Whether you’re considering a move to a retirement community for yourself or a family member, one of the first questions you’ve probably thought about is how old do you have to be to live in a senior community?

Senior living age requirements vary by community, but most communities have a minimum age threshold of at least 55 or 62. Exceptions are sometimes made for younger spouses or for other family members, depending on circumstances.

You might wonder why someone who’s relatively young would want to live in a senior community. The truth is there are many reasons, and it’s more common than you may think. Plus, you don’t actually have to be retired to live in a retirement community.

Average Age at Move-In Varies by Community Type

It helps to understand that independent living is different from assisted living and other higher levels of care offered in some senior living communities. Independent living is for older adults who don’t require regular assistance with routine tasks such as personal hygiene.

Assisted living is for those who need a little help with usual daily activities—like bathing, dressing or moving around. Otherwise, seniors in assisted living communities are similar to their peers in independent living.

Some communities offer both independent living and assisted living, and some offer additional levels of care as well, including memory support, skilled nursing and rehabilitation therapy following surgery, illness or injury.

Many—but not all—communities that offer independent living and additional levels of care require new residents to be eligible for independent living when they move in, which skews the average age at move-in downward for these communities.

But we’re also seeing a shift toward younger seniors choosing to move to an independent living community.

In truth, there’s no magic number when it comes to the best age for senior living—in part because the aging process affects people so differently.

The right time to move depends more on your health status, lifestyle and personal objectives than on the number of years since you were born.

Misperceptions About Independent Living Lead to Delays in Moving

It’s common for older adults to put off even thinking about moving to a senior living community. Some simply want to stay in their current home as long as they can. Others procrastinate because they believe there’s plenty of time to plan for what may lie ahead.

Independent living communities offer an environment in which seniors can thrive, spending their time engaged in activities they enjoy instead of mundane household chores. Residents have easy access to nutritious meals throughout the day, so if they don’t feel like cooking, they don’t have to. In some communities, the food rivals what you’d expect in a fine dining restaurant.

Many seniors find they’re far more active after moving to an independent living community. They can participate in a variety of exercise classes tailored to their abilities, and many communities have fitness specialists on staff. Other activities provide intellectual stimulation, opportunities to explore new interests and social connections through which friendships can grow.

The older we get, the more challenging it can be to make a big change—like moving to a new community. But when you realize that independent living means leaving behind the drudgery and responsibility of maintaining a home that may no longer suit you and opening your world up to a broad assortment of positive experiences, you may find you’re excited at the prospect!

A common refrain among people who move to independent living communities, once they’ve had a chance to settle in and become familiar with their new lifestyle, is they wish they’d moved sooner. We hear remarks to that effect frequently.

We’ve also heard anecdotes about people who moved into independent living as soon as they could after reaching the age requirement for senior living. They were eager to embrace the convenience, the security and the many other advantages of independent living.

Are You Ready for Independent Living?

Rather than setting a specific age as your target, you may want to use your responses to these questions as a guide for determining the best time to move to an independent living community.

• Is your home becoming more of a burden than a refuge? Is it getting to be more than you can manage?
• How’s your health and your family history? Do you foresee any significant challenges in the next few years?
• Are you content with your current lifestyle or would you like more options for socializing, recreation and expanding your horizons?
• Would you be more physically active if you had easier access to a fitness center and/or other people around who are similar in age to motivate you?
• Do you feel safe in your home?
• Are you tired of cooking or is it getting harder to prepare your own meals?
• Do you plan to travel more in the years ahead? (Independent living gives you the flexibility to leave whenever you like and stay as long as you want, without having to worry about your home while you’re away.)
• Would you like to widen your social circle?
• Could you benefit from downsizing and streamlining your living environment?

Reasons Not To Wait

Life happens, and changes can occur suddenly. Moving to an independent community that also offers additional levels of care gives you more control over where you will live if you should happen to need assisted living or memory care later on.

If you wait until your health needs change, your choices may be limited—and someone else may have to make those important decisions on your behalf. Squaring away those issues now can give you and your loved ones considerable peace of mind.

And if you wait until a decline in health forces you to move, you may not get the full enjoyment of all of the benefits of being in a senior living community.

By deciding to move to an independent living community sooner rather than later, you’ll be giving yourself more time to find a community that truly suits you. Then, you can start living your best life right away, on your terms. You’ll be part of a community where you can age in place comfortably, knowing your care needs down the road will be met.

Independent Living at Heron’s Key

Compared with other senior living communities in our region, we tend to attract younger residents—and it shows. They’re energetic. They’re involved, not just here in our community but also in the larger Gig Harbor community. They volunteer. They start new resident-led interest groups. They participate in, and get loads of satisfaction out of, life.

Along with independent living, we offer assisted living, skilled nursing and rehabilitation.

Recently, we announced plans to expand Heron’s Key, starting with additional independent living residences. The news has created a lot of excitement among residents, staff and the greater Gig Harbor community.

You don’t have to wait until our new independent living apartments are built before joining us. You can move into an available apartment now and start enjoying everything there is to love about our community right away. As a current resident of Heron’s Key, you’ll have priority in choosing one of the new apartments—if you’re interested.

Have Questions?

Learning about senior living takes time, but it’s important to have all the information you need to make an informed decision. We’re here to answer your questions about Heron’s Key or retirement living in general.

If you’d like to come have a look around, contact us to schedule a visit. It’s a great way to get a feel for what it would be like to live here, and you can chat with a few who already do!

Using the age of 65 to define the senior population is in many ways an arbitrary choice. Ask many adults who’ve celebrated that milestone birthday, and they’ll tell you they certainly don’t feel like a senior citizen.

Still, over the decades, our bodies undergo changes no matter how much we try to fend off the effects of time. Some of these changes mean the fitness activities we’ve engaged in are no longer recommended as senior workouts. But there are plenty of safe options that can be incorporated into an exercise program for seniors—as you’ll discover when you keep reading.

Staying Active Is Vital for Older Adults

While engaging in physical activity is important for people of all ages, being active is especially crucial to older adults who want to remain as healthy and independent as possible, for as long as possible.

Not only can a physical exercise routine help prevent or alleviate the symptoms of heart disease, high blood pressure, depression and diabetes, it can also help with balance, muscle strength, bone density, mood and sleep quality.

Compared with their sedentary peers, older adults who are physically active tend to:

• Feel more energetic
• Enjoy a more consistent positive outlook
• Benefit from improved cognitive health
• Experience a higher quality of life
• Be more likely to perform activities of daily living (such as eating, dressing, bathing and getting in and out of bed or a chair) with little or no assistance
• Have a lower risk of injury from falling

Senior Exercises Should Emphasize Safety First

Some older adults have never stepped foot inside a gym or even given exercise much thought. Others may have been physically active in their younger years but shifted their priorities as the responsibilities of raising a family or advancing their career required more time and energy.

If you’re new to exercise or looking to gradually get back into it after being sedentary for a while, it’s always a good idea to talk with your physician before getting started on a new routine. This is also true if you have any chronic illnesses or physical limitations such as mobility issues.

Regardless of your level of fitness, think about consulting a fitness professional or doing some online research about specific activities or exercises you’re planning to do. A simple search on the internet using a phrase such as “safe senior exercises” is a good place to begin—as long as you rely on trustworthy sources.

Many types of exercises suggested specifically for older adults address multiple desired outcomes, such as improved balance, strength, flexibility and endurance. Some low-impact exercises, such as water aerobics and chair yoga, are often recommended for those who have achy joints from arthritis or other health conditions.

Remember, any senior exercise program should place your safety above all else!

No Need To Join a Gym

The thought of walking into a fitness facility might feel intimidating—unless it’s one like our fitness center at Heron’s Key, where everyone except the fitness specialists is in your age group.

If you prefer some privacy as you begin your physical activity routine, you can go online and find a wide array of exercises for seniors at home, many with videos you can watch to make sure you’re doing them properly.

These basic exercises will help you get started.

Bridge

You can do this exercise while lying on a mat on the floor, on a carpeted floor or on your bed. It builds strength in the muscles of your back body while also stretching the muscles in the front of your body. It’s an especially good exercise for anyone who sits a lot.

1. Lie on the floor, face up, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your arms at your sides, palms facing down.
3. Lift your hips up into the air so your knees, hips and shoulders are in a straight line.
4. Squeeze the muscles in your buttocks and hold this position for several seconds.
5. Slowly, and with control, lower your hips back to the floor.
6. Repeat several times.
7. As you get stronger, you can hold the pose longer and do more repetitions. Eventually, you can try lifting one leg straight up toward the ceiling as your hips are raised and then alternate with the other leg.
8. Be sure to relax your neck while doing this exercise.

Wall Push-Ups

Push-ups use your body weight to build strength in your chest, arms, shoulders and core.

1. Stand straight, facing a wall, about a foot away from the wall.
2. Place your hands on the wall at shoulder height and a little more than shoulder-width apart.
3. Walk your feet back away from the wall, keeping your body in a straight line.
4. Tighten your core muscles and your buttocks.
5. Bend your elbows and bring your chest toward the wall.
6. Straighten your elbows and take your chest back away from the wall.
7. Repeat several times.
8. As you get stronger, you can do more repetitions and make the exercise more challenging by stepping farther away from the wall.

You can do regular push-ups on the floor if you prefer, making them less strenuous by keeping your knees on the ground while you raise and lower your upper body. You can also do chair push-ups, standing behind a sturdy chair and pushing down on the back of the chair with your hands while you raise and lower your body toward the back of the chair.

Bird Dog

This exercise helps improve balance and stability by creating a stronger core. It works muscles along your spine and in your upper back and shoulders, as well as your abdominal muscles, glutes (in your buttocks) and hamstrings.

1. On a mat or carpeted floor, get onto your hands and knees. Be sure your hands are directly beneath your shoulders and your knees are directly under your hips.
2. Lift and extend one leg behind you while reaching the opposite arm out in front of you. You should form a straight line from the tips of your fingers on the outstretched arm to your toes on the leg stretched out behind you. Keep your eyes on the floor below you.
3. Return your hand and knee to the floor so you’re in the same position in which you started.
4. Repeat on the opposite side.
5. Alternate sides several times.
6. As you get stronger and steadier, you can incorporate crunches by bringing your elbow to meet your knee (while gently arching your back) and then stretching your arm and leg out again before returning your hand and knee to the ground.

Knee-to-Chest Stretch

If you have tension in your lower back and hips, this stretch can help alleviate that. It can also improve your flexibility and range of motion in your hips and hamstrings.

1. Lie on the floor (on a mat or carpet) with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
2. Clasp your hands around one knee and bring it in toward your chest.
3. While keeping your lower back pressed to the floor, hold your knee to your chest for 15 to 30 seconds.
4. Relax and return to your starting position.
5. Do the same movement with the other knee.
6. Do several repetitions on each side.

If you have any discomfort in your knees, you can clasp your hands around the back of your thigh instead of around your knee. Also, it may feel better for your back if you keep the opposite leg flat on the floor (instead of bent at the knee) while bringing your knee toward your chest.

Single Leg Balance

As you start doing this exercise, you may want to stand with one hand against the wall or hold on to the back of a sturdy chair for support. As your balance improves, you may not need any support.

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands on your hips.
2. Lift one foot off the floor, bending your leg at the knee, and raise your foot behind you while keeping your knees even.
3. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds.
4. Lower your foot to the ground and repeat on the opposite side.
5. Do several repetitions on each leg.

How Often Should You Exercise?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that seniors engage in activities of moderate intensity for at least 150 minutes a week. Brisk walking, lively dancing, swimming and bike riding are examples of moderate-intensity activities. You can aim for 30 minutes per day, five days a week, or break it up into shorter blocks of time.

Older adults should also participate in muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week and balance activities on most days, according to the CDC.

Physical Activity Is Part of Our Holistic Approach to Wellness

If you’d like to learn more about how residents at Heron’s Key enjoy staying active, we invite you to come have a look around. We’ll show you our beautiful community and tell you all about the amenities we offer, including our fitness center.

While you’re here, you can talk with some of our residents to find out what they like most about living at Heron’s Key. To arrange a visit, contact us or call (877) 892-7129.

If you’ve been undecided about moving to a senior living community in part because you think your grandchildren (or great-grandchildren) won’t want to visit, then take this to heart: Choose a community like Heron’s Key, where there are countless ways to spend time with them in the larger, surrounding community—in our case, Gig Harbor, Washington.

Not only has SmartAsset™ named Gig Harbor the best place in Washington to retire (and one of the top five places in the country). It’s also quite family friendly, as Martha Bien, one of our newer residents, can attest.

Wondering what to do in Gig Harbor, WA? Read on!

How Martha Chose Heron’s Key as Her New Home

Martha has lived at Heron’s Key for less than a year, so she’s still exploring all there is to do in our community. But she’s very familiar with Gig Harbor because her son and his family have lived in the stunning seaside village for the better part of a decade.

As you might imagine, having family living nearby helped Martha make her decision to move to Heron’s Key—and her grandson was instrumental in having Martha take a closer look at our community.

Before moving here, Martha had lived an hour away, on Bainbridge Island, for almost 30 years. She loved her home on the island, and her son would bring her two youngest grandchildren to visit her on most Sundays. Other times, she would come to stay with them in Gig Harbor for a few days.

Eventually, Martha and both of her sons (her other son lives in Oregon) began to talk about her future living arrangements. She looked into a senior living community that was being built on Bainbridge Island but “didn’t really care for that.”

During one of her weekend visits to Gig Harbor, which she describes as a “sweet town,” she and her son drove by Heron’s Key, and he mentioned that our community has a good reputation. At first, Martha said she didn’t think she would like it here, but her grandson, who was only about 6 years old at the time, piped up from the back seat and said, “Tutu, would you at least consider it?”

After a couple of visits to Heron’s Key, Martha changed her mind.

“Moving here was a really good decision,” she says. “People ask me, ‘Did you make the right choice?’ I really can say, ‘Yes.’ It’s such a lovely place, and the people are so welcoming and wonderful, right from the get-go.”

Where Is Gig Harbor?

Gig Harbor is nestled on the western side of the lower region of Puget Sound, in Pierce County, which is in western Washington. Part of the Olympic Peninsula, it’s across from Tacoma, which is about 12 miles away via the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

How far is Gig Harbor from Seattle? Less than an hour’s drive, which makes it a breeze to take trips to the dozens of intriguing, kid-friendly museums in the area, as well as the Seattle Aquarium and Woodland Park Zoo. You can also enjoy performances by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Mariners ballgames and a whole lot of other pastimes.

Getting there is even easier when someone else does the driving, like we do with our frequent group excursions.

Fun Things to Do in Gig Harbor

You don’t have to venture to Tacoma or Seattle unless you want to. There are plenty of things to do in Gig Harbor when your grandchildren visit.

If you want them to take a break from “screen time,” Gig Harbor has 21 city parks, many with trails for hiking and biking. The trails and the area’s wetlands are great for spotting wildlife while on nature walks. The preserved urban forest at Grandview Forest Park, where you’ll find local artwork on display along the trails, is an excellent example.

Harbor WildWatch offers guided beach walks, and the organization’s new Marine Life Center in downtown Gig Harbor is a fascinating place to learn all about plants and animals that call the Salish Sea their home.

You can also walk around the harbor (where you just might spy some porpoises, seals and seabirds) or take a sightseeing trip with Destiny Harbor Tours. If you’re up to it and your grandchildren are old enough, kayaking and paddleboarding are popular pastimes in Gig Harbor. Enjoy being on the water? You can access it from several parks in the area.

For a unique experience on the water, you could take the grandkids on an authentic Venetia gondola ride, provided by Gig Harbor Gondola.

During the summer, you can catch an outdoor concert on Tuesday evenings at Skansie Brothers Park or on Thursdays at Uptown Gig Harbor, the upscale outdoor shopping center that’s only about 15 minutes from Heron’s Key. By the way, Uptown Gig Harbor has an IMAX theater.

You can also plan to attend the Maritime Gig Festival in June, the Summer Art Festival in July and the Gig Harbor Film Festival in September.

If it happens to be raining when the grandchildren are visiting, there are lots of indoor activities to choose from, such as pottery painting at the Java and Clay Cafe. Or, you can check out Ocean5, which offers both 10-pin and duckpin bowling, a two-story laser arena and an arcade with the latest in modern gaming.

Kids of all ages can learn more about the local history and culture at the Harbor History Museum, located on the waterfront in downtown Gig Harbor.

If you don’t feel like driving, or to make any local outing more memorable, the Pierce Transit trolley runs during July and August, making numerous trips between downtown Gig Harbor and Uptown Gig Harbor shopping center. The trolley stops right at the entrance to Heron’s Key, so it’s especially convenient!

More About Martha and Her Grandchildren

Martha’s situation is a bit different from other Heron’s Key residents who may have grandchildren visiting them, since her grandkids live in Gig Harbor. She goes to events they’re involved in at school and can volunteer to watch them if their parents need an extra hand.

For instance, Martha’s 7-year-old granddaughter recently came over one afternoon for a couple of hours. Martha made dinner and they watched one of the “Minions” movies together. Martha said both her granddaughter and grandson like to eat at Spinnaker’s, our restaurant, and she sometimes orders takeout meals or ice cream if they want to eat in her apartment.

When the weather’s nice, they go for walks around the pond to get some fresh air.

Martha cherishes these times with her younger grandchildren and loves living close enough to see them while they’re growing up. When she’s not with the grandkids, Martha enjoys plenty of other ways to keep active—like walking with her friend, Janet, who also moved to Heron’s Key from Bainbridge Island. Three mornings a week, they walk between three and four miles in and around the community.

She also likes the variety of lectures and exercise classes available at Heron’s Key, which are a great option anytime and particularly when it rains.

“I’m much busier here than I was on Bainbridge,” she says, noting that she’s looking forward to helping with the planting project that’s planned for the newly resurfaced path around the pond.

She also intends to explore some of the hiking trails on upcoming group outings and may look into starting another book club here at Heron’s Key.

Would You and Your Grandchildren Like It Here?

The best way to find out is to come visit us. We’d love to show you around our community. While you’re at it, you can stroll around downtown Gig Harbor, which is less than 10 minutes away. Visitors and locals alike love to wander among the many shops, galleries and restaurants on or near the waterfront.

To arrange a visit to Heron’s Key, call (877) 892-7129 or contact us online.