But the good news is, it’s not as time-intensive or difficult as most people think! Some minor adjustments to your lifestyle can make all the difference, and they’re even easier to carry out at The Vines at Bethlehem premises. Take it from us, and enjoy your finer years with these tips on staying heart-happy.
Stay Active
This is one of the more well-known tips for looking after your heart, and that’s for a good reason! Your heart acts like any other muscle – the more you use it during exercise, the healthier and stronger it’s going to get. This is especially true as you age, because people are more likely to spend their days in a sedentary fashion, when they really should be getting outside in the sun.
The Vines is based at the iconic Mills Reed Winery site, and the picturesque scenery offers more than a few options for adopting a more active lifestyle during your retirement.
Walking Trails
The fully developed village will have its own walking track through the 12 hectares for our inhabitants to enjoy on the sunny Tauranga days, but if you prefer another kind of walk, there are plenty of options to suit.
Take a stroll along one of the nearby fairways – we recommend the sprawling Tauranga Golf Club. Or, if a greater variance in scenery is more your speed, opt for one of the many nature walks that dot the local Tauranga area. The McLaren Falls Park is a sight that should not be missed – a lake like something out of a fantasy novel, not too far from the Tauranga CBD.
Facilities at the Village
Aside from the available walking trails, we at The Vines can also provide a variety of ways to stay active. We have yoga, croquet, and much more happening each week. Also, our proposed swimming pool, gymnasium, and bowling green in our future clubhouse will all be at the centre of activity in terms of both the physical and the social sides of retired life.
Stay Calm
One of the biggest and most over-arching ways to combat issues with cardiac health is to de-stress. Stress is a killer, as they say, and it could not be truer. Because stress impacts so many things in your daily life that contribute to your overall health, including that of your heart, staying calm is one of the best ways to ensure your own longevity.
High blood pressure also results from a prevalence of stress, and with high blood pressure comes a strained cardiac system, so it’s best to take your golden years as they are – the time to relax.
Some ways to stay calm are to engage in your favourite hobbies or self-care treatments – schedule them throughout your day! And of course, being in nature is one of the best ways to relax. Our minds are immediately calmed by natural environments, which is what makes the picturesque views at The Vines so beneficial.
Stay Rested
This is a lesser known fact, but it is just as important – you must ensure that you are getting enough sleep. Aiming for that golden seven hours is going to prolong your health and life in a number of ways, including boosting your immune system and reducing the risk of dementia, or many other neurological conditions.
Aside from those benefits, maintaining a good sleep schedule means that your body has the optimal amount of time to repair itself each day. Stress and blood pressure will automatically return to their baseline in sleep, and you can wake up ready for each and every bright new day.
Stay Well-Fed
There would hardly be a point to retiring if you could not enjoy your favourite foods and drinks from day to day, however cardiologists around the world recommend a few key things to integrate into your diet.
Keep alcohol consumption to two glasses or less per day. The tannins in red wine have been speculated to promote a healthy heart, but the ethanol present in alcohol has a negative effect when consumed too often.
Eat nuts, or vegetables like avocado, or high-fat fish like salmon – these are all fantastic ways of boosting the healthy fats in your system. Keep your arteries open and your heart happy.
Stay Social
This may come a bit out of left-field, but getting in a daily friendly interaction can do wonders for your heart (and not just in the metaphorical sense). Mood disorders such as depression and anxiety have a negative impact on how well your heart works for you, and staying social is one of the best ways to keep your mood up, and your stress levels low.
You may be an introvert, or you may gain your energy from the company of others, but either way, it’s important to get out of your own head for a little while. At The Vines we know how important that is, so even if you choose a villa that provides solitude, you can get out onto the grounds and interact with your fellow retirees throughout the course of the day.
Stay with us
Our facilities were established with your retirement lifestyle front of mind, and we are located in one of the best places for retirement living in New Zealand. If you have any questions, or if you would like to book your appointment to view our village, please give us a call today!