Blakehurst Promotes Heart Health Every Month
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in this country, claiming 1 in 5 people. Every February, we are reminded to care for our cardiac health during American Heart Month.
While Blakehurst is celebrating American Heart Month with a series of informative “Healthy Heart” lectures and workshops throughout the month, the premier lifeplan community in Towson, MD, promotes a heart-healthy lifestyle year-round through its onsite health services, ample exercise classes, state-of-the-art fitness center and heated pool, stress-reducing and happiness-promoting HealthyLife® Services Program, and fully customized dining options.
Health Checks and Extensive Fitness Offerings
To help residents stay on top of their own cardiovascular health, the Blakehurst Health Services team provides convenient preventive health screenings and blood pressure checks.
Residential Health Services Director & Wellness Navigator Valerie Dorsey, BSN, RN, also connects each resident with Blakehurst’s fitness team for evaluation and help tailoring an exercise plan unique to their preferences, abilities, and individual fitness level.
Every month, the community’s schedule is jam-packed with exercise classes, including water aerobics, flexibility, balance, cardio, dance, and strength training, as well as ongoing incentives, competitions, and promotions to keep residents’ time in the fitness center fun and invigorating.
In addition, mindfulness, breathwork, yoga, and Tai Chi classes reduce heart-damaging stress to lower blood pressure and keep spirits up.
Holistic Wellness
Blakehurst’s innovative HealthyLife® Services Program focuses on holistic wellness for the complete person — mind, body, and spirit. By fostering several different dimensions of wellness — physical, intellectual, vocational, spiritual, social, emotional, and environmental — through ample classes, clubs, events, parties, lectures, trips, performances, and volunteering opportunities, the community helps residents reduce stress, lower their blood pressure, keep active and engaged, fight depression, and build strong connections and support networks with their neighbors, keeping them happier and healthier. Residents benefit from health services, Blakehurst’s final dimension of wellness, by taking advantage of the community’s in-house health resources, including physical and occupational therapists, supportive care and rehab, and a dedicated health and wellness navigator who can help find new doctors, arrange hospital stays, assist with insurance paperwork, schedule appointments, and coordinate in-home services.
Heart Healthy Food
Blakehurst’s Executive Chef, Sung Pak, is renowned for his exceptional made-from-scratch dishes, fresh and seasonal ingredients, and delicious special event menus. Perhaps less well-known is the magical way he and his team cook up creations that are as flavorful as they are healthy. Working in conjunction with a registered dietician, the team happily whips up low-sodium, low-sugar, low-fat, and gluten-free recipes and substitutions that meet the needs of residents with dietary restrictions while still delighting their tastebuds.
Blakehurst’s commitment to cardiovascular health and the overall well-being of its residents lasts well past February and American Heart Month — it’s a way of life.
To discover more about Blakehurst’s vibrant, fun, and heart-healthy lifestyle, visit https://blakehurstlcs.com or arrange a tour at https://blakehurstlcs.com/#/further/55.