Wellness is the Cornerstone of Strong Communities
By Kimiko Kelly
Director of the Arts, Wellness & Engagement (AWE) Program
Los Angeles’ SPARKS coach Seniorcize at the Gunther-Hirsh Family Center.
August is National Wellness Month, which is an opportunity for all of us to think about how we can improve our wellness with fitness, brain health, and social connections.
At JFSLA, the Arts, Wellness, and Engagement Program (AWE) offers a variety of activities at our five Senior and Multipurpose Centers throughout Los Angeles. Wellness for older adults focuses on physical health with actions such as exercise and healthy eating. We address mental health with activities such as self-care, connecting with others, and challenging our minds with game playing and learning new things.
The AWE Program offers older adults a welcoming and supportive place to take fitness classes that fit their needs. We often think of exercise classes as helping to improve physical health, but what is often overlooked is that attending exercise classes on a regular weekly basis helps to improve mental health through social connections. Attendees who see each other each week build relationships and begin to bond in ways that result in increased care and concern for each other.
People who attend fitness classes regularly learn about each other’s backgrounds, family histories, current home lives, and daily aches and pains. They show each other photographs, bring food and other items from home, and share their stories with each other. They celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and births together. They begin to know each other’s health issues, when procedures are planned, and how they are progressing. Attendees become concerned when there are unplanned absences, growing concerned about any regular participant who has been missing and will ask staff to call to check on them. This kind of connection helps many older adults feel cared about and increases their sense of belonging, which is so important as we age.
“Loneliness and social isolation a public health epidemic. He said that lacking social connection increased our risk for dementia, heart disease, and other health issues,”
declared Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.
If you haven’t joined an exercise class yet, take a look at our weekly class schedules and try one. You will not only feel better physically, but you will also meet new people and enjoy company as you exercise.
Other than fitness classes, AWE gives older adults opportunities to connect with others through activities such as arts and crafts, discussion groups, knitting circles, jewelry making, movie clubs, game playing, Bingo, karaoke, language classes, dance parties with live entertainment, and monthly special celebrations.
We know so much more than we used to about what helps keep us healthy as we age. Research has shown that physical exercise, eating healthy, staying mentally active, and socializing all work to improve our health and reduce chronic illnesses.
The key is putting that into practice. Sometimes that requires some extra effort. It’s important to get out of the house, attend a class, exert some energy in exercise, and prepare or seek foods that are made with healthy ingredients. The AWE program at JFSLA offers a place where older adults can attend those classes, eat those healthy meals at our senior meal sites, and meet others. All of these things contribute to increasing health and vitality among older adults. Healthier, more connected older adults are a cornerstone to wellness in our communities and an invaluable part of our mission to build a better Los Angeles for all.
To learn more about the Arts, Wellness, and Engagement (AWE) Program, visit jfsla.org/arts-wellness.
