SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2025 | Active Aging Week 5
In fact, it can be accomplished with something as simple as a regular walk with a friend or family member. “Walking with somebody, you get movement to your body and that has a direct health benefit, because as we age, our muscles aren’t as tough as when we were 40 and 50,” Newman says. “What happens if you’re alone is you tend not to keep moving, which can cause the whole body to seize.” The MASC is comprised of more than 80 member groups across the province and helps older adults come together to access services and participate in activities that enhance their dignity, support independence and encourage community involvement. It’s the leading organization for social prescribing in the province, a model of care delivery that enables health professionals to formally prescribe non-clinical community activities such as the arts, movement and volunteering at minimal patient cost. Newman recommends people start thinking about how to make and maintain social connections even before they retire,
when it can become far more challenging to do so.
She also says that older individuals
need to become more proactive in terms of developing social connections rather than waiting for them to simply happen.
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Biking and pickleball are low-impact activities that benefit the heart, legs and mind.
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Learn more and secure your coverage today: Call 204.788.6858 or 1.800.873.2583 (toll free), visit mb.bluecross.ca or contact your trusted broker.
*To be eligible for a retiree plan, you must be between the ages of 55 and 70 at the time of application and retired from a group benefit plan within the past six months. Apply within 60 days of termination of your group benefit plan and no medical review is required.
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