On a warm, sunny day, Ed and Anne Marie Germain walk the outdoor trail around the pond at Croixdale senior living community in Bayport, Minnesota. They take in the garden and forest while visiting with neighbors who share the community they now call home. “Three years ago, when we came to Croixdale, we couldn’t have done this,” Ed remembers. Anne Marie’s asthma was so severe that she did not have the strength. The Germains, who are in their mid-80s, credit their renewed health to WINGS Wellness, a comprehensive program for older adults designed by Presbyterian Homes & Services (PHS), a PAHSA member organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Anna Marie and Ed attend exercise class up to four times weekly, along with other residents, in the specially designed studio of Croixdale’s WINGS Wellness Center. While seated in chairs, they strength-train leg, arm and torso muscles, then flex joints right down to their fingers and toes. The entire routine lasts about an hour. After class, Anne Marie takes a stationary bike for a spin while Ed steps off a mile or two on the treadmill. The results are noticeable. “We’re in better shape now than some of our own kids!” laughs Ed.
About ten years before the Germains joined WINGS, wellness was just gaining attention from senior housing providers, overcoming the misconception that older adults lacked the ability to improve their physical fitness. “Older adults had always been considered ‘done’ with physical fitness,” said Angie Swetland, director of customer relations for PHS. “They aren’t, and they need the opportunity to improve their physical well-being just like everyone else.”
To achieve optimal wellness, WINGS focuses on six key areas of health. Intellectual, social, vocational, spiritual, emotional and physical wellness are upheld in a variety of ways including classes, community events and spiritual care. Staff members at each PHS community also promote an atmosphere of support, growth, interaction and friendship. “We try to give our residents balance in their lives, so that they have the opportunity to express each one of the wellness areas that collectively make them whole individuals,” said Swetland.
All PHS communities in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin have a wellness center outfitted with high-quality fitness machines, free weights and space for group exercise classes. Eight regional wellness directors oversee WINGS, leading classes and teaching residents how to use the equipment safely. “The biggest value of our program is the staff,” said Swetland. “They are certified personal trainers who have experience with older adults. Our residents trust and feel safe with them, but also feel challenged to aim higher.”
After six years, the progress from WINGS is evident in key measures kept by the regional wellness directors who record the statistical benefits. A walking initiative at each of the sites resulted in measurably more people walking. To focus on improving posture, the wellness directors measured residents’ height, led special exercises and measured them again to find that they were standing straighter.
Ed and Anna Marie consider wellness as their new lifestyle norm. “I think PHS made a wise decision to create the wellness center,” said Ed. “Without it our health would suffer and we wouldn’t enjoy the quality of life we have.”
Swetland confirms the good results. “I see residents who exercise regularly, staying strong and improving in movement. They’re encouraged when they can improve their strength, intensity and endurance, and feel better.” She likes the mutual support residents enjoy working out with others in the WINGS Centers. “I’ve seen friendships form among residents who exercise together.”
Many people tend to think that wellness is about staying physically well. In fact, wellness is so much more. Here are six dimensions of wellness to include in your everyday life:
Physical:
Participation in regular physical activities.
Intellectual:
Encouraging continued learning, problem solving and creativity.
Vocational:
Having a purpose. Preparing for and participating in activities that provide personal satisfaction and life enrichment.
Emotional:
Feeling positive and enthusiastic about ourselves and life; recognition of feelings, seeking and maintaining satisfying relationships and stress coping.
Social:
Living in harmony with others and seeking positive interdependent relationships with others.
Spiritual:
Having a positive, personal value and belief system that we strive to nurture; acting in ways that are consistent with our values and beliefs. As we think of wellness, let’s remember that we are whole persons in the eyes of God and each other.
Finding ways to nurture each of these wellness dimensions is a road toward a better quality of life that we all should travel to sustain ourselves in body, mind and spirit.
