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Senior Health and Fitness Day – “With Movement…there’s Improvement”

May 25, 2017 | Health & Wellness, Life at East Ridge

The theme of this year’s National Senior Health and Fitness Day on Wednesday, May 31, is “With Movement…there’s Improvement” and the common goal is to help keep older Americans healthy and fit. Older adults will participate in a variety of activities at more than 1,000 locations to bring attention to fitness.

This is also the goal of the fitness and wellness programs at East Ridge at Cutler Bay, the life plan community in Cutler Bay geared to active retirement living.

Under the direction of the Wellness Center Coordinator at East Ridge, Suzana Delgado, the community offers a variety of exercise classes, tournaments and competitions for residents throughout the year. Her mission is motivating residents every day. Also, a state-of-the-art Wellness/Fitness Center is open daily with Suzana available to motivate residents.

In 2017, new classes as well as a greater variety of days and times have been introduced to encourage fitness and wellness and offer options in exercise experiences. Many of these new classes are open to the public as a public service to the Cutler Bay community.

“We introduced weekend afternoon classes enabling people to work out before they get dressed for their Saturday evening activities,” she said. “For example, Tai Chi is offered at 4 p.m. on Saturdays and a Yoga class is held on Sundays at 4:30.”

Fitness also is encouraged for residents at Three Palms Assisted Living at East Ridge where Suzana also instructs a variety of exercise and fitness classes geared to assisted living and memory support. Three Palms offers a popular Walking Club, encouraging people to stroll outdoors together and enjoy the late afternoon before sunset. The comradery of these types of classes is very important, Suzana explains. Being with your neighbors’ helps motivation.

There are so many benefits of regular exercise.

  • Helps reduces the risk of falling and fracturing bones.
  • Reduces the risk of dying from coronary heart disease and of developing high blood pressure, colon cancer, and diabetes.
  • Helps reduce blood pressure in some people with hypertension.
  • Helps people with chronic, disabling conditions improve their stamina and muscle strength.
  • Reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression and fosters improvements in mood and feelings of well-being.
  • Helps maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
  • Helps control joint swelling and pain associated with arthritis.

“If I don’t see residents for several days, it’s not unusual for me to give them a call to see how they are,” she said. “If I can encourage someone to exercise, it may prevent them from a future fall. If they fall, then someone will be telling them to exercise.”

The Wellness/Fitness Center offers a senior fitness test for balance, strength and flexibility. Recommendations are made from this evaluation and Suzana is able to track improvements.

“In six months we can see differences when someone starts an exercise program,” she said. “And then we retest to track improvements.”

At East Ridge, in addition to the Fitness Center that residents can use on their own, there are a variety of fitness classes including the popular sittercise class which is a low impact stretching class, yoga, and walking.

East Ridge’s 76 acres offers meandering walking paths is also ideal for walking and bicycling. Outdoors there is bocce, shuffleboard, a heated swimming pool and disc golf course. The Fitness Center also has Wii-equipment for bowling and ping pong.

To learn more about the East Ridge lifestyle, we invite you to call 305.256.3564. Take a tour of the community and be sure to stop by the Fitness Center and meet Suzana.

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