What is Holistic Wellness?

When you think of wellness programs, it’s common for a gym membership or a diet program to come to mind. While these surely improve physical wellness, there are still many other aspects of your health to consider.

At Meadow Lakes, we encourage holistic wellness to help achieve optimal health. Holistic health considers the whole person on the journey to wellness, touching on the body, mind, spirit and emotions. Our program, called LivWell, ensures all seven dimensions of wellness are addressed: physical, intellectual, emotional, social, environmental, spiritual and vocational. Residents are encouraged to take advantage of the program by actively participating in activities that support and strengthen each of the seven dimensions.

A Senior Wellness Program Touching on All Seven Dimensions

1. Physical Wellness — Keeping physically fit is essential to wellbeing and healthy aging. Through programs like our Pilates and seated body tune-up exercise classes, you’re able to spend time with neighbors in a structured environment, learning from team members and peers. Or, take advantage of the indoor and outdoor pools, fitness center and walking trails on your own time. Personal trainers are available if you ever have any questions.
2. Intellectual Wellness — Keeping the mind sharp ensures a healthy brain, which reduces the risk of cognitive decline and drives you to be more mindful, curious and better-rounded. Our beautiful on-site performance hall hosts engaging educational events, from concerts to guest lectures.
3. Emotional Wellness — It’s inevitable that we will have to deal with stress in our lives, but finding ways to deal with the tension can help. Looking for activities that lift your mood, like guided meditation, helps you learn how to keep a positive outlook and increases optimism and emotional wellbeing.
4. Social Wellness —We, as humans, are hard-wired to crave connections to others. Social interactions within the community benefit both our physical and mental health, and living in a continuing care retirement community gives you the perfect opportunity to socialize with peers. Resident Brigitte Wachs finds that, “During the day, residents have so many activities it’s sometimes hard to decide what to do.” From sharing a meal with neighbors to spending your days filled with activities like Scrabble and croquet, there’s something for everyone to participate in.
5. Environmental Wellness — Connecting with the environment helps to center ourselves and come to a deeper appreciation of the beauty that surrounds us. At Meadow Lakes, our commitment to the natural world led us to expand the bio-diversity of over 100 acres of campus and acquire an accredited arboretum status from the American Public Gardens Association. You’re able to learn about a wide variety of plants, flowers and trees and take an enchanting stroll through wooded paths simply by stepping outside your door.
6. Spiritual Wellness — Exploring your beliefs allows you to discover what values are important to you and helps find a sense of purpose. As a non-denominational community, we encourage all to freely practice their faith. Neighbors even share books and prayer cards on tables throughout the hallways of the campus for others.
7. Vocational Wellness — You know what they say: you get wiser with age. Sharing the insights and talents you’ve acquired throughout your life with others by participating in volunteer opportunities gives you the chance to give back to your community and a gratifying feeling of accomplishment.

Discover How Holistic Wellness Programs Benefit Your Health at Meadow Lakes

At Meadow Lakes our comprehensive, award-winning senior wellness program, LivWell, goes far beyond traditional senior living activities like fitness classes and Bingo. Recognized for innovation by LeadingAge New Jersey, our LivWell philosophy is “to provide the opportunity to engage in experiences which support a high quality of life, personal choice, lifelong development and an optimal sense of well-being.”

Holistic wellness is woven into everyday life in the community – LivWell program’s advanced approach to whole person wellness is individualized, so you have the choice in how engaged you want to be. During the new resident orientation, you’re invited to create a unique profile that highlights your goals and interests. This way, you’ll have an individualized plan with an emphasis on how you want to make noticeable improvements in each of the seven dimensions of wellness.

Our entire LivWell staff undergoes specialized training and work hand-in-hand with residents to develop our programming, ensuring all residents enjoy an engaging, stimulating life full of activities that mean the most to them. The fact is people can grow stronger, healthier and more engaged in life at any age – it’s never too late!

Contact us today to schedule your tour and see what living well at Meadow Lakes truly means.

You can also learn more about holistic wellness and our LivWell program by downloading our FREE guide The 7 Dimensions of Wellness in Retirement. In this guide, we dig deep into holistic wellness, the 7 dimensions of wellness and what they mean, and Springpoint’s award-winning wellness program LivWell.