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Shrine Apartment Community Reaches Out to Others for healthy lifestyle

Believing that wellness is important to everyone, the Shrine Apartment Community kicked off a “Living Well at the Shrine” program April 20 for residents and for those 55 and over living in the metro east.
The “Rise & Shine” program for walkers provides individuals with a map of the shrine grounds and paths for shorter or longer walks.

Walkers also receive a packet with the map, a pedometer, a passbook to track progress and complimentary breakfast coupons in the Retirement Community.

Another program being offered is called “Life Story Studio.” It offers private videotaping of a person’s life story for adults over 65 who wish to have a documented legacy.

Apartment community staff and gerontology graduate students from the University of Missouri in St. Louis will interview and tape seniors, talking to them about events, turning points in their lives and time lines, to create a free take-home CD as a keepsake to share with family and friends.

Residents at the Retirement Community can also pursue activities to enhance physical, intellectual, social and spiritual wellness, staff said.

A special component includes a community garden that has been adapted to have raised beds so that folks don’t have to get quite so close to the ground to plant favorite flowers and vegetables.

Any vegetables raised will be shared with community or food pantries.

Other activities will include Yoga classes, expanded computer sessions, osteoball classes, Wii games — physically and mentally challenging — Spanish lessons, horseshoes, croquet and opportunities to volunteer or do outreach work, among other activities.

Some of the folks out walking said they enjoyed the chance to exercise, and they often used a “walking path” that takes them to the shrine’s Stations of the Cross.

Then, the walk also becomes a time to pray and meditate as well as exercise.

Many residents have been long-time exercise enthusiasts, and the grounds at the shrine give them plenty of room to keep up with their spiritual and physical health.

For more information about the Shrine Apartment Community, please go to their web site: www.apartmentcommunity.org, or call 800-533-62796, or locally, 394-6400.