A, influenza B, and influenza C. There has been no epidemics caused by influenza C, whereas Influenza A is the most common around the world. Influenza A can infect humans and animals as well as birds, unlike Influenza B, which is only carried in humans.
Symptoms of the flu include constant cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, chills, muscle cramps/aches, headaches, diarrhea and/or vomiting. Just because you have some of these symptoms does not mean you have the flu. The common cold has similar symptoms, but usually does not get more severe then a fever and stuffy nose and only lasts for a few days. More severe symptoms lasting longer than a couple of days indicates you should get tested by a doctor.
