Heart Health Awareness Month: What Seniors Need To Know
Each February, we celebrate Heart Health Awareness Month, where we can discuss ways to prevent heart disease and raise awareness about heart issues that can occur. Coinciding with Valentine’s Day celebrations, Heart Health Awareness Month is a reminder to do more to love and care for ourselves.
Especially for seniors, it is important to find ways to improve your overall health and reduce health risks in the years ahead. At The Village at Germantown, our residents are surrounded by the best facilities, food options, medical care, and more to keep their health in top shape.
Even if you’ve had heart health problems in the past, our team of specialists from all fields of medicine are here to keep you feeling your best and moving forward with health habits.
Here are our top tips for staying heart healthy in the year ahead:
Keep Moving
As we get older, it becomes even more important to bring versatile exercise into our routines. Exercise not only keeps us invigorated, but it also keeps our muscles from deteriorating. With more energy and muscle mass, our bodies can continue to keep blood circulating and our hearts pumping.
Of course, exercise also allows us to maintain a healthy weight, reducing stress on our bodies and hearts. While exercise can sometimes be difficult, it is important to get started. Even small movements can make a big difference in your overall strength, health, and mood!
For ideas, here are a few ideas from the American Heart Association to get moving:
At The Village, we know that exercise is critical to our residents. That’s why we have made such a large investment in our exercise equipment and facilities. Residents can exercise, walk on our indoor track, swim in our indoor pool, enjoy our popular classes, and much more.
In fact, our exercise classes have become so popular that we need a larger space to hold them! With our upcoming renovations, we will expand on our communal exercise space to allow more people to participate in our fun classes. For a personal, customized approach to exercise, The Village has personal trainers on staff who can work with our residents to set goals and measure progress over time.
Nourish Your Body
Just as important as exercise, diet can impact your overall health in several ways. The right vitamins and minerals in your diet can improve your energy level and influence the way your body fights viruses and other harmful bacteria.
By keeping your immune system strong, your diet allows you to stay healthier year round. Increasing the amount of vegetables, protein, fruits, and calcium in your diet can increase your body’s strength through balanced meals.
The Village residents can keep their meals healthy and versatile through our multiple dining options in our community. With the Monarch Dining Room, the Cafe Bistro, and the Polo Lounge, The Village has several menus that meet the dietary needs of our many residents.
Along with these dining options, our staff members are skilled in helping residents create meal plans that will make a lasting impact on your heart’s health.
The Doctor’s In
Another perk of living at The Village is our on-site clinic, which is staffed with doctors from the Methodist healthcare system. The advantage of having doctors here is that our residents can check in regularly to keep a good handle on their health. Regular check-ups allow residents to monitor various aspects of their health, including blood sugar, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, cholesterol, and weight.
Along with measuring specific health metrics, doctors at The Village offer health screenings and tips for disease prevention. Our doctors can guide residents through appropriate exercise routines and diet plans that can boost health and immunity towards heart-related diseases.
The Village is so committed to our residents’ convenience in managing their health that we are planning an expansion of our clinic in the coming months. With more space in the waiting room and more room to see doctors, our patients will be able to commit to their heart health with easier trips to visiting their doctor.
Activity: The Best Medicine
While we did discuss the importance of exercise above, there is an equally important need to get out and get active in other ways. The Village fosters friendships and lasting hobbies through the various activities and meetings that are held among the residents.
Engaging in conversation, playing games, and crafting and creating art keeps minds and hearts feeling connected to others. Investing in a hobby is a great way to make friends and spend time being active during the day.
The Village's residents are always finding new ways to enjoy time together, by playing cards, enjoying exercise classes, going for walks on our beautiful grounds, creating with groups like Seniors in Stitches, working in the woodshop, and more. Also, thanks to our great location in Germantown, TN, our residents can take trips to enjoy shopping, the arts, events, religious services, and more in the Memphis area.
By reducing stress levels with these activities, our residents who are most active enjoy the most out of life and their time in our community.
Healthy Lifestyles At The Village
While we celebrate Heart Health Awareness this month, The Village is always finding ways to keep our residents active and feeling their best. Our dedicated staff is continually finding new ways to make patients feel at home, but also taken care of, while they are here.
To learn more about living at The Village, for yourself or a loved one, click here. We look forward to sharing more information about healthy living in our community.