Category: News

As we age, staying active becomes increasingly important to maintaining our overall health and well-being. One of the most accessible and enjoyable ways to stay active is by walking. This timeless exercise has numerous benefits without being too strenuous on our bodies.

For example, a recent article from The New York Times highlighted how even walking 4,000 steps a day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, Elaine LaLanne’s recent article, “Secrets to Lifelong Fitness,” highlights the profound advantages of walking for seniors.

At Arbor View, we’re especially grateful to be nestled in the heart of a serene and tranquil neighborhood where walking is so convenient. Let’s explore the benefits of walking and how it can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

1. Convenience:

Walking is the cornerstone of healthy living. It offers numerous benefits without having to make the trip to the gym. With a good pair of shoes, and perhaps a cane or walker for added stability, walking promotes wellness and enhances mobility.

2. Enhances Physical Health:

Walking is a low-impact exercise that’s gentle on the joints, making it an ideal choice for seniors. It improves cardiovascular health, helps maintain a healthy weight, and lowers the risk of heart disease and diabetes. The great news is that it doesn’t require 10,000 steps either. A recent 7-year study demonstrated that participants who walked just 3,867 steps a day decreased their mortality by 15%.

3. Mental Well-Being:

Regular walks in peaceful neighborhoods can help reduce stress, alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, and boost overall mental well-being. Such calming atmospheres offer the perfect environment for relaxation. It’s a wonderful way for residents to clear their minds and find tranquility amidst nature.

4. Social Connections:

Walking provides an excellent opportunity for social interaction. Residents can form walking groups and enjoy the company of their neighbors all while leisurely strolling through the quiet streets. This not only promotes physical health but also fosters a sense of community and camaraderie among residents, helping us build stronger connections with each other.

Finally, for the days when the weather doesn’t cooperate, there is the convenience of indoor walking. Our well-lit hallways allow residents to stay active and maintain their walking routines regardless of the conditions outside.

The benefits of walking for seniors are undeniable. At Arbor View, we’re committed to promoting an active and healthy lifestyle for our residents. With the advantage of our peaceful surroundings and the option to walk indoors, staying active has never been more convenient or enjoyable.

Want to learn how residents at Arbor View stay active? Call 303-268-4747 or visit our website and schedule a personalized tour to see for yourself everything our community has to offer.

Arbor View Senior Living’s unique design includes all ground-level residences with private patios, giving residents easy access to the outdoors and space to set up their own small gardens. Many have planters with colorful flowers and even grow small vegetable gardens and other plants right next to their patios. Because gardening is so popular, we provide community gardens as well so that everyone can “get their hands dirty in the soil” as little or as much as they like.

The community gardens and planters are raised to allow for easy access and Arbor View provides a full complement of gardening necessities like spades, watering cans, and hoses. Residents and our team collaborate to maintain the gardens with rotating crops to keep the soil fresh.

Kellie Campbell, a Certified Recreation Specialist with 35 years of experience and an Activities Associate at Arbor View, oversees the community gardens working with residents to decide what flowers and vegetables to grow.

“When I started here four years ago the gardening plots were overgrown but there was a real interest by many residents to start planting vegetables for the community again. We started a gardening club that is open to everyone and are fortunate to receive donations of soil, starter plants, and seed packets. Residents take the lead and I support them as much as possible,” Kellie said.

Right now the entire 13-acre campus is surrounded by planters with a variety of annuals and perennials like roses, columbines, and irises. Soon the large garden plots will yield a variety of vegetables like radishes, lettuce, kohlrabi, and tomatoes. The harvest will be donated to the culinary staff to be incorporated into the dining menu and shared with team members.

Kellie says the biggest benefit the community gardens offer is encouraging residents to get outside and work together, often reminiscing about the gardens they have grown in the past and building connections through a shared interest.

“The residents love seeing seeds sprout and small starter plants grow into beautiful flowers or begin producing tomatoes. Even those who are not particularly interested in gardening still like to see the progress, guess what plant is growing, and be outdoors socializing with each other,” Kellie said.

Gardening offers several health benefits, especially for older adults. The University of Colorado Boulder recently published an article about the benefits of community gardening concluding that “community gardening could play an important role in preventing cancer, chronic diseases, and mental health disorders.” Researchers observed that those who participated in community gardening were more likely to eat the healthy foods they helped grow and it encouraged people to get outdoors and connect with others providing a boost to their mental health.

At Arbor View Senior Living, we are responsive to the interests and activities the residents want, especially when it is something that has so many health benefits, helps strengthen social bonds, and encourages participation in community life like gardening does.

Call 303-268-4747 to schedule a tour and learn how you can plant roots at Arbor View. We’re always looking for more green thumbs to help our senior living community flourish.

Robert Benjamin Jordan is enjoying a carefree retirement cruising around the quiet neighborhood surrounding Arbor View Senior Living on his electric scooter and making new friends playing bingo. An actor, artist, and published author, he especially likes the added convenience of living next to the Arvada Center, where he can attend theater performances and has taken art classes.

Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Robert attended St. Francis de Sales High School and Mesa Junior College in Grand Junction before being drafted into the United States Army. He served as a medic in Puerto Rico for two years, then began a career in aerospace until retiring in 2010 for the second time. Robert, a widower, has two adult children and three adult stepchildren. His extended family includes 15 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, most of whom live nearby.

Robert has always been enthusiastic about the performing arts and has acted in everything from musicals to melodramas. He is also a writer with a collection of essays about how his experiences shaped his views on religion, politics, and the world. His first full-length fiction novel, Stumble and Sting, is an old-west adventure about an unlikely partnership between two misfit would-be bounty hunters whose comical ineptness and bad luck keep them from finding much success but ultimately become the best of friends.

“It’s a humorous feel-good story about learning to trust and friendship,” Robert said.

Robert finds inspiration from his own life experiences, and after moving to Arbor View, his head is swirling with story ideas for his next book. Though he hasn’t put pen to paper yet, he’s taking full advantage of Arbor View’s amenities and prime location, which provides opportunities to indulge his love of theater, art, and literature.

To give back to his new friends and neighbors, Robert donated copies of his novel, novellas, collection of essays, and books about sports to Arbor View’s library, and he will be doing a presentation at Arbor View to share his aspiration of writing.

Arbor View is committed to supporting residents’ interests and finding creative ways to reignite their passions and highlight their achievements – making it a great place to retire.

Call 303-268-4747 today to see what the next chapter of your retirement holds at Arbor View. We’re always looking for new residents to be part of our senior living community’s story.