Have you always led an active life? Are you a bon vivant? Perfect, keep going! Aging doesn’t mean putting your active life on hold, and living in a seniors’ residence even less so. Many paths lead to fulfillment, whether they be physical activity, leisure pursuits or discovering new passions. Leading an active life when retired is an equalizing factor that allows you to move through what is called old age, staying healthy and, above all, young at heart!

Old age is not an end but a renewal

Many prejudices are unfortunately still too often associated with aging. Old age is a stage, an extension. Why should it mean ceasing activities and everything that has helped you flourish? This is a false belief and, above all, we should feel blessed to grow old.

At Sélection Retraite, we help our residents remain young at heart! We promote a dynamic and stimulating environment in which you can simply continue to pursue your favourite hobbies and activities with enthusiasm and vitality and, who knows, discover some new ones!

And, since beautiful days are here, take the opportunity to revisit your favorite sports activities by doing them outside! Lay your yoga mat on the grass, do your stretches on your balcony or in your residence’s garden. At the same time, you will benefit from the soothing effect of nature. Do you like artistic activities? Why not take a sketchbook or an easel and set yourself up facing a magnificent landscape? You will discover that drawing or painting outdoors increases your inspiration tenfold!

Remaining active for healthy aging

Remaining active comes in different ways. Practicing a sport, or simply being active every day, brings considerable benefit to general health. Taking a walk in the spring sunshine is invigorating, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, getting out at a bus stop that is farther away than your usual stop are all small tips that invite physical activity into your daily life.

The World Health Organization recommends that older people undertake at least “150 minutes of moderate-intensity endurance activity or at least 75 minutes of sustained-intensity endurance activity per week, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and sustained-intensity activity.” Daily endurance activity should be practiced in rounds of at least 10 minutes.

Take the example of our Sélection Retraite St-Augustin residents, who, all last summer until the end of September, were offered weekly 45-minute sessions of outdoor physical activities! 

Another way to motivate yourself to move? Do it in a group! Last May, 20 of our Sélection Retraite Deux-Montagnes residents took on a marathon challenge in order to cover a total of 42.7 km throughout the month. Try it with friends and challenge yourself!

The benefits to physical health

The benefits of regular physical activity are many:

• Improved balance
• Reduced risk of injuries or falls
• Improved sleep
• Muscle and bone strengthening
• Reduced risk of stroke
• Reduced risk of osteoporosis
• Help in prevention of Type 2 diabetes and of certain cancers

While listening to and respecting your body, there are many activities that you can discover and explore:

• Brisk walking is, quite simply, an excellent exercise that will keep your heart in top shape;
• Taking a dance class. Ever wanted to take flamenco or salsa lessons? Now’s the time to try! You will improve your flexibility for sure and will share sweet moments with your partner;
• Biking: Buy a helmet and at the same time rediscover childhood pleasures. You never forget how to ride a bike and Quebec spills over with bike lanes. You will discover magnificent landscapes all while doing some good for your joints;
• Swimming: Do a few laps at your own pace, have fun in the water. You will be relaxed and your muscles will have worked hard, that’s for sure!
• Yoga: A thousand-year-old tradition, yoga is by definition the perfect union of body and mind. The postures will help you strengthen your muscles and bones and improve your flexibility.
  
  

The benefits to mental health

The World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which a person can fulfill themselves, overcome the normal stresses of life, perform productive work and contribute to the life of their community.”

Therefore, having good mental health does not mean having no particular problems, but rather experiencing a state of well-being and fulfillment.

Physical health and mental health go hand in hand. Moving allows you to:

• Reduce stress and anxiety

Do you know about cortisol? It’s the stress hormone. Produced by the pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain, cortisol must maintain balanced levels. Elevated cortisol levels increase anxiety, muscle and joint pain, hyperglycemia, sleep problems, etc.

Reducing your sedentary lifestyle and getting moving lowers cortisol levels. Yes, be active and you can fend off anxiety and even prevent depression, as numerous studies have shown.

Physical activity also contributes to:

• Improved mood;
• A more positive outlook on life;
• Improved self-esteem.

The advantages of Sélection Retraite

At Sélection Retraite, our mission is to offer our residents a place to live imbued with comfort that promotes joie de vivre, good mental and physical health.

Physical activity

Our healthyID® program encourages all of our residents to be active through a variety of activities. Many of our residences notably include an indoor swimming pool and you can also take yoga classes or work out in the gym. 

Thanks to complete programming broadcast on our internal television network and often offered by specialists, we also offer a wide range of activities to do in your apartment (or on your balcony in summer) if you are among those who are less drawn to group training.

Living in a community

Living in a seniors’ residence also means breaking the isolation. It’s about making new acquaintances, developing new friendships, sharing laughs and moments of happiness in conviviality. You can count on our experienced recreation directors specializing in leisure activities to entertain you and stimulate your imagination. 

Line dancing (virtual or face to face), creative and artistic activities, new technologies, everything is ready!

To move, in any way, is neither expensive nor complicated. Just choose an activity that we like, that brings us happiness and well-being and, even if it is a bit difficult in the beginning, the benefits will soon be felt. You will quickly look forward to your walk, your laps in the pool or your yoga class. The benefits of exercise for physical and mental health are endless: stress reduction, prevention of cardiovascular disease and of Type 2 diabetes, of osteoporosis, and improvement in sleep.

Above all, don’t forget: It is never too late to start and, most importantly, there is no age for it!