{"id":43997,"date":"2025-08-04T06:40:06","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T06:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/43997\/"},"modified":"2025-08-04T06:40:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T06:40:06","slug":"fitness-is-being-promoted-in-seniors-homes-across-canada-for-better-health-social-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/43997\/","title":{"rendered":"Fitness is being promoted in seniors\u2019 homes across Canada for better health, social connection"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Staying active can help seniors avoid serious injuries from falls, a huge risk factor for this age group.Todd Korol\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n

Ninety-two-year-old Jean Mitchell has been active for as long as she can remember. She played sports while growing up in Saskatchewan \u2013 tennis, skating, volleyball \u2013 but admits that anything requiring hand-eye co-ordination was not where she shone.<\/p>\n

Then she met her husband, an avid outdoorsman who believed the only way to handle a nine-to-five city job was to ditch corporate wear for outdoor gear as soon as the weekend hit. They enjoyed canoeing, overnight hiking and cross-country skiing during the nearly six decades spent together before he passed in 2014.<\/p>\n

And while fitness looks different for Ms. Mitchell now, it remains a key part of her life. On a sunny afternoon in July, she joined a small group of residents in Calgary\u2019s Trico LivingWell retirement community for a weekly seated exercise class, lifting weights, squatting and doing calf raises while holding on to the chair for support.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomebody here asked me how old I was and I told her. And she sat there for a while and she said, \u201882 I would believe, but not 92.\u2019 I think what really makes a difference is being active,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Ms. Mitchell, who hurt her shoulder after a recent fall, said the class is more than just a way to stay active but helps her work through the injury and build new friendships after moving in earlier this year: \u201cThere are lots of nice people, but it\u2019s the ones that you have something in common with that make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

For aging and fitness, community is the most important part<\/a><\/p>\n

Is it a myth that seniors need to slow down their fitness routines?<\/a><\/p>\n

There is growing recognition in Canada that fitness in long-term care or retirement residences should be a priority to promote better health, foster social connection and improve overall wellness. But there are no overarching policies that guide this type of care; rather, individual providers choose which services to offer.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Canada\u2019s population is rapidly aging and projections from Statistics Canada suggest the number of people 85 and older could soar to between 3.3 million and 4.3 million by 2073. That\u2019s up from 896,000 in 2023. The long-term care work force is already strained<\/a> and pressure is building on the health care system.<\/p>\n

And while those issues have been \u2013 and should be \u2013 front and centre in the conversation about improving seniors\u2019 care, said University of Ottawa sociology professor Ivy Bourgeault, there should also be a focus on \u201cadding life to years\u201d in these settings.<\/p>\n

That means activities as simple as grabbing a coffee in the morning, playing music with friends or participating in recreation and fitness. It\u2019s about giving people a \u201csense of home\u201d with opportunities that help both physically and mentally.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s an avoidance talking about aging, but it\u2019s something that happens to all of us,\u201d said Dr. Bourgeault, whose research has focused on long-term care. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe pay a lot of attention to our kids and their schools, and shouldn\u2019t we invest that much fervour in where we are ultimately going to be? And also where our parents are ultimately going to be?\u201d<\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Tyler Mah leads a seniors’ exercise class.Todd Korol\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n

Sitting in front of a large window at Trico, Ms. Mitchell was one of five residents participating in the sit-fit class. Fitness instructor Tyler Mah explained each exercise as he performed it himself, repeating motions several times and offering guidance to attendees as needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople that have fitness ingrained in their lifestyle, they have a better quality of life,\u201d said Mr. Mah, who added that his classes focus on strength, mobility and balance to protect against the No. 1 risk factor for this age group: falls. An injury that, if serious enough, can strip people of their independence, impacting their physical and emotional well-being.<\/p>\n

Earlier that day, Mr. Mah taught a different class: urban pole walking. Only two residents showed up \u2013 owing to a Walmart field trip taking place at the same time. One of them was Vicky Matich, a class regular who enjoys strolling in the nearby park every chance she gets.<\/p>\n

Her walking poles hit the cement after each step, making a rhythmic sound as she followed a winding pathway. She said it\u2019s become more difficult to move around freely since using a standing walker. The class gives her a chance to move her arms, hands and fingers, which are stationary when using her mobility device.<\/p>\n

\u201cI go down to eat \u2013 I\u2019m sitting. I go back upstairs \u2013 I\u2019m sitting. I go downstairs and generally we sit around and talk or play card games \u2013 you\u2019re sitting. So this is an excellent purpose to do something else,\u201d Ms. Matich said. \u201cIt\u2019s satisfying.\u201d<\/p>\n

At 79 years old, fitness influencer Joan MacDonald is the strongest she\u2019s ever been<\/a><\/p>\n

Fitness is being fostered in other seniors\u2019 residences across Canada, including Ivan Franko Homes in Mississauga, Ont., which largely serves Canadians of Ukrainian descent.<\/p>\n

Chief executive Olya Vovnysh said physical activity is \u201cnot just about dumbbells or treadmills\u201d but anything that encourages movement: Rolling and forming perogies by hand, participating in traditional Ukrainian dancing, playing piano or using virtual reality. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt boosts your positive energy,\u201d said Ms. Vovnysh, adding that it is a great way for residents to get out of their head and focus on what\u2019s in front of them. \u201cWhen they are participating in those types of activities, then you can see a change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Janina Jaksic, a 92-year-old Ivan Franko resident, is all smiles while speaking about exercise. She participates in group classes and one-on-one sessions, including with a physiotherapist and restorative aide that help with her visual impairment.<\/p>\n

Ms. Jaksic said, in an interview that was translated from Ukrainian, that the activities keep her busy when the days \u201ccan feel so long\u201d and help keep her spirits high. <\/p>\n

She was recently asked by Ivan Franko to share advice about how to stay young at any age. Her response: \u201cMove every day. Whether it\u2019s a walk, a dance or a gentle stretch, staying physically active supports both body and spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that projections from Statistics Canada suggest the number of people 85 and older could triple by 2073, reaching 63 million. Projections indicate the number could reach between 3.3 million and 4.3 million by 2073, up from 896,600 in 2023.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: Staying active can help seniors avoid serious injuries from falls, a huge risk…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":43998,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[901,888,902,879,877,903,49,48,876,895,896,891,878,875,46,549,295,894,407,887,914,880,881,893,84,889,890,884,904,885,909,910,912,907,911,905,908,882,898,899,714,897,906,865,61,900,892,886,883,913],"class_list":["post-43997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-alberta","tag-arts-news","tag-bc","tag-breaking-news","tag-breaking-news-video","tag-british-columbia","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canada-news","tag-canada-sports","tag-canada-sports-news","tag-canada-trafficcanada-weather","tag-canadian-breaking-news","tag-canadian-news","tag-economy","tag-education","tag-environment","tag-federal-government","tag-fitness","tag-foreign-news","tag-globe-and-mail","tag-globe-and-mail-breaking-news","tag-globe-and-mail-canada-news","tag-government","tag-health","tag-life-news","tag-lifestyle","tag-local-news","tag-manitoba","tag-national-news","tag-new-brunswick","tag-newfoundland-and-labrador","tag-northwest-territories","tag-nova-scotia","tag-nunavut","tag-ontario","tag-pei","tag-photos","tag-political-news","tag-political-opinion","tag-politics","tag-politics-news","tag-quebec","tag-sports-news","tag-technology","tag-travel","tag-trudeau","tag-us-news","tag-world-news","tag-yukon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43997"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43997\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}