This year’s Seniors Month theme is “Let’s Get Moving“, so I want to share some health and wellness resources in the region that will help keep your body and mind heathy. The Seniors Active Living Centres (SALC) offer many activities and opportunities to get moving, but there is so much more you could do to get out and get active in the community!
Ontario Parks
Get out in nature and visit one of Ontario’s beautiful parks! You can rent picnic areas for day use, campsites for overnight stays, roofed accommodations, boat launches, and even canoes at some parks. You can reserve make reservations online through this link: Ontario Parks Reservation System.
Older adults aged 65+ can also go fishing in Ontario without needing an Outdoors card with a fishing license, as long as you still follow Ontario’s rules and regulations for catching limits.
Getting out in nature lowers the body’s stress hormones, which benefits your physical and mental health. It also allows you to get your daily dose of vitamin D from the sun, which many Canadians are low in. Just don’t forget to wear an SPF 30 or higher sunscreen with both UVA and UVB protection, and reapply it every 2 hours!
Municipal Recreation Programs
Swimming
There are many programs municipalities offer within their communities to get residents moving. One particular exercise that is great for muscle or joint pain and stiffness is swimming. Swimming is a lot more gentle on the body since the water is around to support its movement. It can also work many muscles at once to give you a whole body workout.
The City of Kitchener offers many recreational aquafitness programs, as well as open swims. They also offer membership and pass discounts for seniors. For example, it is only $34.61 to buy an unlimited senior swim pass that’s valid from June 1 to September 7, 2026! You can use this pass to go swimming as many times as you would like this summer. Don’t forget to book your swim or aquafit class ahead of time to ensure you get a spot!
The City of Cambridge also has a number of aqua fitness classes ranging from their more beginner friendly AquaBility classes, designed for individuals new to aquatic fitness or experiencing joint pain, to their more advanced AquaDeep classes, which give a more intensive full body workout. Indoor and outdoor pools in Cambridge also offer open family swims and lane swims. You can view all Cambridge pool schedules here: Swim Schedules & Lessons | City of Cambridge, and search through swimming programming here: Activity search | CORAL. There is no need to register online for most programs.
Exercise Classes and Social Activities
Other recreational activities for seniors offered by the City of Kitchener include:
- Strength, balance, mobility, and weight training classes
- Tai Chi (including beginner friendly classes)
- Yoga (including chair yoga)
- Pilates (including chair pilates)
- Social activities including crafts, card games (ex. Cribbage, Euchre), chess, mahjong, knitting, and crocheting
- Billiards
- Musical instrument playing groups (ex. guitar, harmonica)
You can find and search for all of these activities and more here: Activity search | Active Kitchener.
The City of Cambridge has a comprehensive page on their website that outlines many programs and recreational activities for seniors: Older Adult Services | City of Cambridge. Near the top they have a list of 50+ recreation centres, alongside their features and amenities. A bit further down they have a list of Seniors Month Events that are taking place in June. Near the end of the page, they list a few programs that support older adults and adults with disabilities including their Adult Day Services program, Friendly Visiting Program, and Without Walls (WOW) program.
Their website also outlines 50+ clubs available to join on this page: Activities Guide & Program Registration | City of Cambridge, which includes the Cambridge 50+ Woodworkers, Cambridge 50+ Choir, and the Ancient Mariners Canoe Club (AMCC).
Cambridge offers even more social activities for seniors such as making stained glass, pickleball, shuffleboard, painting, and scrapbooking. Browse these classes and more here: Activity search | CORAL.
Walk Queen
Walk Queen involves a series of events held on Queen Street East in our very own Hespeler community. Events include Latin dancing, Line dancing, live music, pickleball, farmers’ markets and more! These events are all free to attend, and run all summer from June 5 to August 30. You can find a calendar view of all the events here.
Fitness Guidelines and Healthy Eating
For adults 65+, it is important to aim for 2.5 hours a week of moderate physical activity to stay healthy and reduce your risk of many diseases, such as dementia, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and depression. ParticipACTION has comprehensive guidelines on how to stay active, get good sleep, and reduce sedentary time.
Don’t forget, in order to be active and exercise, your body needs fuel. Make sure you are getting all of the nutrients you need by following the Government of Canada’s food guide for seniors! Include a variety of coloured vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and healthy proteins such as eggs, fish, beans, and lean meats.
Health811 provides a service where you can speak with a registered dietitian for free to get personalized healthy food recommendations. Dial 8-1-1 to access this service, or chat with them online: Chat online – Health811.
Staying healthy as we age involves keeping physically active, ensuring we are adequately nourished, and staying social. There are plenty of programs and supports in the community that are able to help you reach these goals! Feel free to reach out to my office anytime if you need help accessing or finding a resource.