How Wellness Programs Help Keep Life Grand

Wellness. It’s a term that has risen to be at the forefront of health discussions in recent years. And also a word that, on its face, seems self-explanatory — right until someone asks you to explain what it means beyond simply “feeling good.” One group of experts who should know, the Global Wellness Institute, defines wellness as “the active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.” In other words, wellness is something you do to achieve something you want. Namely, a healthier, happier life.

As we age, actively pursuing wellness becomes increasingly important. Staying as independent, mobile, and mentally sharp as you would like simply won’t happen on its own. And while it may be impossible for any health and wellness program for seniors to turn back time (sorry, Cher), comprehensive Senior Wellness programs can, as the saying goes, add years to your life and life to your years.

The Building Blocks of an Exceptional Senior-focused Wellness Program

It should come as no surprise that the most effective healthy aging programs incorporate every aspect of a person’s life. After all, we are the sum of many disparate parts, and addressing only one or two will only leave us wanting more. For seniors especially, five areas rise to the top in pursuit of staying at the top of your game:

• Physical Fitness — To maintain and even improve your balance, strength, and cardiovascular health, look for programs that incorporate a variety of options, such as yoga, resistance training, swimming, walking clubs, and fitness classes for seniors.

• Nutrition — You are what you eat. Cliché? Certainly, yet true nonetheless. But a good wellness program goes beyond telling you to eat your veggies and includes ways to make your dietary needs as deliciously attainable as possible. For example, dishes featuring lean meats and fish, prepared in a variety of mouth-watering ways, will be in regular rotation on the menu.

• Mental Enrichment — Good news, you are not an old dog. Which means you most certainly can learn some new tricks, skills, or hobbies. Or simply more about subjects you already know and love. Whichever route you choose, a program that helps keep your mental acuity as keen as possible is a must.

• Emotional & Social Engagement — Staying connected to other people is perhaps even more critical at this stage of life than in your youth. That’s why wellness programs that include group activities and outings, assorted clubs and classes, and volunteering opportunities should be at the top of your list.

• Preventive Health Care — Naturally, a comprehensive wellness plan will help you address your health care needs. Such plans typically offer easy access to screenings, on-site resources, medication management, and transportation to appointments.

While these areas are each quite beneficial on their own, together they legitimately become greater than the sum of the parts — creating a foundation for healthy aging and prolonged independence.

How Wellness Programs Improve Quality of Life in Retirement Communities

Given what we’ve just discussed, it may seem obvious how a good wellness program would improve one’s life at a retirement community. And that is, to be fair, partially true. However, a robust wellness program brings more to residential life than a set of protocols to follow or a list of activities to engage in. The best wellness programs are fully integrated into daily life. In fact, they’re so ingrained into the fabric of the community that you may not know (or may easily forget if you did know) that the program exists at all.

Significantly, the point of community-wide wellness efforts goes far beyond the desire to extend lifespans. Ultimately, it’s about instilling every day with the potential to be a great day. And that’s not idle talk. Studies consistently show that seniors who stay active physically, mentally, and socially report higher levels of happiness, lower levels of stress, and better health outcomes overall.

How Summit Vista Integrates Wellness Into Daily Life

As Utah’s premier Life Plan Community, Summit Vista sets the standard for how we incorporate our wellness initiatives into everyday living. Here are just a few of the ways we help our residents stay as invigorated and independent as possible:

• Nutrition — Our head chef and his masterful culinary team create meals designed to be as nutritionally complete as they are gastronomically delightful. They ensure that even if your diet is restricted, your enjoyment never will be.

• Fitness Programs — From daily classes to working one-on-one with certified personal trainers, our residents have no shortage of options for staying fit. A state-of-the-art fitness center with a heated indoor pool complements our four outdoor pickleball courts.

• Lifelong Learning — Perhaps unlike 17-year-old you, you understand there’s always more to learn, enjoy, and master. Summit Vista embraces numerous resident clubs, hosts interesting seminars, and encourages residents to venture beyond the (admittedly robust) community activities calendar.

• Emotional and Social Wellness — Summit Vista exists to create a community of seniors who embrace independence without isolation. Through a wide variety of communal and small group activities, volunteer opportunities, assorted creative outlets, and everyday interactions, our residents thrive as they walk through life together.

At Summit Vista, wellness genuinely is more than a feeling. It’s a journey our residents travel every moment and every day as they experience the peak of retirement living.