Active Aging Week: Stay Strong, Stay Active
At Benchmark Senior Living, we are gearing up and excited to celebrate this year’s Active Aging Week from September 30th through the first week of October. Staying active is incredibly important, especially for those over 50, and there’s no better time to try something new or connect with your community as we celebrate the blessings of aging all week long. This annual campaign, led by the International Council on Active Aging, encourages everyone (but especially seniors) to embrace their healthiest, most active lives.
The Importance of Active Aging
We know that exercise benefits our physical health in many ways, but why is staying active particularly important for seniors? As we age, it can be harder to either find the motivation or the support to help stay active, and those with limited mobility may be unsure how to stay active. However, seniors can get connected and start improving their physical health and overall well-being with the opportunities and resources this Active Aging Week.
One important reason to participate this week and beyond is to start counteracting the loss of bone density that comes with aging. For example, postmenopausal women can lose up to 2% of their bone density each year. To put this into perspective, if you begin losing bone density in your 50s, over the course of 10 years, you could lose as much as 20% of your total bone mass. This loss significantly increases the risk of developing osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones and makes them more susceptible to fractures. For seniors, this can mean a higher chance of suffering from serious injuries due to falls, such as hip fractures, which can greatly impact mobility and independence. This week, start building up the routine and support systems you may need to start strength training and creating a healthier, stronger future for yourself.
How much physical activity should a senior aim for? The ‘Move Your Way’ guidelines are a fantastic roadmap for older adults, explaining exactly how much and what kind of activity is best to aim for. It advises at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, 2 strength-training activities a week, and mixing in other workouts to improve balance, flexibility, and overall wellness.
What Do These Exercises Look Like?
Aerobic exercise can include group walks or exercise classes, sports like tennis, golf, pickleball, using the stationary bike, or swimming. Strength training, which might seem intimidating, is highly accessible for seniors at all ability levels. Whether using resistance bands or light weights (as low as 1 -2lbs) or your own body weight (through exercises like wall push ups, climbing stairs, or seated leg kicks), the key is consistency.
Then it’s time to get creative with balance and flexibility workouts, these can range from dance, barre, yoga, and Pilates, to stretching, tai chi, and even Qigong. Benchmark Senior Living’s evidence-based programs across our communities provide all these activities—and more—tailored to each resident’s goals, ensuring everyone can participate regardless of ability level or experience.
Active Living Year-Round at Benchmark Senior Living
At Benchmark Senior Living we treat every week like it’s Active Living Week. We offer a wide range of physical ability activity options by trained associates that are personalized to each resident’s capabilities. Our communities offer walking clubs, group outings, have fitness facilities available*, and our Benchmark Strong program works to improve balance, posture and alignment. We’ve created this program to help our residents stay active and strong as they age. Benchmark Strong is a comprehensive exercise program comprised of a series of exercise programs designed to address the musculoskeletal changes associated with aging. This evidence-informed exercise program incorporates strengthening the core and lower extremity muscles, flexibility training to improve alignment/balance responses, postural muscle strengthening, and specific balance exercises to retrain the balance receptors, musculoskeletal system and vestibular system. The goal of Benchmark Strong is to maximize each resident’s mobility and independence. The program also includes guided meditation to help promote relaxation, awareness, and the mind-body connection.
Embrace Active Aging This Week
Active Aging Week is all about promoting positive aging, highlighting how seniors can live healthier, more active lives—and have fun doing it! Look for a sponsored event near you here, or reach out to a club or organization that interests you. Spreading the word on social media is another great way to raise awareness, and you might even inspire others to join the movement toward healthy aging. We believe that physical health is an important part of aging gracefully, and our activities are designed not just for fitness, but to encourage a sense of fun and fulfillment in getting active. At Benchmark Senior Living, we take pride in providing a safe, welcoming space for residents to try new activities and push their limits.
*Check with the Executive Director at your community for current offerings and amenities.
