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The Role of Hobbies and Leisure Activities in Promoting Social Interaction and Movement in Retirement Communities
Aged Care Christchurch
As we age, opportunities to make new social connections and to engage on a social level seem to dwindle. This is particularly true for seniors who live alone at home and who may not have any social interactions for several days at a time.
But, it’s important to remember that these social interactions are very important for our mental and physical wellbeing! Humans require regular attention from other people, and creating connections and opportunities for social interaction should be a strong focus of all retirement communities.
One excellent way to foster social connections is through hobbies and leisure activities. This can have positive effects on mental health as well as physical health as these hobbies often require a physical aspect like walking or lifting.
The Community Focus at The Russley
At The Russley, community and social interaction are at the forefront of even the design of the village.
The Russley helps to foster social interactions among residents through their lush gardens and architectural environments. This gives each resident something nice to look at and remark upon each day, allowing that little bit of extra opportunity for forming social connections.
The unique village structure and design at The Russley has been created to remove the clinical or detached feeling of isolation that can be common in apartment complexes. Rather, individual units have both privacy, and also offer a real sense of community through their layout.
Benefits of Hobbies and Leisure Activities
The benefits of hobbies and leisure activities simply cannot be overstated, particularly for seniors. It is important to continue being both mentally and physically active as you age, since this helps to retain muscle strength and mental clarity.
Hobbies also give us the ability to make new friends, spending time with people who enjoy the same kinds of things that we do. Engaging in hobbies can be very fulfilling, especially if you spend time creating something special to you.
Finally, the physical advantages of even light amounts of exercise for seniors on the immune system, cardiovascular health, and pulmonary health can not be understated. Continuing to make your physical health a priority will ensure that you are setting yourself up for a healthier future as a senior.
Facilities at The Russley
The Russley has been built with a sense of community in mind and has amenities and facilities like the Homestead, the Pavilion, and a fantastic bowling green. These contribute to a combination of indoor and outdoor spaces that can be used for anything from watching movies, to seminars, taking a walk or talking with a friend.
They also offer a variety of dining experiences for catching up over coffee, dinner dates, or having a good old Sunday lunch with all the family.
Practical Ideas
Some fun activities that can be taken up at the Russley include arts and crafts, ukulele, croquet and tai chi. You can also do some exercise in the cardio studio or swimming pool, or even pamper yourself at the in-house hair salon.
Expert Opinion
Joining a thriving community in retirement is a big step, and The Russley Village understands the importance of this.
Making and maintaining social connections is absolutely essential to continued quality of life as we age. In fact, social interactions have been linked to a reduction in depression, loneliness, and even neurodegenerative disorders like dementia.
Creating positive social experiences is essential for seniors, as they are a high risk group for experiencing negative side effects of isolation such as depression. Suffering from depression can have a huge impact on not only someone’s mental health, but also their physical health.
The more social interactions you have with people outside of the home, the more you have the opportunity to exercise. The benefits of exercise are well known, and become more important as we age. Although the amount you exercise, and the level of intensity of the exercise may change, it is still really important to be getting some daily movement in.
Conclusion
Engagement is one of the keys to human wellness, and social interactions and exercise are two really important steps in making sure you are setting yourself up for the best possible retirement. Keeping your mental and physical health in check as you age is much easier than having to work your way out from a low point in either mental or physical health.
Being involved in your community can help to keep both your mental and physical health in check. So, if you are after a great, vibrant retirment community, make an appointment to visit The Russley Village.
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