The holiday season is such a joyful time at Wentworth Senior Living! Residents get excited to decorate, celebrate, and come together with loved ones. However, once the festivities have settled down, many seniors find themselves looking for ways to kickstart healthy habits for the New Year. Instead of waiting until January, we’re sharing some practices to help seniors feel their best entering 2023.
Start Stretching
As we age, our bodies can start to feel a bit stiff, and we may feel we’re losing strength in our muscles. One of the best ways to improve posture and flexibility in older bodies is stretching! Experts recommend seniors try to thoroughly stretch each major muscle group for at least ten minutes, twice a week. When we neglect stretching, our muscles become shorter and tighter, increasing risk of injury from everyday activities. In addition to the physical benefits, regular stretching can help reduce stress.
To get started with a regular stretching routine, we recommend taking a look at this 13 Simple Stretches for Seniors Guide, which includes photos and instructions for senior-friendly stretching.
Get Outside
Since we are located on the east coast of the country, the sun starts to set earlier as the temperature gets chillier. This means it can become difficult to get some fresh air outside while the sun is up. However, it’s worth it to brave the cold for some vitamin D! There are many benefits to Vitamin D, like bone health and disease prevention. In addition to soaking up the sun, getting outside helps lessen anxiety, improves your body’s internal clock, which helps regulate sleep, improve focus, and can even boost self-esteem!
Try New Things
We are always encouraging our residents to try new things and get involved in our community! Experts say, “an active lifestyle is more than just getting your daily steps in. It includes doing activities that are meaningful to you and benefit your mind, spirit, and body.” There are endless projects to participate in within the comfort of our homes but getting out of the house might be just what is needed.
During the holiday season there are fun, local events that are perfect for seniors to enjoy. For example, we’re excited for the upcoming Gingerbread House Contest and Exhibition on December 22nd! We think this would be a great event for residents to attend together with friends or family. We encourage seniors to try new things this season. Check out our previous blog about the wonderful town of Portsmouth, NH, to find more lovely areas to visit.
We know the holidays can get busy, but everyone’s health and wellness always come first. We hope seniors will try some of our tips to get ahead and enter the new year feeling their best!