To make their New Year’s resolutions worthwhile, residents at Presbyterian Village North, a nonprofit senior living community in Dallas, signed up for Texercise, a 12-week statewide health promotion program of the Texas government. Texercise encourages individuals and communities to incorporate additional healthy lifestyle habits such as physical activity and improved nutrition into their daily routines. The program started in January and more than 60 residents signed up. To celebrate the completion of program, Presbyterian Village North will host a big party with a fun walk and a delicious breakfast on April 1st at 9:15 a.m. They are calling it “Any Way Any K,” meaning that residents can complete any number of kilometers, by running or walking, to celebrate their fitness achievements.
“It is imperative to exercise throughout your entire life, even in retirement,” said Radford. “According to the National Institute on Aging, staying active as you get older can help you keep and improve your strength so you can stay independent, increase energy and improve balance. In addition, physical activity can prevent or delay some diseases like heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis and reduce depression. We were excited to extend this opportunity to our residents to help them enhance their healthy fitness habits and learn more about all aspects of wellness. This program is excellent because it will give them goals to work toward with the support of neighbors and friends.”
The program included new fitness classes, educational activities and social events. Shannon Radford, wellness director at Presbyterian Village North (PVN), lead the program and tailored it to the needs and interests of residents at the senior living community. Two new classes initiated by Texercise are “Tex for 20,” which combines 20 minutes of physical activity followed by a discussion on health, and “Fit for the Health of It,” an educational series featuring informative topics covering heart health, stress management, nutrition, exercise and more. The community also introduced new classes such as a Pilates mat class, “De-Stress Yoga” and “Relax and Unwind,” a class focusing on visualization, aromatherapy and quieting the mind and continued to offer its regularly scheduled classes.
“All participants have received incentives for partaking in the exercise and educational classes,” said Radford. “The State of Texas provides pedometers, t-shirts, water bottles, exercise kits and more to older adults as they reach goals they have set throughout the course of Texercise. Residents signed pledges at the beginning of the program stating their desired fitness goals. This pledge served as a daily reminder of their commitment. We are excited to celebrate everyone’s fitness achievements at the Any Way Any K fun walk. We will continue the festivities after the walk and welcome everyone back with a hearty breakfast.”
“We were delighted to participate in a program that is sure to change the lives of older adults all over Texas. Wellness is a huge component of the amenities offered at Presbyterian Village North,” said Ron Kelly, executive director at PVN. “We recently broke ground on an expansion project that will feature a new lifestyle fitness center. It will be the jewel of the campus, offering an additional swimming pool, Jacuzzi spa, locker rooms and an expansion of the group exercise area. This building will have a spa suitable for massages and other spa-like activities, a clinic for physicians and other clinicians and a café that will boast a light and healthy menu. The new lifestyle fitness center is expected to open in 2016. Our team works diligently to provide the best wellness amenities and programs in North Dallas.”