Happy New Year! We hope you had a restful, festive holiday season. Everyone at Montereau is excited by the fresh start a new year provides. Now that the days are slowly getting longer, we’re already dreaming about spring and all the active lifestyle opportunities sunshine and warm weather provides. But since winter is still with us for a bit, here are 5 tips to help you get 2022 off on the right foot:
1. Take care of your health this winter. When the days are long and the sun is shining, it’s easy to get outside to soak up the vitamin D and stay active. But when it’s cold outside, you may want to curl up and eat comfort food—an easy way to let your health slide. Make one of your resolutions to eat well throughout the week: healthy dark green vegetables for the nutrients, oatmeal to reduce cholesterol, and blueberries for the antioxidants.
2. Go for a daily walk. Fitness literature is teeming with information about the benefits of walking. From keeping the blood flowing to clearing your mind to getting some social time with a friend or canine companion, a daily walk is arguably as important as an apple a day for keeping the doctor away.
3. Consider adding resistance training to your exercise program. Keeping your heart healthy is crucial as you get older, but strength training can be just as important as a regular cardio program. You don’t have to sling barbells to get strong. Body weight exercises using a TRX strap, light kettle bells, or even yoga can keep your muscles strong and offer protection against injuries.
4. Keep up with your annual physicals. Lab work is important even if you’re young and healthy so you have a good baseline in case anything changes. As you age, make sure you get an annual physical to monitor your blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, blood sugars and other biometrics. Consider buying something like an Apple Watch or Fitbit to keep track of your heart rate. Apps such as Whoop track resting heart rate and sleep patterns to help you stay in optimal shape.
5. Don’t forget your teeth. We all know we’re supposed to go to the dentist every six months to have our teeth checked and to get a good cleaning. But there is also an important connection between mouth health and overall health. Most people are good about brushing, but if you don’t floss regularly, now’s a great time to start!
New Year’s is a great time to recommit to wellness, but keep in mind that wellness is about more than physical health. At Montereau, our Vitality program is built around all the dimensions of wellness, including mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. As you are considering your goals for 2022, be sure to take care of yourself body, mind and soul.
To learn more about our Vitality programming and our wellness opportunities, our team would love to meet you and show you around. Even if you are not ready to join an independent living community, our Loyalty program offers a great way to experience our community and keep up with the latest news as you make your plans. To learn more or meet us for a tour, contact us today!