Twice-Weekly Tai Chi Keeps Resident
Helen Henrich Fit and Healthy
Helen Henrich moved to Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake
Bay with her husband nine years ago. “It was the smartest move Chuck and I ever
made,” she says, and one reason is that the community affords her plenty of
opportunities to keep fit and healthy.
One of her favorite activities on campus is Tai Chi. She
practices on Mondays and Thursdays and says it’s a great workout, both physically
and mentally. “Tai Chi is for the mind,
body and spirit,” says Helen. “We practice gentle flowing and graceful
movements that can lower blood pressure, improve balance and relieve stress.”
In addition, Helen leads a weekly bending and stretching
class for residents. She also serves on the Religion Committee, is a hospice
volunteer and a floor representative. In that role she disseminates information
to the residents and takes questions and comments from them back to the
Westminster-Canterbury staff.
As active as she is, Helen says, “I believe in everything in
moderation, but it’s easy to stay physically and socially active here because
of the culture of life in our community.”
Helen is a poster child for Active Aging Week, an annual commemoration
conducted by the International Council on Active Aging. Held the last week of September, it promotes
the benefits of a healthy lifestyle for adults over 50 and highlights the
ability to “live well” at any age.
At Westminster-Canterbury, residents mark the week with
health-related seminars and events to enhance their social, physical,
spiritual, emotional, intellectual and vocational needs. A highlight is a field day, with competitions
in Ping-Pong, tennis, corn hole, bocce and croquet as well as paddle boarding
and hiking.
Active Aging Week kicks off at Westminster-Canterbury on
September 22nd with a panel discussion around this year’s theme “Let
the Adventure Begin.” And you can meet
Helen at 9:00 that morning in Tai Chi class.
For more information and a full schedule of events, visit
the Westminster-Canterbury website and check the upcoming events at http://www.wcbay.com/news-events/upcoming-events.
