In Vegreville, Alta., a group of older adults have been walking across Canada inside a gym, keeping track of their progress on a laminated map on the wall. Although they’ve received organizing support from a health team, the seniors who turn out each week open up the building, collect their $1 participant fee, and lead their own walk.

Over in La Crete, Alta., 800 kilometres north of Edmonton, a trails project begun in 2001 has people enjoying safe off-road walking. Residents of the small town and farm area around it have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to build walking trails. With donations from local citizens and businesses plus matching municipal grants, the community has built some five kilometres of paved trail, the first phase starting outside a seniors’ residence.

These are two of the success stories that we at the Alberta Centre for Active Living see as models for what can be done to keep older people vigorous. Aging is often associated with a decline in health, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Older adults who are physically active are remarkably healthy. They have fewer falls. They visit the emergency room less often. They’re less prone to chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes. And they’re more independent and often healthier mentally.

So it’s essential to create physical and social environments that enable seniors to practise an active lifestyle. Retirement residences are in a unique position to do this, given the way they link housing, health and recreation services. Here are some ideas, many offering an added bonus of building community spirit:

• Improve access to walkways and paths around the residence. Consider access for both people who are walking and people who are wheeling.
• Create a community garden that all the residents can use. Bring together residents, volunteers and a local greenhouse, which may be willing to donate help and supplies.
• Organize activity bees. Get together to weed the garden or pick trash for a spring cleanup, for example.
• Partner with local schools to use their gym and sports fields, also creating an opportunity for seniors and students to interact.
• Organize transportation to and from activities and recreation and community centres. This will encourage residents to participate in physical activities away from the residence.

If possible, residences should hire staff with physical activity expertise, especially for activity co-ordinator positions. Existing staff should be trained on how to incorporate physical activity into residence programming. For example, in Alberta, the Ever Active Adults (EAA) course offers this type of training. Designed for activity co-ordinators and other staff at seniors’ residences, the course teaches active-living strategies to improve quality of life.

Many EAA participants report they’ve changed their programming after taking the course. Here are some of those changes:

• Focus on active living rather than exercise: gardening, walking and taking the stairs instead of the elevator keep people moving. Many residents may find these types of activities more appealing than regimented exercise.
• Make programs and activities less strict, more informal and fun. Organize a walk in the park, a square dancing night or a round of carpet bowling. Talk to residents to find out what they would like to do.
• Encourage daily physical activity. Everyone, including seniors, enjoys more benefits if they’re active every day. For example, a daily brisk half-hour walk can make a significant difference to a person’s health. Canada’s Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living for Older Adults has some good ideas on how to build physical activity into daily life.
• Adapt activities so more residents can participate. For example, build raised flower beds so those with disabilities can garden from a sitting position.

If your residence is in a rural community, you face challenges unique to the rural setting. The Rural Route to Active Aging website can help. It offers resources on how to create physical activity opportunities for older rural people, building community spirit along the way. For example, in Linden, Alta., population 650, the community has added a railing along a hilly stretch in an existing trail to give seniors a hand. Now it is working on a proposal for a multi-purpose activity centre including a gym, health centre, climbing wall and indoor trail.