Winter is beautiful, especially in Massachusetts. With frost, snow, icicles, and glittering twilight on the water, winter evokes a cozy-up and settle-in feeling. And though we try to keep up with our exercise routines, or start new ones, it’s so easy to slip on some pajamas and put on a movie. While we’re big movie night fans, we also recognize the importance of staying active and getting your heart pumping. Staying active is imperative for both our physical health but also our mental health, so we like to take it very seriously – but also have fun with it!
The experts at our independent senior living communities in Massachusetts have compiled a list of some of our favorite unique ways to engage our bodies. We hope you have as much fun trying them as we did compiling this list! Try out some of these great suggestions on your own, or with your friends:
For those of us who are super active and agile, jumping rope is an excellent way to get the heart pumping in a jiffy. Just ten minutes of jumping rope can boost your heart health for the day. And if you’re worried about tripping on the rope, or want to try the arm movements only, we love weighted ropeless jump rope handles! They provide all of the arm action, but keep you safe from tripping over the rope.
Who doesn’t love a good dance party? It’s the ultimate happy maker with both music and exercise boosting serotonin levels. While you can take a class to learn specific techniques, you can also just pump up the tunes in your own home and dance around your living room with family, friends, or solo! Wanting to make some special memories with your loved ones? Do a little digging into their past and ask them who their favorite musicians were when they were teenagers or your age, and surprise them with a playlist of their favorites, and have them teach you some of their favorite moves.
But wait – isn’t this about staying active? Karaoke is just singing! We’re so happy to say that singing is a fantastic way to build your lung capacity and is a great aerobic exercise. Engaging your core by breathing from your diaphragm enhances your breath support, and gives you a stronger fuller sound. In very simple terms, this means allowing your stomach to expand while breathing rather than lifting your shoulders to breathe. There’s a reason so many singers have such strong cores – they’re consistently engaging their abdominal muscles. Between the core workout, and using dynamics (singing louder or softer), you can build lung capacity in no time. So bust out a microphone, turn on a YouTube karaoke channel, and let your inner diva come out! For more information about how to engage your diaphragm while singing, check out this simple guide from Masterclass.
One of our favorite things about the above suggestions is that almost anyone can participate in each of these activities and modify it to work with their specific body and needs. We love watching our residents’ faces light up when participating in a dance, or watch a wave of nostalgia hit them when a song from their past comes on, and we know you do too.
For more information about our retirement communities in Massachusetts, contact our friendly team today. We’d love to give you a virtual or in-person tour of our amazing centers.
At Sunshine Retirement Living, we not only care for our residents, but also for those that care for them. We know that our staff members are a big part of our residents' lives, and we want to make sure they flourish.
We offer a range of benefits and choices that allow our staff to customize a benefit plan that best suits them and their families. They include:
- Medical/prescription
- Dental
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Daily Pay - Sunshine’s daily pay system gives employees direct access to their paycheck when they need it without having to wait until the next pay day.
- Flexible Work Schedules - Employees can work with their supervisors to create work schedules that meet the needs of the business and the employee’s personal life.
There are many more benefits for our full-time and part-time employees. If you are interested in learning more, read more about the benefits here: www.sunshineretirementliving.com/careers/benefits-and-perks/
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Crafting is a great way to pass the time, keep your hand-eye coordination sharp, and, if you're strategic about it, create something your friends and family will love, too!
Knitting and crocheting fit the bill perfectly. Now that we're almost in spring, you'll have plenty of time to practice and create a cozy item for someone you love well before the chill comes back!
Take a field trip to a neighboring yarn store for some soft yarns in their favorite colors, or even a yarn with some shimmer to add a little something special! The best thing about crafting a blanket is that you can pick the design and let your imagination flow.
Would you take on a project like this?
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