Active Aging Week: ‘A Good State of Mind’ at Arbor Terrace at Hamilton Mill

At Arbor Terrace Hamilton Mill, physical activity is a top priority.

“The community offers a variety of exercise classes. Some, such as line dance lessons, are quite popular with residents, while others such as tai chi never really caught on,” said Engagement Director Marlene Zecchino.

The Engagement team talks with residents to learn what classes they enjoy and which ones they’d like to try. Getting their input has increased participation, Zecchino said.

Residents enjoy watching fitness instructor Bradford Bailey on Senior Fit TV, so three times per week the staff leads residents through classes on Bailey’s YouTube channel.

Twice-weekly strength-and-stretch classes, in which residents sit socially distanced from the instructor and from one another, are particularly popular. Yoga is another favorite.

During the quarantine, the outdoor morning exercise classes brought residents out to balconies, while the instructor led class from the middle of the courtyard.

“We had two classes, full, and we’d have close to 15 participants who would come to one class,” she said. “Even on cloudy, misty days, they would come out and exercise.”

To keep residents healthy and energized, the team operates a juice bar and a smoothie bar with flavorful options such as Flu Fighter and Energy Booster.

Keeping residents’ minds active and engaged is important, too. The community offers flower arranging classes, a poetry club and a residents’ chorus, which began having balcony sing-alongs during quarantine when singers couldn’t rehearse together in one room.

“One of our coordinators plays piano, so she would play piano outside in the parking lot while residents gathered at their balconies,” said Zecchino. “To this day, residents say it makes them feel so much happier and puts them in a happy place after they do a sing-along.”

Between the exercise classes and the arts opportunities, staying active keeps the residents in “a good state of mind.”