The starting price for this amazing idea is $150,000 Canadian. Each part of the circuit is geared for specific parts of the body, especially arm and leg movement. The project is a great step forward in the quest to keep seniors moving.
A project coordinator with the Lions Club in Delta B.C., said he got the idea for a senior-specific wellness park after a colleague visited a similar facility in Beijing. After personally visiting that park for himself ,he returned to Canada determined to bring the concept to his home community. With help from the city council and community fundraising, Tsawwassen's Winskill Park was a dream come true. What a great way to invest money back into the community.
The location is perfect,because the surrounding area is largely seniors' housing. He wanted them out mingling with each other, interacting and exercising. He strongly feels that exercising will just make them live longer, there's no doubt about that. The playground just for seniors makes perfect sense. The province has the most active elderly people in the country, but it also has the oldest population of any province west of Quebec.To meet the specific needs of seniors, they enlisted the human kinetics department of a local University.
After surveying the needs of the local population, professors and their recreation leadership class opted to focus on fall prevention, flexibility and strength training. The sturdy, simple green contraptions installed at the park include the "pod step," a series of platforms at various heights, the "ramp walk," a gently sloping track, and a balance beam a few centimetres high with built-in hand rails. This year five more machines will arrive, now how cool is this???
Click on the video below to see a Seniors' Wellness Park in the UK...you will start seeing the specialized equipment for the seniors at the 1 minute 31 seconds mark....worth watching...looks like fun...and notice that at the beginning of the video the gramma is pushing the grandson, which is also helping to keep her body in good shape....what a neat concept...
We usually invest dollars for the children in the community and rarely think of the needs of our senior citizens. They need to move as well if not more than children. The more active they are, the more fresh air they will get and less isolated they will feel.We tend to see growing old as a negative but if you are still feeling good and healthy at 85 yrs. old there is really no reason that you cannot continue an active lifestyle both physically and mentally. They go hand in hand really and a park like this gets our seniors outside daily, getting their vitamin D and keeping their minds and bodies active to help maintain a well rounded routine. This would surely help diminish loneliness and boredom. It allows them the opportunity to meet friends and share stories.
When we are surrounded by family and friends, we have conversations and it helps us get through everyday struggles and challenges and it keeps the mind young. It makes us feel like we are not alone and that there is always someone there to listen to us. Lets respect our elders and give them the chance to stay young at heart as well. I personally feel that this is the greatest idea and I congratulate whoever came up with this excellent concept to make these wise individuals feel appreciated and part of our society.
An active mind is a healthy mind....why not give them this chance???
Stay healthy!!!
Sylvie Thibert
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