The importance of maintaining wellness through life’s journey
Tapestry at Victoria Harbour understands the importance of maintaining wellness through life’s journey. Remaining active helps individuals at every age increase energy, improve sleep and maintain strength, stability and balance. We also believe you are never too old to try new pursuits – even belly dancing!
As part of a community collaboration with Dance Victoria and their annual Dance Days festival, Tapestry recently offered an older adult belly dance fusion class that was open to the public in addition to residents.
Through this partnership, which reflects Tapestry's commitment to broader community engagement, the general public could experience the wonderfully unique wellness activities that residents enjoy every day.
“Tapestry has a commitment to being authentically local,” says Amber Reis, General Manager at Tapestry at Victoria Harbour. “We also love to support likeminded organizations, and Dance Victoria has a history of giving back to the community,” she adds.
Fatima Rabago, who is an on-site Kinesiologist at Tapestry and a former dancer, says dance is not only excellent for improving your cardiovascular system, it has other benefits that tie directly into Tapestry’s 7 Dimensions of Wellness. “All of your senses are activated,” she says, “Dance also has great cognitive effects because you have to work to make the mindbody connection, and performing repetitive steps is good for your memory.”
Fatima set out to design a class that would allow participants to explore the beauty of belly dance, fused with elements from various other dance styles. “We focused on simple steps to the music, starting with a full body warm up, and worked on steps to increase mobility, coordination and balance,” adds Fatima.
The beaded skirts worn by participants helped to bring more awareness to their hips along with motivation to move them a bit more. “Everyone had so much fun, they said it didn’t even feel like working out,” Fatima says.
Dance is a perfect blend of fitness and social enjoyment, tailor-made for Tapestry’s active-aging community, with the added benefits of the emotional and spiritual connection that can come from exercising to music.
If you are an independent senior looking for a unique community that offers endless opportunities to enhance your wellness, visit TapestryVictoria.com or call (250) 419-4261. Call to book a tour and lunch and ask about our enticing move-in incentives.