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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | FEBRUARY 2021 9 By Cindy Graves Join us in starting off the new year healthy, with the following activities over the next 12 weeks! Fitness Food Fridays: If you have been looking to eat healthier, look no further. Every Friday we will feature healthy new recipes. We're also going to have a Step Challenge: Do you have what it takes to out-step the competition? In February and March we will have a resident step challenge. The resident with the most steps at the end of each month will be crowned the winner and will receive a prize. We'll be using the "Walker Tracker" group challenge app, so you can keep track of your steps as well as your competition. We'll be sending a link out for you to join in the Activities Blast, so keep an eye out for it. Get ready for the Fitness Challenge too: Is it your goal to get fit and lose weight this year? Why not get a bit of extra motivation by joining our fitness challenge? Residents who sign up will be included in a 12-week challenge starting on Monday, Jan. 18 (you can start up anytime within the 12 weeks). Each week, residents will have the opportunity for their weight to be taken discreetly and safely by a TOPS group representative, in The Lodge Ballroom by appointment only from 8 to 10 am. You are also welcome to self-weigh and track your loss. At the end of the 12 weeks, the resident with the highest percentage of weight-loss will be our inspiration and will also win a prize for their efforts. By the way, there is also a "Fit Kit" that you can pick up at The Lodge containing a weight-loss log, "Tips and Tricks" charts and exercise suggestions for toning and firming using items around your house as resistance. We'll also provide a link on the Activities Blast, so that if you don't want to come in and pick up a hard copy kit, you'll be able to print out our resources at home. Wacky Walking Wednesday is another part of our health series where you can take a walk outside without ever leaving your home. Every Wednesday we will feature a new virtual walking video to encourage residents with mobility challenges. They're actually fun for anyone who is feeling a bit claustrophobic. The virtual walks are varied, with some going through wintery forests, climbing high mountains, and even walking street by street through famous cities and landmarks around the world. My daughter actually turned me on to these. Her favorite virtual walks are in the snowy mountains; she opens her house windows, letting in the frosty morning air and then turns on the video. She claims to feel extremely refreshed and refocused for the day without actually going anywhere. Sometimes she walks around the living room and gets her steps in while watching, for double benefit. I dare you to try one and see if you like it. Used in conjunction with an Ocular V.R. (Virtual Reality) device, you will really feel like you've been out walking! Sign-ups for Virtual Bingo have started and it looks like we've got quite a crowd that wants to play. Here's all you do: Sign up using the Bingo link on the Activities Report, print out the bingo card that will be emailed to you, and check the Activities Blast on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to see what square has been pulled. Finally email your winning card to the email address on the Activities Blast and win your Kopper Kettle gift card! A lot of fun and you're helping the Bistro when you win! Remember that January was the month for sign-ups and the actual bingo game starts on Feb. 1 (if you missed sign-ups in January, go ahead and sign up now). Finally, I've been planning a safe and socially distanced drive- through Valentine's Day event with a romantic dinner, a decadent chocolate fondue, a Sweetheart Flower Market, and a Barbershop Quartet Serenade. I've presented all of the proposed details to the BOD at the January meeting, so stay tuned and find out! Be looking for more fun this month and in March… Shhh, don't tell… I have a Shamrock Shindig in the works, too! Activities Director Corner

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