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162 College Highway
Southampton, MA 01073
Our newest community, Lunabrook Village at Torrington is schedule to open in Late Spring of 2025.
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Now Hiring! We are currently looking to
fill positions at all of our established Everbrook communities.
In 2013, some thirty years after Diana Nyad tossed in the proverbial towel on her dream to swim from Cuba to Florida, she returned to the ocean—at age 64—to complete the dangerous feat. It took her 5 attempts over four years to complete the 110-mile ultra-swim that she failed to do at age 28.
Diana is proof that you’re never too old to get back in the water and swim after a dream. Her achievement is not just a testament to the ability of the body to adapt to physical conditioning at any age, but to the power of mindset, social support, and trust in the possibility of “What if I still can?”
It’s true that she had the benefit of modern training techniques and nautical technology, both of which had come a long way since the 1970s. These things were not what kept Diana in the pool or the ocean every day for hours.
Diana did something each of us can learn to do:She embraced the wisdom of her age and life experience to shift her thinking away from all the things she did wrong or should’ve done differently. By letting go of regret and resentment, Diana could channel her energy into the possibility of what she could do—and could she—just possibly—do now what she physically failed to do in her youth?
Today’s older adults are entering their sixties with a desire to revitalize goals and dreams from their younger days. And, we want our lives to be meaningful and healthy well into our 80s. Even if you weren’t an athlete “in a former life,” there are many things you can do to maintain—or restore—healthy exuberance in your sixties and beyond.Before we talk about those tips, let’s understand the changes that we all face in our sixties.
The changes that began in your 40s and 50s carry over become more noticeable in your 60s:
Also, you want to be sure to keep-up with routine health screenings based on your age and gender.
The six tips presented here are a good starting point for discussion with your healthcare provider to create a plan that suits your needs. If you are an Everbrook Senior Living resident—or thinking about becoming one—we have an array of health and wellness programs to help you reach your goals.
1. Cultivate Optimism
No matter your age, how you think about yourself and your experiences has a significant influence on how you feel physically and emotionally. As we learn from Diana’s story, it is never too late to make amends with ourselves or with others and flex a different mindset. To adopt a more positive outlook—and see the possibilities that are within your reach—consider the benefits of mindfulness practices.
At Everbrook Senior Living, we offer many such programs including yoga, guided imagery, journaling, meditation, music and arts programming. Mindfulness practice help us still the mental chatter, let go of stress and worry, and cultivate a non-judgmental perspective. In addition to supporting emotional wellbeing, mindfulness practices have been shown to help lower blood pressure, reduce muscle tension and chronic pain, and contribute to exceptional longevity and health in older adulthood,
2. Keep Moving
Physical activity is medicine for body and mind, providing numerous benefits for folks age 60 and older:
There is enough variety of exercise programs for you to find something you love—or to rekindle an activity you enjoyed long ago. Inquire with your local YMCA, JCC, or your Everbrook wellness concierge if you have a specific interest and need help getting started.
If you’ve maintained your fitness level throughout your life, then you may be your own version of Diana Nyad, and have a higher capacity for vigorous exercise—and the next Big Goal!
3. Exercise Your Brain
The best way to prevent cognitive decline and memory problems that are typical with aging is by exercising your brain. Be sure you are getting out and about: Visit farmer’s markets, craft shows, museums, and local parks. Do a daily puzzle or a word search. Read widely and often. Gather with friends for an evening of games. Take an art class. Learn new technology or pick-up an instrument and fiddle around. At Everbrook, you have access to a great variety of social, arts, and cultural programs and trips. We also offer specialized memory care programming.
4. Nourish Your Body
A healthy diet is essential to disease prevention and maintaining youthful vitality. As an older adult, your nutritional needs change quite a bit. Your activity level drives your body’s need for calories, but nutrient needs after age 60 become more specific and in some cases will be higher than what you needed in your 30s and 40s!
Older adults also may want to consider a few specific nutritional: calcium, magnesium, fiber, vitamin D, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, probiotics, and Omega-3 fatty acids. Always check with your health provider or a licensed nutritionist before starting any type of supplement.
5. Nurture Social Connections
Studies show that older adults who are socially connected are less prone to feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Socially connected adults also seem to live longer, more fulfilling lives. Make time to meet regularly with friends and family, check-in on your neighbors, join a hobby group or book club, take a class, or volunteer in your community. Also, it’s important for older adults to maintain intimacy with their partners.
6. Prioritize Sleep
As we age, we tend to experience interrupted sleep. This can be due to aches and pains that wake us, medications, or illness that affects the quality of sleep. If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, you can create a sleep routine to help you get the rest you need.
Investing in your health and wellbeing is something you can do (or resume doing) at any age. If you want to be part of a community that values your wellbeing throughout the Golden Years, and where you can find support for what inspires you to be well and live well, look no further than Everbrook Senior Living. We hope you will reach out to us, today!
“Laughter is the most inexpensive and most effective wonder drug. Laughter is a universal medicine.”
– Betrand Russell, philosopher (1872-1970)
No one really needs an excuse for a good belly laugh—right? But older adults sure have plenty of reasons to go out of their way for a good laugh. Laughing eases stress, promotes social bonding, helps lower blood pressure, and lifts your mood. Laughter also strengthens your body’s defenses against illness. The more you know about the health benefits of laughter, the more you’ll want to find ways to bring humor into your life!
Laughter and Health
The study of laughter and its effects on health has become an important topic in the field of psychoneuroimmunology. That’s a fancy word for the study of the way the mind (psych), the body (neuro/nervous system), and the immune system (immunology) interact when confronted by disease-causing agents such as stress, inflammation, or bacteria, and viruses.
What we’ve learned from research on laughter is…
How Does Laughter Effect Health?
The health effects of laughter are activated in two ways: First, and most obvious is laughter in the moment—so as you are laughing, wonderful things are happening in your body and mind. Second, depending on the individual and the extent of the funny moment, those effect can last for minutes and up to a few hours. Most researchers theorize that the more occasions for humor and laughter in your life, the greater the cumulative effect on health!
BREAK OUT item (like a boxed item): Do you remember the movie about the life of Patch Adams? Dr. Patch Adams was physician who embraced and modeled the restorative and healing benefits of laughter for critically ill patients. Now, “healing through humor” has a real place in medicine—not just for treating for the critically ill, but for routine healthcare, as well.
7 Easy Ways Older Adults Can Laugh More to Support Good Health
At Everbrook Senior Living Communities, our Wellness 4 Later Life program keep residents inspired to live their best life. We embrace a holistic approach to support your physical, social, emotional, financial, and spiritual wellbeing. From personalized fitness programs to movie and comedy nights to clubs and social activities, there are plenty of opportunities for living, learning, playing, and laughing!
We invite you to come see for yourself all that Everbrook has to offer. Call today to schedule a tour.
