We'll help you to stay fit and fabulous
Inactivity is detrimental for ageing but the good news is there’s no excuse not to stay fit and fabulous when you live in an Aura Holdings’ retirement community.
Aura’s southeast Queensland villages provide a range of facilities including state-of-the-art gyms, pools, and host classes for yoga, water aerobics, tai chi and strength training.
Living in one of our villages makes it so much harder to find an excuse not to exercise ... there’s no need to get the car out to travel to a class or the gym, and exercise partners are always on hand.
Physical activity promotes healthy body and mind balance, and also keeps our residents socially active.
Researchers from the Seoul National University say it’s never too late to start an exercise program. After studying one million seniors, the South Korean researchers found those participants who increased their level of exercise after turning 60 could dramatically cut their risk of heart attacks or stroke.
They found anyone who began a regular exercise program after being inactive for a long period cut their risk of heart disease by 11 per cent when compared with their cohort who remained sedentary. Alarmingly those who eased off exercising as they grew older were up to 27 per cent more likely to develop cardiovascular problems.
Lisa Weller from Samastah Yoga shares her love of yoga with the residents of the Kingsford Terrace Corinda retirement community in Brisbane’s southwest and says there are so many benefits from regular yoga. “Yoga is a practice that offers support to the body as we move graciously through the ageing process,’’ Lisa says. “Increasing your range of motion through yoga as you age helps to alleviate subtle aches and pains before they exacerbate.
“Yoga continues to keep us active and mobile, improving joint mobility, flexibility and strength (bone density and muscle tone) but it can be adapted in a way that suits everyone. With the assistance of props such as a yoga chair, blocks, straps or a bolster, we can guide the body to move more easefully throughout each pose.’’
Lisa says yoga also benefits mood and mind. “Moving the body, heightens our mood, it helps to shift feelings of depression and anxiousness that would otherwise create stress, tension and unease in the body. In combination with a meditation practice and pranayama (breath awareness) yoga provides us with the tools to create a state of calmness, stillness and peacefulness.’’
Exercise physiologist Kerrie Hains from Core Strength HQ runs popular classes at The Atrium Lutwyche in Brisbane’s inner north and says the demands of an active lifestyle on the body are more beneficial than the biological ageing process of a sedentary lifestyle.
She says regular exercise helps participants look and feel younger while maintaining their independent lifestyles; reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s, dementia and diabetes; keeps blood pressure under control; improves bone density while reducing the risk of breaks and fractures; and increases the levels of endorphins in the brain that improve mood and reduce depression.
Kerrie offers two 45-minute exercise sessions each week at The Atrium. One class focuses on strength, stability, balance and mobility, while the second is a water-aerobics class that includes cardiovascular fitness.
“The classes complement each other, so all aspects of health, fitness and function are addressed,’’ Kerrie says. “Correct technique is of the utmost importance to minimise the risk of injuries while ideal posture is encouraged at all times. All these factors contribute to a healthy, strong, functioning body.
“There’s also a wonderful camaraderie and connection that has formed between all the participants. They are absolutely loving the classes.’’
You are sure to find your fit and fabulous retirement lifestyle at an Aura community.