4 Great Reasons to Take a Walk

We have all heard about the positive effects walking can have on our health, and this continues to be just as important, if not even more so, as we age. This is one of the main reasons why we are proud to have a beautiful outdoor courtyard here at the Mission at Agua Fria for our residents to take advantage of.

Our outdoor courtyard is large and enclosed, meaning residents can use and enjoy it while remaining safe and secure on campus. It is also equipped with walkways for our assisted living residents to safely and easily be able to go for a walk.

No matter your destination, there are many great reasons to go for a walk. Here are four of our favorites.

1. Walking Strengthens Your Whole Body

You may think that walking is too low impact, but it is still a whole-body workout. It works and strengthens your bones, muscles, and joints all at once. Additionally, as joints need regular activity to stay functional, walking helps to lubricate them, keeping them healthy. The motion of walking also works to strengthen supportive muscles and bones.

2. It Improves Cardiovascular Health

Regular exercise helps to lower blood pressure, which can help reduce stroke risk as you age. This includes walking. Routine walking improves circulation throughout your body, helping to lead to lower blood pressure and warding off signs of cardiovascular disease. All of this can help you stay healthy for longer. Plus, what better way to help your heart than by getting your heart rate up?

3. Walking Slows Cognitive Decline

This one may surprise you, but walking can help slow cognitive decline and dementia from happening by keeping seniors mentally sharp. One reason for this is because by keeping your heart healthy, you are improving your brain health too. Studies show that seniors who have a more active lifestyle have a lower risk of cognitive impairment when compared to seniors who are more sedentary.

4. It Improves Your Balance and Coordination

As you age, there is a great chance of losing your balance, falling, and potentially breaking something. Walking can help you prevent this from happening, as it is linked to improving balance and coordination, resulting in fewer falls. A lot of this is due to increasing the strength of your hips, abs, and legs, which is what works together to give you good balance.

As you can see, there are so many great reasons for seniors to go and take a walk. Walking may seem like a simple task, but the benefits to your health and overall life span are huge. It is because of these that we are proud to have our beautiful outdoor courtyard for residents to enjoy and easily use whenever they’d like. If you are interested in learning more about the Mission at Agua Fria, or you would like to set up a tour to come and see our outdoor courtyard yourself, please contact us today.