Why Retirement Home Activities and Fitness Look Different for Everyone – That’s the Point!

By Vi Schultz, Senior Fitness Director

Vi Schultz has worked in senior fitness for more than 20 years. Her positive spirit and passion drive everything she does to support residents and their health and wellness journey. Through her creative and thoughtfully designed sessions and training programs, residents feel the benefits and see the results because of Vi’s encouragement. Based out of Country Meadows of Wyomissing, Vi supports all Leader Family campuses, including Ecumenical Retirement Community.

We are three months into 2026. By now, if you set some activity and fitness New Year’s resolutions, they have either become your routine or it’s time to go back to the drawing board. Either way, that’s OK because it’s always a good time to make choices that impact your health and wellbeing. As a retirement home activities and fitness director, I fully support resolutions, but what I also find funny that they are often very vague. For example, according to Statista, the top three New Year’s resolutions in 2026 are: To exercise more; to save more money; to eat healthier.

Again, these three are admirable and a good place to start, but they are missing something. The truth is: health and fitness goals are not one-size-fits-all. Let’s dig deeper and add what defines success, and that is different for everyone. Making resolutions and goals attainable involves factoring in personal experiences, current health conditions, interests and abilities.

I work with residents on making small changes that make a big impact. When the goal is to exercise more, what is the residents’ motivation? That answer ultimately defines the retirement home activities suggested. Do they want to get stronger so they can go on walks more easily with their dog? Do they want to increase mobility to make the potential shift from a walker to a cane? Or are they looking to increase their cardio activities to potentially stop some of their medications?

When people hear the word exercise or even make the common resolution, the mind tends to automatically think of the gym, machines or weights or intense workout routines. For seniors looking for retirement home activities and fitness to help them achieve their goals, this visual can be intimidating. What I hope people learn to appreciate is that exercise can mean and look like whatever works best for you! It can be as simple as moving the body through stretches, walking down the hallway, practicing sit-to-stands at the kitchen table or doing a favorite hobby. It doesn’t have to be formal, and instructors don’t even have to be present.

This is why I want to challenge the most common resolution and change it to “incorporate more movement into your day.” When we shift our mindset from exercise to movement, it is easier to see opportunities for activity that are already present in your everyday life. Take gardening as an example: when using a rake to clean the flower bed, you are actually activating your triceps and core muscles with each pull. When dancing to a favorite song, the heartrate rises and there may even be some subtle squats incorporated as a signature dance move! There are sneaky ways to put some thought behind your movement. Being mindful of each resident’s abilities and mobilities, there is always opportunities to modify. Maybe dancing isn’t in the cards, but waving the arms in the air or doing leg raises to the beat of the music could be. That’s not only a fun way to chair dance, it’s also a chance to strengthen hamstrings and glute muscles.

Other retirement home activities and fitness tested at Ecumenical:

• Walking – works the legs and core, supports balance and endurance
• Light strength training with bands or light weights – works the arms, chest and legs, supports the muscles needed for activities of daily living
• Stretching or gentle yoga – focuses on flexibility and core stability of the entire body
• Balance exercises – works the core and legs, strengthens muscles that help prevent falls

If you are interested in testing out some of these low-intensity, senior-friendly retirement home activities can be found in the short fitness videos hosted on AARP’s Health and Fitness page. Or you are welcome to join in on one of our fitness classes or walking groups.

Benefits of a new approach to the resolution

In addition to the satisfaction of moving the body, there are other benefits to taking a new approach to this resolution. Retirement home activities and fitness classes can bring neighbors together. There is an accountability that is built-in to the activities we host at Ecumenical because the resident’s find joy in supporting and encouraging each other. Residents also see gains mentally and emotionally as well with better moods, lower stress levels, and increased confidence as they try new things and see the results.

In today’s activity and fitness world that typically revolves around intensity, I challenge us to flip the script again to focus on consistency. Doing the same stretches every day, taking a daily walk down the hall or outside, or saying committed to the afternoon group class, with each decision, the resident is making huge strides toward progress.

Remember: fitness is not one-size-fits-all, for a reason!

Retirement home activities and fitness goals should not be to target every muscle perfectly. They are meant to engage the different muscle groups that are needed to support daily living activities. The goals need to be as unique and customized to the resident as possible. Only then can the resolution stick and may even become fun!

We’d love to meet you and welcome you to one of our group fitness classes. Please contact an expert advisor to start the conversation. We look forward to supporting your health and wellness journey!