Active Aging with Meadowood: Boosting Wellness and Community Although the term “active aging,” or at least the theory of it, has existed since the 1940s and ’50s, it has streamed into the modern consciousness as a huge buzzword for the 21st century, changing the focus of aging from limitation to living your best life.
In 2001, the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) was formed to bring organizations and health and wellness professionals around the world together “with the common goal of changing the way society perceives and responds to its older population.” One of the ICAA’s initiatives includes Active Aging Week, which takes place the first week of October every year. The purpose of this international effort is to highlight the benefits of older adults maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle.
Meadowood celebrates this event each year with activities that support good physical health, intellectual well-being, emotional support, and lots of social interaction. This year, we offered dozens of activities that highlighted the ICAA’s 2024 theme, “Challenging Ageism.” Some of these activities were brand new, while others were new twists on classes we already offer.
Wellness staff and residents kicked off the week bright and early Monday by doing the stroll, sock-hop style, in the Fitness Studio. The morning included, among other senior fitness activities, a Broadway-themed spin class, a Disco Chair Aerobics class, and tai chi. In the afternoon, personal trainers offered fitness and wellness assessments. A “Challenging Ageism” discussion had us talking about all the ways the myth of the fragile, feeble older adult is perpetuated, not only in the media and the public eye, but by our own words and perceptions. How many times have you heard (or maybe even said), “Don’t get old. It sucks!”? We concluded that change must start with us.
Tuesday featured Movement and Meditation, Intro to Tap, and the ever-popular resident water volleyball. On Wednesday, the morning blasted off at 7:45 a.m. with Air Guitar Spin Class. For those mellow types, there was a special yoga meditation, and aqua exercise lovers water-walked through Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons.” Later, special guest – our very own “Richard Simmonz” taught a Sweatin’ to the Oldies class. In the afternoon, Optometrist Erin Kenny gave a presentation on diagnosing and rehabilitation of different eye diseases and disorders, giving those with low vision new ways to tackle the world. A boxing class “rounded” out the day.
Thursday, residents knocked it out of the park with a wiffle ball game in the cul-de-sac, learned that hips don’t lie with a Hula Hoop Fitness class, and Zoomed in with a Spanish tutor in Guatemala for Beginning Spanish.
All week long, our trail boxes around perimeter road featured amazing and inspirational stories of achievement by older adults.
The grand finale of Meadowood Active Aging week on Thursday and Friday featured a Rube Goldberg Machine Contest (so much fun!), capped off with a celebratory cocktail party to view the machines that had everyone cheering.
It was a fantastic and exciting week, but to be truthful it wasn’t all that unusual. At least, not around these parts. That’s because the mission of Meadowell — the culture and way of life we’ve been building for years here at Meadowood — is to keep on moving, learning, and doing. Every day, we offer our residents a wide range of engaging activities that promote health, movement, socializing, working and volunteering, emotional connection, intellectual stimulation, spiritual fulfillment and environmental enrichment.
We may celebrate Active Aging one week out of every year, but we live it every day.